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Donner
Pass to Coldstream Valley, (Emigrants
Trail) Trail
Tuesday,
September 16, 2014
Difficulty: Strenuous.
One needs to be conditioned to hike up
to
8,000 foot elevation. Severe
accent to
begin the hike followed by long descent.
Elevation Gain: 700 feet. The first
part is up 700 feet, followed by a 1,600 foot decent.
Hike Distance: 6.5 miles.
General Location: Hike
begins on old highway 40 at Donner
Pass, proceeding south up PCT, diverging to Judah loop trail, to
Coldstream
Pass, optional Donner Peak side trek, descending south and east
following the
Emigrants Trail to Horseshoe Curve on the Union Pacific Railroad in
Coldstream
Canyon.
Description: Trail begins
at 7,100 foot elevation. We will follow the PCT south by climbing
steeply on switch
backs on a granite headwall to approximately 0.5 mile.
Trail will climb steadily following
contours of
the mountain after the initial accent, and will be in wooded canopy. At 1 mile point we will
diverge to the Judah
loop trail, climbing gently to Cold Stream Pass (7,800 foot),
approximately 2.5
miles from the start. We
will take a
break at the pass, approx. 1 1/2 hour into the hike.
Those wishing to take a side hike up to
Donner Peak (8,000 foot elevation) may do so for great panoramic views. This will be about a 30
minute stop. From
this pass we descend thru the wooded
canopy and meadows along the Emigrants trail. This initial decent of 2
miles on
what I call classic sierra trail, general moderate decent, with a few
short
steeper descents. The
final 2 miles will
be on a jeep trail, again gently descending.
We will terminate the hike at Horseshoe
Curve on the Union Pacific in
Coldstream Canyon (6,200 foot elevation).
This is 3.5 miles south-west of Donner
Lake State Park. From
this point we will need to caravan the
drivers back to Donner Pass and pick up vehicles.
I will have a vehicle previously placed
at hikes
end to expedite this process. Retrieval of vehicles will
take about 45 minutes. Those with left over energy may
proceed as a group down the access road to be picked up along the
road. Those without enough energy will be picked up at the
end of the hike. We will provide bottled water for all at the
end of hike. For the drivers, be aware, the access to the end
of the hike is on an uneven - unpaved road. Expect your
vehicle to get dusty.
During
our pre hike we did not encounter any people on this back side of the
mountain.
Travel Time / Distance: Travel time 1
hour, 20 minutes. The
driving distance is
approximately 74 miles. A large parking lot is located on old Highway
40 at
Donner Pass, adjacent to the PCT head.
Suggested
donation to driver is $8.00. Because
this is a one way trail, time will be required at the termination of
the hike
to retrieve vehicles. We expect to return to Lincoln Hills about 3:00
pm.
Detailed
driving directions will be
handed out to all drivers.
Since this is a one way hike,
drivers will need to
proceed about 10 miles beyond the start point.
We will need to access the hike end by
entering Donner Lake State
Park. Those
with State Park
access pass will be appreciated.
Hike Leader / Sweep: Leader:
Phil
Huntingdale / Sweep: to be determined.
Special
Notes:
Facilities:
Stop at
forest service facilities at Big Bend (near Rainbow
Lodge), on way up, and at Donner Lakes State park on way back.
Risks: Insects may be present,
bring a good insect
repellant, one never knows. There are
loose rock along the trail that could cause some unbalance along the
way. If we have
rain there could be some small
creeks to cross along the trail, none significant.
Lunch
break: Snack break will
be at the 1 1/2 hour point, followed by second snack or lunch break, at the 3 hour point,
and final snack at
the end 4 hour point.
Questions: Call Phil (or
Stephanie) 916-408-1747, or email smccoubrey@sbcglobal.net.
Preparation
for Hike:
1.
Bring a copy of your
ID (driver's license), Health Card, and an emergency contact name and
phone
number with you when you hike.
2.
If you have any
health issues, please consider your condition before hiking.
3.
Always bring 2 pairs
of shoes, along with a plastic bag to store your muddy/dusty hiking
boots after
the hike. DO NOT get your driver's car dirty by wearing your
dirty boots
on the drive home.
4.
Trekking poles are
advised, along with lunch, snack, plenty of water and sun screen.
Rain or thunderstorms
cancels the
hike. Check website
the morning of the
hike for any updates.
Meeting Time: 7:00 AM. We Leave
at 7:15 AM.
Pre
Hike Photos
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