day hike - sugarloaf peak under likely snowy conditions - November 1, 2026

The Sugarloaf Peak in Alta has a rare combination of features: it belongs to the list of 21 peaks over 11,000' in the Wasatch but it's also an easy summit, with the trailheads starting at a high elevation and no scrambling required. We are 5 days out from the hike so conditions may change but all weather forecasts seem to converge on a storm bringing wintry conditions to the high Wasatch summits on Sunday. In this type of weather during the shoulder seasons, when Alta ski resort allows uphill traffic, the Sugarloaf becomes a bit of a more serious endeavor and provides a nice winter ascent feel at high elevation while staying on pretty safe ground, next to ski trails until the short final summit push. Water/wind resistant clothes will be necessary, as well as waterproof shoes, warm socks and good gloves. Spare clothes are a good idea in any hike in snowy conditions. Snow shoes may help if the storm drops a large amount of snow over the current shallow cover but that doesn't look very likely at the moment. Spikes may also help if temps drop and the snow gets hard but I did this hike 2 weeks ago and they weren't necessary. There is a possibility of Alta snow grooming vehicles working on parts of this route but they have always been very courteous with me when I do this hike every fall. The estimated out and back time from the Alta parking lot next to Alf Engen ski school is 4-5 hours. PS- Snow storms at 11,000' can get intense, with strong wind gusts creating a high wind-chill factor and low visibility. You need to be prepared for that. But the hike will only get cancelled in case of an electric storm moving in or some other extreme condition.
Level:MSD
Miles:5.4
Vertical:2345'
Route:Out & Back
Pace:Moderate
Organizer:Michael Marine
Date:Sun Nov 1 2026
Meeting Place:Register with the Organizer
Web Link:Alltrails description of the route

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