An earlier post/map on this rewarding hike was posted last year (link).  

To get to the trailhead, drive south from Merritt up the Okanagan Connector and turn off onto the Lundbom Lake Road.    This road was recently graded and is in better shape than we have ever seen it before.   There are 37 campsites on Marquart and Lundbom Lakes so the area get campers, hikers, fishermen, ATVers and mortocycles, and mountain bikers.   So much of the area is open grasslands so hikers can start a hike just about anywhere, but if Sugarloaf Mountain is the intended hike, then vehicles can be parked at Lundbom Lake, or, if the vehcile has high clearance, loom for the road that climbs to the west near the end of Lundbom and follow it towards Hamilton Lake which can be seen from the top of the rise.   Some mountain bikers and hikers park at the top of the hill and hike or bike over from there, but it is possible to go to Hamilton Lake and park at the foot of the hill.   The road was somewhat rutted and muddy this spring, so we hiked from the viewpoint show below and then biked over the next day.    In the photo below, the climb starts at the right side of the lake on the left (Hamilton Lake). 

The route to Hamilton Lake is a dirt double track.   the start of the CocoBonk Trail is passed along the route (a new post upcoming).  Cross a cattle guard at Hamilton Lake and look for the double track climbing the hillside to the right of Sugarloaf.   At the end of the double track, a trail can be seen that winds its way up the rock bluffs.

There are wide views of the grasslands, Stoyama Mountain, Merritt, and the surrounding hills.   Red-tailed hawks circles above.   Hamilton Lake sits below, full of ducks on our last trip, and there were even a couple of belly boats in the water.  The upper meadows were covered in Spirng Beauties, which were harvested by First Nations people in times past.   They ate the starchy corm like a potato (hence the name Indian Potato).  

Return by the same route and watch for hawks, ducks, bluebirds, and meadowlarks.    Barrows golden-eye ducks were diving as we passed by.

We plan to return to Sugarloaf to hike every year.   We plan to hike for the first day, then bike the CocoBonk Trail the next.   A post on the CocoBonk Trail will be next.