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Sugarloaf Mountain Colorado LbNA #51150

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Oct 28, 2009
Location:
City:Boulder
County:Boulder
State:Colorado
Boxes:1
Planted by:nedhead
Found by: The Turtles
Last found:May 26, 2019
Status:FFFFFFFOFFF
Last edited:Oct 28, 2009
The name Sugarloaf applies to hundreds of raised topographic landforms worldwide: mountains, hills, peaks, summits, buttes, ridges, rock formations, etc. Landforms resembling the characteristic conical shape of crystallized sugar, a sugarloaf, were often so named. Thus the name for the mountain on the stamp, Sugarloaf Mountain.

Sugarloaf Mountain is about 5 miles from Boulder, CO and is a nice day hike for visitors and locals. The top of the mountain provides 360 degree views of the plains and the Continentail Divide. On the west side of the mountain saddle runs the Switzerland Trail - now a popular biking path.

The Switzerland Trail is a historic narrow-gauge railroad line that was operated at different times by the Greeley, Salt Lake, and Pacific Railroad, the Colorado and Northwestern Railroad, and the Denver, Boulder, and Western Railroad around the turn of the 20th century in the Colorado front range mining area near Nederland, Gold Hill, and Ward. The earliest segment dates to 1859, with continual track growth until 1891 by the GSL&P, when a large flood destroyed many tracks and bankrupted the company. The C&N took over for a few years, completing many spur lines and the southern branch of the Switzerland Trail. The C&N is responsible for the name "Switzerland Trail", given in 1898 in a successful attempt to attract the tourist trade. By the end of 1900s, the C&N had folded and the DB&W took over. In 1919 the line was shut down and the tracks were subsequently pulled up, but the railbed remains. A large portion of the railbed is maintained as a hiking/biking trail as part of the Boulder County road system. It was, and remains, well known for its beautiful scenic views of the Front Range hills.

Directions to the letterbox:

From downtown Boulder, head west on Canyon Boulevard (CO 119). Travel about five miles up Boulder Canyon to the right hand turn up Sugarloaf Road. (There is a turn lane here.) Sugarloaf Road will climb steeply for almost five miles, at which point you can see Sugarloaf Mountain to your right. Continue almost another mile on Sugarloaf. The road descends, then makes a sharp turn to the left. A bit further, you will see a large parking/pull-out area on the left. Park here at the Boulder Overlook. Observe the city of Boulder and the plains below. Your elevation is about 8500 feet, or 3000 feet above Boulder. To your left you can see Sugarloaf Mountain for which the road is named.

Note a large rock outcropping on the northern boundary of the parking area. Proceed to these rocks. Go to the right of the large, southern-most rock. With the rocks on our left, walk parallel to the rock outcropping 20 steps towards the north. You should be at the northern-most rock of the outcrop. Find the letterbox under a small pile of rocks at the base of the last large rock.