New hike (for us)! Spring has sprung.

Who: Bryce, Kristen

Both Kristen and I are getting over a nasty case of the flu which kept us from getting out last weekend (which was cold and rainy anyway). We had a hard time deciding whether to try something new or to go to an old favorite. Ultimately, we settled upon doing something in Shenandoah National Park that we had never done before.

Most of our hiking in the park is in the Central District, turning north on Skyline Drive from Swift Run Gap on US-33. We decided to find something in the North District, north on Skyline Drive from Thornton Gap (US-211). The Sugarloaf loop is just past the Elkwallow Wayside (which is still closed for the season).

There are a few place you can park to do this loop. We opted for the starting point suggested by AllTrails, which is right next to an old Civilian Conservation Corps site that has not yet been restored.

We did the loop in the clockwise direction (opposite from what AllTrails suggests), which puts you at the views first, and lets you descend for the main section of the hike. The overlooks themselves are nice, although they are basically the same as the pullouts from Skyline Drive.

The first part of the loop follows the Appalachian Trail north. The back half goes through a pleasant section of mountain laurel (or maybe rhododendron). Some cute little wildflowers are starting to poke their heads out.

We stopped for our usual McDonald's fries on the way home. There was a deal on McNuggets, so we tried the WcDonald's sweet chili sauce. It was ok, maybe a bit too much soy sauce flavor for my taste.