8/23-24/03
Middle Sugarloaf 2539’ in the Little River Mountains

2.8 Miles 900’ Elevation gain

Kevin, Judy and Emma

Having just discovered this place in February of this year, this was our fourth trip in 8 weeks. This time our intention was to spend the night. I had done this with Emma, but this would be Jude's first backpacking experience. We arrived at sunset and by the time I set up camp there was no time to snap pictures. we ate and crawled into our sleeping bags. The wind blew hard all night and the temperature dropped significantly, I'd guess down into the forties. Mars was at it's closest to earth it would be for years at this time and it looked like an airplane running light it was so bright. The Milky way stretched from horizon to horizon and the cool, crisp mountain air gave it a brilliance I hadn't seen since I was achild. Unfortunately I was too cold to spend much time outside admiring it. Getting out of the bags to pee was a painful experience due to the wind and low temps, and the constant flapping the tent made in the wind made it hard for either any of us to sleep, but we managed some. The sun rose through the cloud caps over the Presidentials and a wonderful sunbeam broke through the clouds above Spinx Col between Mounts Jefferson and Clay. The wind died down some and the sun began to warm things up. We had hot tea and breakfast bars and watched the the morning shadows disappear before tramping down off of this beautiful hill on our way to climb the much higher Mount Carrigain later that day. All in all it went pretty well, it could have been better, but it could have been much worse.