Sugarloaf Mountain (Nash Stream Forest)
"Holy Jesus there's more!" from "Blankets and Bedding" - Come From Away
Distance: 4.63 miles
Elevation: 2172 feet
Time: 2 hours, 51 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 With a View, Operation Alaska Benchmark Challenge, Go North 9er
The Hike
My weekend in Vermont was officially over, but naturally I had to stop for a hike on the way down. I've been slowly picking away at the Go North 9er list for a couple years now, and all I had left was Sugarloaf Mountain up in the middle of nowhere in Nash Stream Forest! I was grateful to see that the strange single-pump gas station's porta potty was still there just before Nash Stream Road, so I did some business there and started the ~8 mile drive down the dirt Nash Stream Road. The trail was in good condition minus a few ruts. It looks like there has recently been road work to either widen the roads or clear the drainages on either side. I passed two cars who were hiking the Percys, and saw nobody else for the rest of the drive! There is a small parking lot right at the trailhead, and a bigger one just before it where I parked (Sugarloaf Mountain Trailhead on Google). I parked, slowly got suited up, checked out Nash Stream, crossed the bridge, and got started!
The trail starts on a driveway to a private camp, crosses a bridge and gate, and then follows a snowmobile trail/an old logging road. The first section of trail is actually quite lovely, moderate grades, following a nice stream (sun sure if it’s named), and on the wide road so I was not eating every spider web. I remember reading on AllTrails a scathing review about how this trail lacks panache - I think there was a decent amount of panache! Minus the bugs - the bugs were out and present for the first bit of this hike, but they stayed to the lower elevations.
Eventually the trail reaches a junction where the Cohos Trail (Sugarloaf Arm Trail - yellow blazes) turns left and the Sugarloaf Mountain Trail (unblazed) continus straight/right. This is where the climbing starts to get steeper, but still not the steepest. A little later on, the snowmobile trail leaves on the left (there is an arrow), and the Sugarloaf Mountain Trail continues straight/right, and this is where it gets steep steep. There was no indicator telling me to go straight, but I knew up was the correct direction. I eventually saw some human footprints so I figured I was good.
As I've written about before, I'm been listening to the broadway show "Come From Away" on an endless loop since in saw it on my birthday, and in the song "Blankets and Bedding" the whole cast sings a line - "holy Jesus there's more!" - and that's truly what I was saying to myself everytime I looked ahead. This trail is relentless. The only thing that was interesting was the changing forest - it started as an open hardwood forest, then the conifers started to mix in, and further towards the top it was a classic, dense NH conifer forest with lots of moss. The forest was very quiet this morning, with only a few birds here and there. I saw one pile of moose poop, but no moose (which I think I'm okay with, at least while I'm hiking solo in the middle of nowhere). I noticed that I could see a mountain ridge through the trees... and the tops of the trees were slightly clouded, which did not make me too thrilled.
You know you are getting somewhere when the trail opens up to a brushy section (also wet). The trail skirts a former clearing to the ruins of the former fire warden's cabin, which was pretty cool. There was a hard to see spur trail on the left to the stream that was running well on this morning, and the trail continues to meander through the brush. There were lots of pollinators who weren't thrilled with me, but I made sure to apologize! The worst thing about this section was that I was officially in a cloud, which likely meant I would not be getting a view... which is FINE, but I'm so far from home and likely won't be back here for a long time, so I would have liked a view... oh well!
The final push is through some really beautiful forest, thick mossy trees and a single footpath alternating between climbing and walking breaks. I was following a moose's footprints for most of this - but the moose didn't seem to enjoy the view as its footprints disappeared about 200 feet from the summit. This final push did feel like it went on forever, but I was just anxious to get to the top. Finally at the summit - I had a great view of... clouds! And the trees within 50 feet of me. Bit of a bummer, but it is always neat to be in a cloud. I took my photos of the clouds, the summit sign, and USGS benchmark, enjoyed a beef stick, accidentally left my summit beverage in the car, wrung out my shirt, swatted some flies, and started my trek down!
The return trip thankfully went quickly with only a couple slips (no falls!) on the steeper sections. I did not see any other humans or animals, but did hear a low-pitched grunt near the brushy section. After some youtubing, I think it absolutely could have been a moose. Either way, I picked up my pace! My knees and quads were burning on the way down, but soon enough I was back on the snowmobile trail, and then back on the yellow-blazed Cohos Trail nearing the camp. Even though I didn't get a view, I am still glad I was able to get out into the woods and cross this one off the list(s). Now, all I had to do was change my clothes, and make the 3.5 hour drive to marching band rehearsal!
Step-By-Step
- I parked at the grassy pullover before the bridge.
- Cross bridge on Nash Stream Road, and walk up driveway to private camp following signs for Sugarloaf Mountain Trail.
- Walk past snowmobile gate, and follow trail along nice stream.
- At junction, follow signs for Sugarloaf Mountain Trail on right (blazes stop here).
- At junction, continue straight/right up the steep trail (do not follow arrows for the snowmobile trail).
- Around 2 miles, the trail enters a brushy section, follow footpath up.
- Summit Sugarloaf Mountain, turn around to retrace steps.
"Sugarloaf Mountain (3701 ft.)" from A.M.C. White Mountain Guide, 19th Ed. (1969)
"NH Forestry Dept. Tower E of North Stratford, at the head of Nash Stream. USGS Percy and Huildhall (Vt.) quadrangles. NHDP fire tower. The summit commands interesting views, particularly of the Percy Peaks and Nash Bog Pond.
The trail, in good condition, leaves Nash Stream Road L (W) 8.9 m. from its beginning, or 0.1 m. beyond the crossing of the main stream. (It is possible to drive 0.7 m. farther to dam at foot of Nash Bog Pond (camping area), which is worth a visit.) The trail, a logging road, ascends the E side of the mountain by a rather direct route. Road to firewarden's cabin about 2 m.; summit about 2 1/2 m. (2 hrs. 10 min.)."
"Sugarloaf Trail" from AMC White Mountain Guide, 24th Ed. (1987)
"The summit trail is a logging road that ascends the east side of the mountain by a direct route. It beings on Nash Stream Rd. 8.4 mi. from Emerson Rd. The point is 80 yd. beyond the crossing of the main Nash Stream. Park off the road in a grassy area. The trail (no signs) passes south of a camp, crosses a small brook, and continues through an open field. It then enters the woods and swings northwest, ascending at a steady grade to the firewarden's cabins (abandoned) at 1.6 mi. A short distance above the cabins, near a spring, the trail divides. The right branch climbs to the ridge north of the summit, turns left (south), and reaches the summit in 0.5 mi. Th eleft branch also reaches the summit, is 0.1 mi. shorter, steeper, and has several blowdowns across it. The former fire tower has been removed."
"Sugarloaf Trail" from AMC White Mountain Guide, 25th Ed. (1992).
"The Sugarloaf Trail, now in good shape after a period of neglect, provides access to the bare rock summit of Sugarloaf Mtn. [...]. Above the cains, near a spring, the trail bears right at a fork (the left branch is an overgrown alternate route to the summit. [...]."
"Sugarloaf Mountain Trail" from White Mountain Gudie, 30th Ed. (2017)
"This trail provides access to the rocky, partly open summit of Sugarloaf Mtn., which commands good views of the Nash Stream valley and surrounding areas. The trail ascends the east side of the mountain by a direct route, following a logging road that was the fire warden's trail to the former fire tower. Sugarloaf Mtn. Trail starts on the left (west) side of Nash Stream Rd., 8.2 mi. north of Northside Rd., 70 yd. beyond its bridge over Nash Stream. The trail begins on the left as the driveway to a private camp. In 2016 the entrance was marked with a yellow blaze on a post but no sign. Park in a grassy area on the left, near the driveway entrance, taking care to not block the driveway, or on the right (east) side of the road just south of the bridge. Refer to the USGS Percy Peaks quad or the Cohos Trail map.
The trail follows the grassy driveway to the left of a camp, crosses a bridge over a small brook, goes around a gate and through a brushy clearing, and enters the woods. At 0.1 mi., the trail bears right at a fork where the yellow-blazed southbound Cohos Trail (here signed as Sugarloaf Arm Trail) goes left; there is a sign for Sugarloaf Mtn. Trail here. Sugarloaf Mtn. Trail ascends generally northwest at a moderate grade on the wide, old road, passing a jct. with a snowmobile trail on the left at 0.4 mi. Sugarloaf Mtn. Trail continues ahead here (cairn), and the grade soon steepens, with eroded rocky footing at times; the ascent is steady to a clearing where the remains of the fire warden's cabins are on the right at 1.6 mi. A few steps farther, thet rail bears right at a fork (the left branch is a short spur to a spring) and leads through a brushy area. Sugarloaf Mtn. Trail climbs rather steeply to the ridge north of the summit, turns left (south), and ascends gradually along the ridgeline to the summit ledges."
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