Part One: Esther and Whiteface
- Slept in; started around 9:00 AM.
- Sunny day. About -6C (21F) at the ASRC and -10C (14F) at the summit.
- Icy; no mud.
- Seems like everyone wore microspikes except for those who lost them along the way.
- As a challenge, hiked to Esther without microspikes.
- Wore microspikes for the balance of the hike.
- Caught a microspike on a root and did a face-plant; injured my pride.
- Broke another trekking pole (unrelated to face-plant).
- Very hard ice above the Wilmington Bend. Had trouble getting microspikes to grip during the descent.
- Hike stats: 10.2 miles, 4000 feet.
- Trip time: 4h 35m
Part Two: Porter and Cascade
- Left after 2:00 PM; two of three parking areas were full.
- Met lots of people descending.
- Trail was thoroughly 'tenderized' by hiker traffic.
- Tagged Porter and was treated to a view of snow flurries on Algonquin.
- Cascade was darn cold; -14C (7F) and windy.
- Saw someone's pack at the junction; I wasn't the last to summit.
- Fun walking on deserted trail at dusk.
- Headlamp came in handy 45 minutes after sunset.
- Hike stats: 6.2 miles, 2300 feet.
- Trip time: 3h 2m
Sum of the parts: 16.4 miles, 6300 feet, and 7.5 hours of hiking fun.
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| Breezy day on Whiteface. |
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| More guests on the summit. |
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| Snow clouds obscure the approaching sunset. |
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| Beautiful but darn windy and cold. |
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