…more like escape FROM but we’ll get to that later. Actually, no, let’s get to that right fucking now. This was my very first hike. I wasn’t nervous as much as I knew this Florida girl who prefers the beach and almost died up inclines at Storm King the day prior who is skinny but also out of shape was GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME.
We took the babiest hike to see some waterfalls and I learned very quickly that for a complete newb the adidas or “adidas” i got from Marshall’s maybe aren’t the best. I also learned very quickly that great hiking shoes doesnt make you hate your boyfriend less as you ascend a 4098ft summit.
INFO ON CASCADE
1/46 high adirondack peak
The day before the hike I told one of my friends, an avid hiker about my very first. Chris had told me it was one of the easier ones but I mistakenly took easier to mean easy not easier of the 46 lol
Before bed i checked my text from Diana that read “but also..[those but also can be scary] i took a look at your hike… that shit is intense” with a link to allTrails. Naturally i obsessively read everyone’s posts and pics before heading off to bed.
We set an alarm to leave at 830 but least at 930 instead because i was too tired to wake up. I was pretty quiet on the drive there. Parking wasn’t that bad. It was a quick walk til we reached pitch off. We headed down the stairs to the sign in sheet. Little did i know i would not be descending anything for the next two hours. It was a pretty immediate stead climb. Easy to the eye but very hard on not so in shape me. I was huffing, puffing and panting. I resented people who not only passed us but were able to have a full on conversation lol . People wer very nice walking by “hello. How are you?” Me” dying”
I took LOTS of breaks. At some point you just get into the zone of JUST MOVE YOUR FEET. That rock becomes another set of rocks becomes a stream you walk over…
It helped my overactive overthinking brain. Sometimes there’s no time for thinking you gotta move before you twist your ankle. Thinking too much could be detrimental.
At some point, Chris ran ahead to snap a photo of me… 
Here it is. Does it look like I’m having fun?
As he shared the water bottle he smiles and goes just you wait… you’re going to end up liking It. At that moment i decided i was going to do everything in my power to hate it forever or at least hold out admitting it. I’m just now recalling my father tell me that i was hardheaded as a child… lol
He also mentioned how my breathing was getting more calm and i hated him for that as well lol
There were some boulders and climbing/scrambling to be done.. nothing perks you straight up faster than seeing 5 years olds run up those same rocks.. only to come back down so they “get to” do it all over again. And then there are the moms who carry their toddlers on their backs.. i will stfu forever. Also, check out this badass who set a new women’s Adirondack High Peak record for the challenge at three days, 16 hours and 16 minutes.
For the most part, people had their masks on when they crossed paths. Everyone was kind and encouraging.
We hit the first clearing that showed what was to come. 
My first sign of an emotion other than hatred in two hours.
.
A little more to go. 
At the top! 
For legal reasons, this was not a beer.
I won‘t tell you it was worth it.
But we did have BBQ afterwards.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Parking fills up fast they say but i dont know how true that is. I feel like people recommend to get their early to avoid this issue but then everyone ends up arriving early and fill up the spots. We got there around 10 … just enough time for people to be leaving from the morning hike.
Read reviews from other hikers here.
