Short, Sweet, and Steep - Sugarloaf Hike

So earlier this week I was annoyed. I had two days off, and guess what was forecasted?

Guess which days they were?

So Thursday morning when I woke up to sunshine, I knew I had to do something!

It was again also the Husband's day off, so we went back to Fidalgo Island to hike Sugarloaf.

Sugarloaf

Anacortes Community Forest Lands

Parking Permit: none needed

Distance: ~ 2.5 miles roundtrip

Elevation Gain: 893 feet

How I always reach the trailhead is to turn on Lake Campbell Road from Highway 20. Follow that until you reach Lake Erie Grocery and hang a right at the fork; that puts you on Heart Lake Rd. From there, go past the two big trees (you'll know them when you see them) and turn right at the sign for Mr. Erie Lookout. You can drive all the way to the top of Mt. Erie if you want, but for the Sugarloaf trailhead park in the lot at the base.

Here's a zoomed in map:

I need to point out the little hill east of Sugarloaf is called Sugar Cube.

The trailhead is right behind the big information station.

Ozzy the dog decided to add his own trail marker

For the most part, the trails are well marked. The map can seem a bit intimidating, as the ACFL has a pretty extensive trail network. As long as you plan your route ahead and note the trail numbers, you'll be fine. To get to the Sugarloaf Lookout, we take trails 215, 227, and 238.

Each trail marker also shows what uses are permitted on the trails.

 The husband found a snail shell (snail missing) not too far from the trailhead:

And the dog found a fashionable wig!

While most trail junctions are well-marked, some are a bit more vague. Usually unmarked trails will loop back to each other, but when in doubt, just go uphill.

The total hike is pretty short; just about 2.5 miles round-trip. You climb almost 900 feet in about a mile, so while it's short, it has a pretty good grade to climb up. It's a great conditioning hike that you can do in a short afternoon.

The junctions for 227 and 238 tend to sneak up on you, so always keep an eye out. Remember, we're always turning uphill!

Recent rains from last night made the trail a little muddy and the rocky parts a bit slick, but compared to a lot of other trails I've been down, it wasn't bad at all.

Once you reach the top, you can enjoy the views! There's a nice meadow on top which makes a perfect picnic spot.

There are lots of rocks to sit on. I also discovered that they're good for reflecting sound, so you can get some Pandora going on your phone and place it just right to amplify the sound and have a mini mountaintop dance party!

Husband: "What are you doing?"
Me: "It's a dance party! Come on!"
Husband: "I will once you take your medication."

Long story short, he refused to join me and I was left awkwardly dancing by myself.

I tried to get the dog to join in, but he ran away from me.

One thing I love to do is bring snacks for the dog and toss them for him to make him run up and down the hill. It wears him out with minimal effort from me!

There were a few flowers just starting to peek out.

Today was fairly bland, however in a few weeks as we go into April you can expect this meadow to explode in color! I may have to try and make another venture up here around then, as this place becomes wildflowers galore. Alas, it's too early for them right now.

Final shot of the husband and dog taking in the view.