Pitchoff, Friday Sept 2

[BlackSpruce]

The 1.7-mile to Pitchoff's expansive open ledges was well worth the effort today. All day Rangers were keeping watch at every closed trailhead. In any case my friend from NYC would have found Cascade itself too much of a good thing. Marcy was totally invisible but Colden and Algonquin were parading for us as we sat enjoying the breeze and the sunshine. Mind you what kept us in awe was the new slide on Cascade. It’s long, narrow, steep and kind of majestic. Some sections are wiped clean and others covered by debris likely still instable. Nevertheless when we drove to the picnic area between the two lakes, there was a parked car with no one in sight, we assumed a daredevil was working on a first ascent.
Trail was in great shape, brooks are already back at their middle of summer level, a fair number of the hikers we met were tourists enjoying their very first Adirondack climbs. A few of them were progressing all the while talking on their cell phone...

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