General Conditions

Weather continues to be stable at Donner Summit.  Daytime highs have been around 80° and nighttime lows around 50°; but both numbers have been dropping slightly over the past few days.   There are occasional afternoon clouds but little or no precipitation. For details, visit the Central Sierra Snow Laboratory web site (https://cssl.berkeley.edu); click on the “Weather Condition Plots” and select “week”. Webcams at Sugar Bowl (http://www.sugarbowl.com/home) and Donner Ski Ranch (http://webcams.donnerskiranch.com/) provide an up-to-the-minute view of current conditions.

Wildfire: The seasonal campfire ban has been in effect nearly a month.  Don’t have outdoor fires — including campfires, charcoal grills, etc.  Gas grills are OK.  Fire danger is currently rated as “high”.  Find more information at https://www.truckeefire.org/fireban

Flora: Summer wildflowers are in full bloom, though you won’t find them all in any single place.  Hike over a range of altitudes and sun exposures, and you’ll find most.

Fauna: Mosquitoes are out, especially at dawn and dusk; but they are really annoying only near wet areas.

Radiation: Protect yourself against sun by wearing a hat and glasses; and use sun block.

Sunrise/Sunset: Today’s (July 17) sunrise was at 5:48 AM; sunset will be at 8:25 PM.  Sunrise drifted later by 4 minutes compared to a week ago. Sunset has drifted earlier by about 4 minutes. The days are getting shorter, but not by much.  The summer solstice was on June 20 when we had our longest day at the Summit (14 hours 57 minutes); today the length of day is 14:37.

Star Gazing: The Moon is now in its last quarter, so evening stargazing is unaffected by scattered moonlight from the atmosphere.  The Milky Way should be visible during evening hours but after twilight is gone.  Look for Scorpio — it resembles an anchor — to the south.  Sagittarius (a constellation that looks like a five-pointed star; some imagine a teapot) is to the southeast.  The Big Dipper is easily visible to the northwest with its handle pointing toward overhead.  Follow the arc of the handle to Arcturus, the only bright star in that part of the sky.  The easiest planet to spot is Venus — very bright  in the east at 4-5 AM.  With good viewing, you’ll be able to see Jupiter just before sunrise in the east; it will become easier to spot over the next 2-4 weeks as it moves away from the Sun (rising earlier).

Forecast

Very comfortable, but somewhat cooler, conditions should continue for the next couple weeks.  Temperatures will peak in the mid 70s this weekend (July 19-20), then drop to 66° next Tuesday before rising again to the mid 70s by July 27.  Overnight lows will be in the mid-40s except for possibly upper 30s next Tuesday-Wednesday.  The greatest chance of precipitation in the next two weeks is 2% a week from today.

Events

July 17 (Thursday) 5:30-6:50 PM: The Annual Meeting of the DSA Board of Directors.  It will be in-person in the dining area at Soda Springs Mountain Resort.  Appointments to new terms on the Board will be made, and officers will be elected for the 2025-26 year.  Hear reports of ongoing projects by DSA and other organizations.  Anyone interested is invited to attend.

July 19 (Saturday) 2 PM – ??: Dance Party in the cul de sac at the west end of Allen Drive in Serene Lakes.  Music by the Rock-O-Holics, ice cream at intermission.  Bring chairs and drinks; a donation for the band would be appreciated.

July 21-25 (Monday-Friday): Water Week Science Camp by Headwaters Science Institute at Serene Lakes gives children ages 5-12 a chance to explore nature while having fun in the mountain environment.  For more information, go to https://headwatersscienceinstitute.org/science-camp/summer-camps/

July 21-25 (Monday-Friday) 8:30 AM-4:30 PM: The third of four week-long day camps at Sugar Bowl.  Aimed age-appropriately at kids 4-17 with hiking, rope skills, rock climbing, water fun and more.  The fourth week is July 28-August 1.  For additional information, go to https://www.sugarbowl.com/events

July 26 (Saturday) 7 AM – 5 PM: Mountain Tiger Donner Summit is a brand new, point-to-point, 11-mile trail race covering some of Royal Gorge and Sugar Bowl’s most beautiful terrain. Stick around for the post-race food, drink and killer raffle with prizes from The North Face, Arc’teryx, CAPiTA, Pit Viper, and more.  For more information and registration, go to https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=120391&utm_term=6.23.25&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=summer

July 26 (Saturday) 10 AM-Noon: Join Alecia Weisman of the South Yuba River Citizens League for a tour and briefing on recent restoration work in Van Norden Meadow and upcoming plans.  Register by Tuesday, July 22, by e-mail to alecia@yubariver.org.  See also van_norden_tour

July 26-27 (Saturday-Sunday): The Donner Lake Triathlon has several components — a kids triathlon and a Donner Lake sprint on Saturday and both a half- and full-triathlon on Sunday.  Donner Pass Road will be closed from South Shore Drive to the snow gate near the Summit 7 AM – 12:30 PM Sunday.  For more information go to https://donnerlaketri.com/schedule/

July 31-August 1 (Monday-Friday): Plants and Wildflowers Science Camp by Headwaters Science Institute at Serene Lakes gives children ages 5-12 a chance to explore nature while having fun in the mountain environment.  For more information, go to https://headwatersscienceinstitute.org/science-camp/summer-camps/

August 2 (Saturday): Join the Donner Party Mountain Runners for the 4th annual running of the Point Mariah Trail Marathon.  Single, partner, and 5-person team categories are available.  For more information and registration, go to https://donnerpartymountainrunners.com/point-mariah-trail-marathon/

August 4-8 (Monday-Friday): Animals and Insects Science Camp by Headwaters Science Institute at Serene Lakes gives children ages 5-12 a chance to explore nature while having fun in the mountain environment.  For more information, go to https://headwatersscienceinstitute.org/science-camp/summer-camps/

August 23-24 (Saturday-Sunday): Join the Sacramento Pacific International Trials Society for its Cookie Crumble/Hard Head Trial event at Donner Ski Ranch.  For more information, visit https://www.sactopits.org/event-details/cookie-crumble-hard-head-at-donner-ski-ranch-august-23-24-2025

September 20 (Saturday): DSA’s annual Summit Fest at Soda Springs Mountain Resort.  A benefit with live music, food, drinks, auctions, and fun.  Details soon.

October 4 and 5 (Saturday and Sunday): Donner Party Hikes.  Choose from among eight Saturday hikes with a guide who provides historical commentary.   Distances range from 2 to 6 miles.  There will be a Sunday tour at Alder Creek and an exploration at Donner Memorial State Park.  For more information and registration, go to https://donnerpartyhike.com/general-information/

Resorts

Boreal/Woodward (indoors) is open Monday-Friday 1-8 PM and weekends 10 AM – 8 PM.   There are a number of other possibilities ranging from 2-hour sessions to 5-day action camps.  Check https://www.rideboreal.com

Sugar Bowl winter operations are closed for the season.  For summer activities, check  https://www.sugarbowl.com

Donner Ski Ranch is closed for the season.   DSR’s Old 40 Bar and Grill is open daily from 8 AM. Disk golf is also open at DSR.  Check the DSR web site at https://www.donnerskiranch.com

Auburn Ski Club is closed for the season.   Check their web site — https://www.asctrainingcenter.org — for more information.

Soda Springs Mountain Resort is closed for the season.  For more information, visit https://www.skisodasprings.com/

Royal Gorge brings back its Summer Après Series —bigger, tastier, and more vibrant than ever. Join Fridays (plus a few select Saturdays) at Summit Station for golden-hour mountain views, seasonal eats, craft cocktails, and live music. Après runs 3-9 PM, with music 6-8 PM.  Go to https://www.royalgorge.com/home for more information.

Kingvale Resort (on the south side of I-80 at exit 171) is closed for the season.

Other Activities

If you’re looking for things to do in the foothills and mountains, Nevada County has some suggestions.  These are spread more broadly but some specifically include the Summit area.  Some link to other parts of this web site.

https://gonevadacounty.com/ways-to-beat-heat-that-arent-swimming/ (like ice cream)

Roads

I-80: The forecast is generally favorable for the next two weeks, but be alert to construction and lane closures.  There are at least three possible choke points eastbound — the worst between Rainbow Road and Soda Springs, though there were no slowdowns today (July 17).  You can get onto “Old 40” at Cisco Grove and drive at a more leisurely pace along Hampshire Rocks Road and Donner Pass Road all the way to Truckee.  There was a slowdown today between the Crystal Springs and Drum Forebay offramp where traffic was reduced to one lane.  Note that several ramps between Gold Run and Donner Summit are closed while being reconstructed.  Plan ahead by following CalTrans road reports at https://roads.dot.ca.gov.

General: Paved secondary roads around the Summit should be open with no restrictions.  Off-highway vehicle routes (unpaved) are mostly open, but watch for pot holes, ruts, and mud.