Tag: donner pass

Another HOT Hike to Frog Lake Overlook

As much as I love this hike, I also hate it!

What I love about this trail

Wildflowers are off the charts – The views are amazing – You get a great workout – It’s a favorite hike of the Truckee locals and they are nice folks to chat with along the way.

What I have to be aware of:

It’s hot – I blogged about my heat issues in the past) The trail (PCT) goes through the two tunnels under I-80. Until the snow at the top is completely gone, the tunnels are full of water. I mean knee deep cold as hell rushing water through both tunnels. This year it didn’t clear out until July because of the late snow dump in the Sierra. However, this means that the temps are now hotter than I prefer to get to the top. A very very early start is advised if heat is an issue like it is for me. This trail has a 1500 foot elevation gain in a little over 3 miles with hardly any switch backs making it a hard hike. It’s even a workout going back down as the footing is a little loose.

I try and this trail at least once a year and get up there as EARLY as my hiking partners are willing to go. This year it was later in the am than I would have preferred (8:00am) and we didn’t get back to the car until 2:00pm which is the hottest part of the day and I was spent! I felt like a sloth and my legs were full of lead. I like to get back to the car by noon.

Advice for Senior Flatlander Hikers

GO EARLY. 80 degrees up at altitude going uphill will feel like it’s 100. In the summer, sunrise is 5:30am or so. By 9:00am the sun is very high in the sky. You get the picture. Get an Ultralight hiking umbrella – carry lots of water with electrolytes – eat salty snacks- take a cooling towel to dip into the cold streams if they are still running – take LOTS of rest stops – Listen to your body. Enjoy the scenery

Now for the show!

I got the Relive app which takes the data from my navigation app Gaia and turns it into a cool 3D map of my movements on the trail. Pretty cool! Take a look!

Mt. Judah & Donner Peak! WOW!!!!

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This wonderful trail in the Northern California Sierra, with abundant spectacular views is a must-do if you traverse around Donner Summit. The trail starts on the PCT just down the road from Donner Ski Ranch. You then take the Mount Judah loop trail from the PCT. Don’t forget to hike up to the summit of Donner Peak while on your way around and look out the “window” onto Donner Lake! WOW!

DON’T FORGET TO HIT THAT FOLLOW BUTTON AND PUT IN YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS SO YOU DON’T MISS MY NEXT AWESOME ADVENTURE!

Art on the Train Tracks

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As a kid, we would travel along I-80 through the Sierra and I was always fascinated by the miles of man-made tunnels that hung on the side of the mountain on the other side of Donner Lake.  Back in those days, the tunnels were still being used by trains getting over the Sierra.  Today, the tracks have been removed and the trains have been re-routed.

It amazes me how many people never noticed them, even after traversing that stretch of freeway a zillion times!   How can you NOT notice these engineering marvels?   If you want to know the history of these sheds is fascinating, even if you aren’t a trail buff.

October of last year, we had the opportunity to take a guided tour of the sheds with a knowledgeable train historian. That was very interesting.  However, what I DIDN’T expect to see in these tunnels was the unbelievable art!  It’s not your run-of-the-mill graffiti art. These are masterpieces in my book!  Its dark in these tunnels, so these artists burned up a lot of flashlight battery to get these babies done!

PS,  if you are traversing the PCT, you can take a short side tour of the tunnels. It’s right off of the trail. It’s worth it, and very cool temps in the summer months.

Take a walk with me into the tunnel of Art.

 

Here is the link to the history of the tunnels.

Mountain Winter Wonder Disneyland

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I have been a downhill skier for the past 43 years and I thought I’d never give that up!  Sadly its become so darned expensive (100+ dollars a day) to get a few runs in. I just don’t want to pay it.  Oh sure, I could get a season pass, but then I’d have to ski a boatload of times to make the pass pay for itself. Then, the pressure is ON to get up the hill once or twice a week in the 12 week ski window in Northern California. Then there are the winters where the snow is CRAP and I just paid a boatload of dollars for a worthless season pass.

I have now switched over to snowshoeing and possibly cross country skiing. I never understood the attraction of either until last Friday. For one thing, it’s FREE (other than $5.00 parking) and it’s beautiful.  No pressure to get up the hill and use a pass and deal with the crowds, lines and ridiculous price of a lift ticket!!

Take a walk through the winter wonderland of Donner Lake with my hiking buddy John and I.   WHO ELSE has been priced out of downhill skiing?

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