Here’s a timelapse video I shot on Saturday, Sept. 30 on Cascade Mountain. The video shows what the summit looks like on a day when 550 people hike the mountain.
Starting the trail in the dark at about 6 a.m., I was the third person to the summit. At the trailhead, the temperatures were in the 30s and it was raining. I started hiking in the dark but was able to turn off my headlight before long as the sun rose.
In the higher elevations, the rain turned to snow (something I had been looking forward to), creating a magical early morning scene on the summit.
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The first crowds showed up around 10:30 a.m.. From that point on, there were always a couple dozen or more people there. There were people of all ages on the mountain that day, including quite a few children and many teenagers. Many of the hikers spoke French.
There were few signs of problems that day. Most people that I saw stayed on the trail but a few ventured into to the subalpine vegetated areas. One person had a drone. I saw no sign of toilet paper or litter on the trail, although most of that is often found in small trails off the main one.
I left at about 1:30, passing dozens of people on the trail on the way out. The trail became quite crowded at times.
At 3 p.m., when I got in my car, there were still a few late arriving hikers heading to the trailhead.
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I really enjoyed that video never been on that one. I wish more info was out there letting folks know more about the climbs. I can’t be near edges for example vertigo sets in but I can climb some but give up on most not knowing trail and what to expect. I went up Panther mountain this fall amazing loved it alot beautiful looking out perfect due to not being near edges to see and enjoy views. Thanks for sharing that video !
Nice job by videographer. It is great to see people enjoying the great outdoors.
Really great video! I find many people are aggravated that the mountain they climbed is too crowded – as if it should be empty so that they can enjoy it. They climbed that mountain and became part of the overcrowding. I personally LOVE the fact that people are getting off of the couch and enjoying the outdoors. If Cascade is too crowded, there are 6 million acres in the Adirondack Park – I encourage all of the complainers to explore some more. I’ve been on many fantastic hikes in the ADK where I didn’t see another person. If it’s high peak adventures you crave in solitude, go hike Allen or Skylight, Or Haystack or any of the other more strenuous hikes – you’ll see far fewer people along the way and enjoy the quiet summit…
Looks like time square! Sadly, I go to the mountains to get away from the masses and therefore never hike on the weekends.
Thanks for exposing the over exposure Mike! 🙂