When @mrsbozz and I decided to head up to Marquette, MI for one of our camping trips this summer, I immediately knew the one thing that I wanted to make sure we did. It was 2019 when we last visited Marquette and one of the most memorable things we did was climb Sugarloaf Mountain.
Well, sort of.
At the time we were camping with some friends of ours and a decent distance from the top one of our friends realized they couldn't make it any further. @mrsbozz being the good friend she is agreed to sit with her friend while @diamonddave and myself continued up the remaining steps to the summit.
As you will see, the views are beautiful and part of me was always a bit sad that I wasn't able to share that with my wife besides in photos. I always vowed that if we ever made it back to Sugarloaf, she would be with me when we reached the top.
We didn't count the stairs though I am sure that information is available somewhere online. We also didn't track how far we went, but I think it was probably something like a mile or two up and down. It's hard to say because our fitness trackers don't really track elevation changes like they do forward momentum.
Either way, I am including this as a #wednesdaywalk post sponsored by @tattoodjay because it was definitely a workout for all of us.
Hopefully you can read the information in this photo. Sugarloaf is about 2.7 billion years old, isn't that crazy? It's hard to fathom that I was walking on rock that old. I'm sure it happens every day, but when the ground is so flat, it's easy to forget that fact.
As I said, the climb up Sugarloaf is no minor task. The State Parks have done a good job of making the summit accessible, but there is still some pretty rugged terrain. There are actually two parking lots from where you can start your journey up the mountain. They both lead to the same place, so it doesn't really matter which one you pick.
There is a point where the paths converge and from that point on it is just up.
We had a small group of people that we kept bouncing past. They would stop to read one of the signs and we would pass them, then we would stop to take a break and they would pass us. As you can see, there are some areas where only one person can fit on the path at a time. The same was true with most of the stairways that they have built up the mountain.
It's impressive how green the forest is heading up the mountain. It's also quite peaceful as well. Even though there is a good deal of foot traffic at any given point up and down the paths of the mountain, it's still teaming with life and the sounds when you don't have a group near you are amazing.
I thought I took some photos of the wooden stairways that they have built up the side of the mountain, but I guess I didn't. They are strategically placed so that you have to walk around the mountain for a bit before you continue up. This staggers them and give you a small opportunity to breathe.
@mrsbozz made the comment at one point that she feels like she is in pretty good shape, but this climb was pretty brutal. We got to share this experience with my eleven year old nephew and even he was a little winded by the time we got to the top.
I felt the same way. I'm definitely overweight, but I try to exercise about four mornings a week. I consider myself in better shape than I was in my younger years and even I found myself out of breath at times.
Here is some more information about Sugarloaf. Again, I hope you can read it. According to the Internet, there are 304 wooden stairs that lead you to the summit of Sugarloaf. When you are about 3/4 of the way up, it feels like 10x that. Trust me!
Once you get there, the view is totally worth it. We passed several people on our way back down asking if it was worth it as they were on their way up. It definitely is. If you ever make the trip to Marquette, MI Sugarloaf is one of the must visit stops there.
There is another mountain near Sugarloaf named Hogback mountain. I think you can see it in the photo here. From what I have heard, you can climb it, but you need actual mountain climbing gear to do that.
Actually, a quick search online proves that might not be true about the climbing gear, but the pictures I saw do show that Hogback mountain definitely has a more difficult path to the top.
With views like this from Sugarloaf, I'm more than happy settling for that!
Besides being able to share this experience with @mrsbozz, I was also able to share it with my nephew!
I think it is safe to say he enjoyed the view! It was a bit chilly up at the top of the mountain, but I honestly could have spent all morning up there just taking in the fresh air and beautiful views. There was a point where my nephew asked why the ground was darker in certain places.
This was the first time he actually realized he could see the clouds shadow on the ground when you are that high.
I'm going to let the next couple of photos speak for themselves.
Climbing Sugarloaf was such an amazing experience and I am so glad I got to share it with my nephew and @mrsbozz. With all of the haze we have been getting from the Canadian wildfires lately, we were fortunate to have a crystal clear day for our ascent.
If this post doesn't convince you that Michigan is one of the greatest states out there, just you wait, believe it or not, I have even more awesome photos to share in future posts!
If you do happen to wander into the upper peninsula of Michigan, Marquette should definitely be one of your stops. Like I said, take the short drive outside of town and check out Sugarloaf too. It's totally worth it!
Sports Talk Social - @bozz.sports
Wow - those views from the top are pretty epic - looks well worth the climb !
Totally!
Spectacular visit seeing top of the mountain, so much geological history, as well as this great lake.
TV viewing seeing people traverse the waters in canoes, this gives one an idea as to how large this spread of water is.
!BEER after stout effort by all getting up!
Yeah, it is just massive. I am hoping to do another post on Lake Superior soon where I can throw out some facts about it. It's a fascinating lake!
Plenty of wildlife and great fishing, a place to explore and enjoy for those who love the outdoors.
Great that you could enjoy that with your nephew. I love hiking, and climbing mountains is always fun, both for the journey up and the amazing view. All fantastic photos leading us along with your hike.
Thank you! It was a great time. I love this mountain because it is probably one of the most accessible you can climb. Sure, there are a lot of stairs and the terrain is a bit rough, but you don't need special equipment. It's relatively gradual and safe if you were to fall.
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Great work. What amazing views and beautiful countryside. The sky looks very clear too.
Yeah, it was a pretty amazing day! We got really lucky! There haven't been a ton of those so far this summer.
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