CHS 1 Hike - Mount Erie via Sugarloaf

This will be a superb conditioning hike for April! We'll be getting ~1300ft of elevation gain in just over 4 miles. That may sound intense, but the ascents are split up into two sections with a nice downhill section between them, giving our hearts and quads a chance to recover.

First, we'll gain ~650ft over 1 mile to reach the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, where we'll take a break to enjoy the views out to the Strait of Juan De Fuca and the San Juan Islands.

Then we'll descend halfway down Sugarloaf for 0.5 mile before beginning our 1 mile, ~570ft ascent up to the top of Mount Erie. Here we'll take a longer break to enjoy lunch and take in the panoramic views of Whidbey Island, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juan Islands. We may even be able to see the Cascades, Olympics, and Vancouver Island if visibility is clear enough. There are restrooms available at this viewpoint (it can also be reached by cars). The remaining hike will be primarily downhill as we descend Mount Erie, then take a trail that loops CCW around the base of Sugarloaf.

Check out the route on this Gaia GPS Map, and find out more about the hike from Sugarloaf Mountain and Mount Erie on AllTrails. A Hello Hiker email with more details will be sent out the week before the hike. Feel free to reach out to me via email with any questions in the meantime.

We will meet at 8:30AM at the Sugarloaf Mountain Trailhead (Ray Auld Dr, Anacortes, WA 98221) in the Anacortes Community Forest on Fidalgo Island. There is a vault toilet at the trailhead. We'll have our boots and packs on ready to start our hike at 8:45AM.

Carpooling out to the island is encouraged. Consider using a free resource like GroupCarpool.com to organize your own carpools.

No pass required.