Sugar Cube and a Little Round Top

Summit #60 of 70--January 1, 2024

Anacortes, Washington, is known for many fine things, one of which is nearly 3,000 acres of Community Forest Lands with over 50 miles of trails, several lakes and a few named summits. Mount Erie and Sugarloaf are best known and have the best views. But a couple of lowly outliers, Sugar Cube and Little Round Top, I’d yet to visit—in part because there are no views from their not-so-lofty summits.

With a cloudy forecast and no rain expected on the first day of 2024, Kris, Mitch and I aimed our boots and poles to Anacortes for a mighty ascent of both nubbins. As it turned out, we enjoyed a brief bit of sunshine and a whole lot of solitude (or triplitude?), since we only saw two other hikers all day.

As for the peaks, I hadn’t missed much all these years. The apexes of said nubbins were just brushy, gentle knolls hidden among the trees. However, the hiking was the thing, all in nice forest and quite enjoyable.

The two summits are not too far apart, without much elevation difference, so I chose to take credit for just one summit today. On the return leg of our loop, we found a reasonable lunch spot at a viewpoint overlooking Lopez Island and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

All in all, a pretty nice day. Or, as Mitch would have it, the birds shined and the sun tweeted—a fine way to kick off a new year, and to finally get to 60. Only 10 to go!