Tuxedo-moon: November 2010

Sugarloaf Mountain

Comus, MD, November 20, 2010: We headed for Sugarloaf Mountain to see the views and walk to the summit. As mountains go, it's not very big. However, it stands out ahead of the Blue Ridge range of the Appalachian Mountains much like Pike's Peak stands out ahead of the Rockies. One sees it on the horizon from parts of Northern Virginia, Central Maryland and the observation deck at National Cathedral. Sugarloaf is open to the public but privately owned. Afterwards, we treated ourselves to a pleasant lunch at The Comus Inn and shopped the farm stand across the road.

You can hike all over the mountain or you can drive most of the way to the summit and climb the last quarter mile.

The first parking lot affords a southern view:

The second parking lot afford a northern view:

Quartzite and moss:

Hand in the rock:

The easy trail to the summit:

View from the summit:

The U.S. National Geodetic Survey marker:

The descent via the more difficult trail, you can either take the stairs (l) or repel (r):

A black vulture overhead:

The drive down the mountain:

The road to Comus:

The Comus Inn:

Comus Market:

Volunteer Tomatillos

I brought in the trash cans after our alley pickup and, out of the corner of my eye, spied several green plants thriving along the fence with chartreuse green Chinese lantern seedpods. Upon closer examination, it appeared to be tomatillos and, after checking Wikipedia and contacting a friend whose a master gardener, they were determined to be volunteer tomatillos. Now the question is how well will the fruit develop between now and the first inner-city frost.