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Sugarloaf Mt. Trail
9.3 miles from G.T.
steep 4 miles R.T.
Sugarloaf is a popular name for hilltops and Georgetown has one of its
own that peers down on Rock Creek and across at its neigh-bor, Bald Mt.
This trail connects to the Bald Mt. Canyon trail (see Obscure
Trails) to the south and served to access mining activities on Rock
Creek long ago. The YCC resurrected this trail in 1989 after heavy
logging obliterated it. Sugarloaf is an interes-ting place to me because
it somehow supports a thick manzanita forest without the help of much
soil. The brush just seems to grow out of end grain slate that composes
this very exposed hilltop.
Directions:
From Georgetown take Wentworth Springs
Rd. 4.5 miles to go R on Balderson 2 miles to go R on Mace Mill Rd.
(Stay L at the fork at 1 mi. Darling Ridge). Follow Mace Mill 3 miles to
its very end where a big landing provides parking.
The trail
starts on the east side through an
opening in a barricade fence with a sign advising no OHV. The trail
doesn’t waste your time with switchbacks even though they’d make perfect
sense there on the steep canyon side but drops rapidly to Rock Creek.
This trail may have been an early Indian trail since you can find a Bed
rock mortar in the middle of the creek just downstream of the trail
crossing.
Al Brass creek drains into Rock Creek at
the crossing and the trail climbs up on the right using big rock steps.
Follow up about a mile where you go L when you reach a logging road on
top. Follow this a short ways to a more main road which you follow for ½
mile to a junction with a sign pointing R towards Sugarloaf. A gentle
grade takes you up a shoulder ridge where you can find Bald Mt. Canyon
trail junction going L while Sugarloaf is gained by going R. A short
climb through thick manzanita brings you to the top of the mt. Since it
takes about one hour from car to mt. top, I estimate the distance at 2
miles one way. Great view from here.
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