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Sugarloaf Mountain - fall colors hike

Perfect, golden fall weather and a great group!

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Dickerson, MD

Moderate to Strenuous

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The trip report

We had a wonderful time - how could we not, with blue skies, temps in the 60s and every fall color on disply in the many mnt vistas along the hike. Just enough of a breeze to cool us down from our uphill hikes and plenty of sun to keep us warm.

The hike started with the hardest part of the trail as we hiked (climbed) almost straight up from the parking lot to the summit - but despite some panting and heavy breathing we all made it in one piece :) The rest of the hike was relaxed and at a nice pace as we walked through rocky upland forest full of oaks and boulders. A geat lunch at White Rocks overlook, passed lots of dogwalkers and fellow hikers, and made it back to the parking lot, which had really filled up due to the beautiful weather.

Looking forward to the next hike and hope to see all these guys again! Several promised to lead the hike next time :)

Kevin

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About this event

We'll meet at 10:30, Sunday morning at the East View parking lot at the trailhead of the Orange Trail - we'll gather at the nearby picnic tables. You can look for my dark red Toyota Prius with a bike rack. We'll head up the Orange trail, the steepest piece of trail for the day, and be at the summit for a great view in just a few mintues. After we have our fill of fall vistas, we'll continue north on the Red Trail and then north east on the Blue Trail, past another summit and nice view. We'll loop around westward to White Rocks, soak up some more mountain views, and then head south to the Green Trail and the mountainside staircase that leads us back up to our first summit and the Orange Trail. We should be back at our cars around 3pm, maybe earlier.

The whole circut is about 6.5 miles and winds through rocky oak forest, pass several fern-lined streams and some great sections of steep rock-strewn trail that will give us all some great exercise. Even though it's not an especially long hike, the trails can be tricky, so I would suggest sturdy footwear and plenty of water. We'll eat on the trail, so bring lunch and snacks. (check out http://www.sugarloafmd.com/index.html for maps and info)

There are port-a-johns at the parking lots, but no visitor center or indoor space. It can get chilly on the mnt, depending on the weather, so dress accordingly. Fall color will be the main attraction, but eagles, hawks, deer and wild turkey are all possible. Hope to see you there!

Who came along (4)

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BCB

Palm Springs, CA, CA

GUEST MEMBER

Eupatorium

Mathias, WV

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mnmd410

Towson, MD

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