Weather:  Generally clear skies, a few clouds.
Present were:  Mike, K7DOU and friend Nancy;  Gordon, K7HFV;  Clint, KA7OEI;  Tim, KK7EF; Bruce, KI7OM
Destination:  Up the trail to Cecret Lake, on to Germania Pass and then, if there was enough time/daylight, to Sugarloaf Peak.
Comments:  A trip to Sugarloaf Peak from Germania Pass is a quick side trip of only 500 feet or so elevation gain...
Question of the day:  "Where's Gordon?"  Gordon started a minute or two ahead of the group and took a slight detour - which landed him in (initially) unfamiliar territory.  Ultimately, this put him 10-15 minutes or so behind the last of the main group and was unable to get to the top of Sugarloaf before it was too dark - so he didn't try.
Total distance:  Approx. 3.63 miles - if you went to the top of Sugarloaf.  (2.93 miles if you didn't...)
Times:  Depart vehicles:  1852;  Cross the stream (just before the climb begins):  1908;  Arrive Cecret Lake:  1716;  Depart Cecret Lake:  1926;  Arrive at pass above lake/bottom of bowl (and Gordon's arrival at the lake):  1937;  Arrival at pass:  1955;  Arrival on peak:  2016;  Gordon arrives at pass:  Approx. 2024;  Depart peak:  2037;  Return to pass:  2057;  Return to lake:  2122;  Depart lake:  2133;  Return to vehicle:  2155.
Altitudes in feet ASL (approx):  Parking lot:  9400;  Cecret Lake:  9880;  Pass/Bottom of bowl above Cecret Lake:  10130;  The pass:  10541;  Sugarloaf Mountain (peak):  11063 (or 11051, according to USGS map, or 11055 if you take into account the newer data sets.)
Elevation gain/loss in feet (approx):  1663 - if you went to the peak, 1141 if you just went to the pass.
Local sunset on this date:  8:29 pm (We've lost 10 minutes of daylight over the past week.)

Images (39-900k each, .JPG):

• IMG01192 - Cecret Lake area - Devil's Castle.  Slightly wider view is #1193.
• IMG01194- A look back toward the campground.
• IMG01195 - The friendly, fat rodent - likely a rotund specimen of one of the local varieties of squirrel.  See more of the "FFR" in  the following images: #1196, #1197, #1198, #1199, #1200, #1201, #1202, #1203, and #1205.  Just for 'yuks, I decided to try to see if I could see my reflection in the creature's eye:  The results are in #1199i.  What do you think?
• IMG01208- Cecret Lake.  Similar images, with slightly different exposure/framing, are #'s 1206 and 1207.
• IMG01209 - Cecret lake, as viewed from partway up the trail to the pass.  Similar is #1210.
• IMG01211 - Mike (left) and Tim in a field of wildflowers, on the way toward the pass.
• IMG01214 - The "Sugarloaf" ski lift, well below the pass.
• IMG01215 - Looking into Mineral Basin from the pass.  Similar is #1216 and (slightly blurry) #1217.
• IMG01218 - Hidden Peak w/tram and Twin Peaks, just before sunset.  Similar is #1219.
• IMG01220 - A wide angle view from near the bottom of Sugarloaf (at the pass.) Can you spot the three climbers - Nancy, Tim, and Mike?
• IMG01221 - Mike, trying to strike an "explorer's stance."  Similar is #1222.
• IMG01223 - A sea of boulders near the top of Sugarloaf.
• IMG01225 - Devil's Castle bathed in alpenglow, as seen from the top of Sugarloaf. Similar, but slightly unfocused is #1224.
• IMG01227 - Cecret Lake and vicinity, from the top of Sugarloaf.  Here are a bunch of similar pictures:  Take your pick:  #1226, #1228, #1229, #1230.
• IMG01233 - Mike and Nancy atop Sugarloaf at sunset.  Similar is #1231.
• IMG01236 - The group (sans Gordon) atop Sugarloaf with Timp. & Co. in the background. Note:  Gordon only made it partway up to the peak before we began our descent.
• IMG01238 - Hidden peak just at sunset as viewed from the top of Sugarloaf.
• IMG01242 - The afterglow of the sun just after sunset, as viewed from the top of Sugarloaf.
• SPARKS1b - A composite of three successful attempts at capturing the "Sparking Rocks" on camera.  If you take two rocks in the Cecret Lake area and bang them together, you can get sparks!  These pictures were taken using the "bulb" setting while Bruce hurled rocks onto the ground.

• GPS track of the hike. The recorded GPS track of the hike.
• Elevation profile of the hike.  The elevation profile of the hike.
• A more detailed GPS track - A more-detailed map with the GPS track of the hike.

A bit about the area:

It would seem that the pass above Cecret Lake (to the west of Sugarloaf) is known both as Germania Pass and Sugarloaf Pass.  I can't seem to find out where the name "Germania" comes from, but it's worth noting that a large smelter of the same name was built in Murray in 1872 (very close to the site of the former Murray smokestacks.)  Much later - in 1954 - a double chairlift with this name was built and has subsequently been replaced/upgraded several times. (This is not to be confused with the Sugarloaf lift.)  Read more about Alta's History on the web.

(I don't know where the "Sugarloaf" name comes from...)
 

• If you want one (or more) of these images and wish some sort of adjustment (color, brightness, exposure, etc.) please let me know:  All of these image have been processed in some way.
• These images are 39-900k in size, .JPG and are in chronological order.
• No-one ever said that all of these images (or any of them) were good.  Some of them may have definite focus/exposure "issues."
• EXIF data is present for many of the images, showing time, date, and precise exposure conditions.  Recent versions of Irfanview will show this in the "View->Image Information->EXIF" tab.
• All images taken using a Sigma SD-10 camera using the 18-50mm zoom lens.

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