On a mid-November morning the weather was cool (0°C) and the valleys were filled with fog.    I drove to the trailhead for Sugarloaf Hill and hiked the 9 km up-and-back route.    The lower part can be done on a double track with steady climbing.     The upper part is on a single track faint, steep trail, winding up the rocky bluffs to the summit.   This hike is best done in shoulder season.

The double track winds up past a pond on the north side of Sugarloaf.    In a year of drought conditions, the lake was just a mud hollow.    It will be recharged by snowmelt in the spring.

The double track heads west above the Coquihalla Highway.    The rock bluffs of the west summit of the hill stand above the uphill route.

From the end of the double track, a faint trail bears south, winding up steep slopes.     There are some bits of flagging tape to mark the route, and I added a dozen cairns.   There was snow up high, making it harder to see the trail.    From the high point, we traverse over to the south rim for open views.     On this day, the higher areas were above the fog.

After some tea at the top, I returned back down the steep slopes, following my own footprints in the snow down to the double track.

Sugarloaf Hill is a hike I do once or twice a year.    Because I only do this right before winter (or right after), there is no one else to be seen.    There were lots of deer tracks and scat, some coyote sign, two grouse, and a handful of birds.     There were no human footprints on the snow.     Mine will be soon covered up with the predicted snowfall.    Sugarloaf is not far from town, but it has a rugged and remote feel, except for the sounds of the highways in the area.

More Information:

• Sugarloaf Hill Hike
• Sugarloaf Hill

This route was hiked on Nov. 18, 2024.