Climbing one of the ADK 46 high peaks can be daunting on a cold, windy day in April, but that’s just what three Northwood students did recently. The conditions were partly cloudy, with a high of 42 degrees, but it didn’t get really cold until the top of the mountain. Although it was cold, and the leaves hadn’t re-populated the trees yet, it was a fun experience as my time in Lake Placid was dwindling.

We started up Cascade by signing the trail register and then made our way up. About half of the trail was below the frost line, so for the second half of the journey, we slowed down a little bit. Even though it was risky, it was funny when one of us slipped and fell. After facing all our adversity, we finally reached the exposed, rock-faced top, where a kind man offered to take our picture.

As experienced hikers know, the reward of getting to the top is not just the view but also your lunch. We took a few minutes at the top and realized that it was way too cold to eat – even after hiding behind a couple of boulders, the wind was still too much – and we had to head back down below the windy summit to use our hands properly. We made our way down the mountain after some more slips and falls, and finally indulged in our sandwiches and fruit. We made it to the bottom, signed out, and I’d say it was a successful day on the mountain.

“I’m glad we did that because it wasn’t too hard and a lot of fun. It was funny when Jordan took that digger,” said Trey Franz ‘25.

“It was nice to get away from campus for a little bit. It was good exercise and not too long, which I liked because I was able to get back to school at a decent time and complete some of my homework,” said Cedric Lemaire ‘25.

But for me, the story isn’t about the hike necessarily; it’s about using time wisely when there’s not a lot of it left. My high school career is coming to an end, and I’m starting to reflect and make sure I can maximize my time with experiences I haven’t had before. I’m excited to see what the next few weeks will bring.