Storms arrive tonight and Donner Summit is projected to get 18 inches of snow by Tuesday. So today I took in my last hike there for this year. I went with a friend. The elevation at the parking lot is 7108 feet, and Donner Peak is 8019 feet. The winds were brisk, bringing the wind chill probably down to freezing, but we had plenty of layers of clothing. From atop Donner Peak we had a full view of Donner Lake. The members of the Donner Party spent the winter of 1846-47 in camps east of the lake. These emigrants reached the wall of the Sierra too late, for the deep snows prevented their crossing. Food ran low and people died. Some members resorted to cannibalism to survive.
The trails should be mostly free of snow and ready for hiking by mid-June.
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| My friend at the trailhead |
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| Me with Donner Peak in the background |
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View of Donner Lake from Donner Peak.
Interstate 80 is to the left. |
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