One lump or two

Part 2 of Saturday's outing involved hiking (or should I say climbing) Mt. Sugarloaf in Deerfield.

There are two ways to get to the top. You can drive, (humph, snicker).

No seriously you can drive, and it costs two bucks to park at the top.

Or if exercise / self abuse is what your after, you can muster up your stamina and hike up this trail.

Sugarloaf is a 652' mountain that rises abruptly from the flat Connecticut River floodplain.

I mean abruptly. This hike is like climbing stairs 600 feet up. Matter of fact it is so steep in some places that there actually are stairs.

The stairs are actually probably to slow erosion of the trail, as are these ditches cut into the trail here and there.

Half way up there are these concrete steps. Who could have possibly have hauled them up here?

These roots provide some handle-holds to help haul yourself up.

The hike is short. It's only 652 feet up, but your climbing about 600' feet of it, as the trailhead is near river level. And as I keep stressing, it's a steep hike. If your not ready for it, it can feel brutal. Guess who wasn't ready for it. At least Kelly got a chance to rest as she waited for me. It's a good workout.

Nearing the top you start to see some utterly spectacular views.

The view goes from spectacular to phenomenal as you get to the top. Possibly some of the best views of this half of the valley. The Connecticut River winds away into the distance with the Holyoke/Mt. Tom Ranges in the distance. Patchwork farmland hugs each side of the river.

To the east is the bridge to Sunderland and the Mt Toby range.



For an even better look, there is this three level observation deck at the top.

Behind the observation deck there is a picnicking area with several tables, some with a roof over them. Farther back is the parking lot.

The Pocumtuck trail continues on to North Sugarloaf , a taller hill attached to this (south) hill.

There is an interesting old Native American myth that South Sugarloaf is the head of a giant beaver, and the north mountain it's body. The Beaver was reaking havoc among the Pocumtuck tribe, so they summoned the spirits for protection. The spirits sent a giant hunter to slay the beaver, which died here and turned to stone.