General Conditions

Nice weather continues at Donner Summit with daytime highs 73-81° and overnight lows 47-55° during the past week.  Today has been breezy, which takes some of the edge from midday highs.  Skies have been mostly sunny; but cumulus clouds build in the afternoon and there were a few widely scattered showers early this week.    Find details on the Central Sierra Snow Lab web site (https://cssl.berkeley.edu/).  Purple Air AQI around the Summit is 2-22 — pretty good for this time of year.

When operational, webcams at Sugar Bowl (http://www.sugarbowl.com/home), Donner Ski Ranch (http://webcams.donnerskiranch.com/), and Boreal (https://www.rideboreal.com/explore/webcams/boreal-mountain-cam/) provide overviews of current conditions on Donner Summit.  There are still traces of snow just under the Sierra Crest in and around Tinker Knob.

The ground surface has been dry, but moisture percolates upward through the soil overnight and it is easy to find damp spots on sheltered sections of hiking trails in the morning.   Mosquitoes are out but manageable; use insect repellent and sun protection.  Early season wildflowers (mules ears, paintbrush, lupine, cinquefoil, etc.) are still around; but a second wave — helianthella, pennyroyal, and asters — is gaining ground.  What you find will depend on elevation and soil moisture.

Sunrise/Sunset: Today’s (July 2) sunrise was at 5:38 AM; sunset will be at 8:32 PM.  Sunrise has moved 3 minutes earlier compared to last week; sunset is a minute later.  So the days have started getting shorter, but not by much.

Star Gazing: The Moon was full on Monday (June 29); it’s not rising until nearly midnight now, so evening stargazing will be good for the next couple weeks.  Venus is the bright star-like object above the western horizon just after sunset.  If you have a good view toward the west, you can see it after 10 PM.    The Big Dipper is slightly northwest of overhead at 10 PM.  Follow the arc of its handle to Arcturus, the brightest star in the sky slightly south of overhead.  On the southern horizon, you may be able to spot the constellation Scorpius.  The scorpion’s tail looks like an anchor lying on its side; the red ‘star’ in the anchor’s shank is Antares, which is actually a binary.

Forecast

The weather for the next couple weeks should be sunny and stable with daytime highs in the mid-to-upper 70s and overnight lows in the mid-to-upper 40s.  Expect daytime highs and overnight lows to warm 5° over the next two weeks.  Showers are possible but not likely.

Summit News

Fire Safety: Fire danger on Donner Summit is currently rated as “high”.  Residential burn permits, required since May 1, have been suspended throughout the Truckee Fire region.  Outdoor charcoal and wood fires — e.g., barbecues — are prohibited (gas only).

Defensible Space: A recording of a very informative Truckee Fire webinar on fire safety and defensible space is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COz0xBZ74FY&t=535s.  It runs about 51 minutes.  At least two other relevant videos — the documentary Standing Dead and a recording of a Steve Hawks (Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety) Zoom presentation — are available through the Eastern Regional Firewise Coalition web site at https://www.erfwc.org/.  You may need the passcode #2sK1jKw to view the Hawks recording.

Fire Inspections: With one exception, Donner Summit is scheduled for defensible space inspections by Truckee Fire this summer/fall.  The exception is Serene Lakes, which was inspected in 2024 and will be re-inspected in 2027.

Soda Springs Cannabis Dispensary: See the new DSA web page at https://www.donnersummitca.com/project/cannabis-dispensary for background and news.  There will be an information community meeting this evening (July 2) starting at 5:30 PM.  See Calendar item below.

Summit Calendar

July 2 (Thursday) 5:30-6:30 PM: Community Informational Meeting at Soda Springs Mountain Resort main lodge on the cannabis dispensary applicant selection process.  Nevada County Cannabis Compliance staff and Nevada County Economic Development Office staff will provide an overview of the selection process.  There will be an opportunity for public comments and questions.

July 3-4 (Friday-Sunday): Rainbow Lodge opens to the public for food service 4-8 PM Friday, 12-5 Saturday; bar 3-8 PM Friday, 12-7 Saturday; and lodging with continental breakfast Friday and Saturday nights.  Live music 12-3 Saturday.  Details at https://www.therainbowlodge.com/events

July 4 (Saturday) 9:30-10:00 PM: Truckee fireworks at the west end of Donner Lake are visible from high points around Donner Summit.

July 10 (Friday) 9 AM – 12 Noon: Join Truckee Donner Land Trust and the Serene Lakes Safety Committee for a few hours of defensible space work behind Hillside Dr.  For more information click defensible_260710

July 14 (Tuesday): Nevada County Board of Supervisors will meet in Truckee.  Final scoring and selection criteria for the proposed cannabis dispensary in the Soda Springs area will be on the agenda.  Location, time, and a full agenda will be announced later.

July 16 (Thursday) 5-6 PM:  The July meeting of the DSA Board of Directors will be at the Nancy O Gallery and Glass in Soda Springs.   Find an agenda in the week before the meeting at https://www.donnersummitca.com/dsa-meetings-info/.  Directions to the meeting will be included.

July 18 (Saturday) 9-11 AM: DSA volunteer work day at Gould Park in Cisco Grove.  Refresh walking trails that were cleared last year; help to develop a new trail that has been marked but not cleared yet.  Free lunch at Soda Springs General Store and Deli for volunteers.  Get more details here Poster

July 20-24 (Monday-Friday): Headwaters Science Institute “Water Week” day camp based out of Serene Lakes.  Aimed at kids ages 5-12 (or counselors-in-training, ages 13-15).  There is a second camp (July 27-30) on plants and wildflowers and a third (August 3-7) on animals and insects.  For more information, go to https://headwatersscienceinstitute.org/science-camp/summer-camps/

July 25 (Saturday) 7 AM – 5 PM: The second running of Mountain Tiger Donner Summit is a 12.5 mile point-to-point race over Sugar Bowl/Royal Gorge trails with 3300 feet of elevation gain.  The route includes single track, technical trails, fire roads, ridge lines, and four summits.  Entry includes shuttle transportation back to the start.  For more information and registration, go to https://www.mountaintiger.com.

August 1 (Saturday) 8 AM: Point Mariah Trail Marathon (~26.4 miles, ±4300 ft vertical, 8 hour limit) starts and ends at Soda Springs Mountain Resort.  There are solo, pair, and team options.  Volunteers to support the event are needed.  For more information go to https://donnerpartymountainrunners.com/point-mariah-trail-marathon/

August 22 (Saturday) 11 AM to August 23 (Sunday) 4 PM: The “Crumble + Hard Head” event at Donner Ski Ranch for serious mountain bikers is sponsored by the Sacramento Pacific International Trials Society.  For more information go to https://www.sactopits.org/event-details/crumble-hard-head

September 19 and 20 (Saturday and Sunday): Donner Party Hikes — Seven hikes around Donner Summit with a historical theme.  Choose one hike each day.  For more information and registration go to https://www.donnerpartyhike.com

September 26 (Saturday) Noon – 3 PM: DSA’s annual SummitFest at Soda Springs Mountain Resort.  A benefit with live music, food, drinks, auctions, and fun.  Details later; for now, just save the date.

October 17 (Saturday): Oktoberfest at Rainbow Lodge.  Details at https://www.therainbowlodge.com/events

Resorts

Boreal/Woodward: Woodward Tahoe (indoor and outdoor) is up and running.  Open daily 1-8 PM, Saturdays and Sundays 10 AM – 8 PM.  Summer camps started June 8 (https://www.rideboreal.com/summer-camp/camp-overview/overview/).  Check https://www.rideboreal.com/explore/community/all-events/  for special events.

Sugar Bowl: The Sugar Bowl Kids Summer Day Camp offers a mix of outdoor recreation, skill development, and hands-on discovery.  Camps are tailored for kids ages 4-7 and ages 8-17.  They run Monday-Friday 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM during four weeks in July.  For more information and registration go to https://www.sugarbowl.com/summer-camp?utm_term=5.20.26&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=summer&spMailingID=51760789&spUserID=MTMyMDEyNzA0NDQwMQS2&spJobID=3181793507&spReportId=MzE4MTc5MzUwNwS2

Donner Ski Ranch: DSR’s Old 40 Bar and Grill remains open 7 days a week.  DSR offers disc golf for those interested.  DSR also offers beds, showers, and laundry to PCT thru-hikers.  Thru-hikers 21 years and older can claim a 40 oz beer.  Check the DSR web site at https://www.donnerskiranch.com for more information.

Soda Springs Mountain Resort is closed for the season; but there are lots of special events (see Calendar above).  Watch  https://www.skisodasprings.com/ for news.

Royal Gorge is closed for the season.  Tapas service, originally announced for Friday and Saturday starting in late June, has been canceled because of construction.   Check https://www.royalgorge.com/home for updates.

ASC Training Center (formerly Auburn Ski Club) specializes in training for competition and sponsors events.  The ASC Training Center is closed for the season.  Check their web site — https://www.asctrainingcenter.org — for more information.

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

Avalanche Report

The Sierra Avalanche Center has posted general comments on avalanches on its website  https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/

A short report on the February 17 Perry Peak avalanche near Frog Lake has been posted at https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/observations/#/view/avalanches/83ba330a-5eb4-446e-95b0-495c26faf06b.  It points to a more in-depth report on avalanche.org.

Roads

I-80: The freeway is open and in good condition, but there are occasional lane restrictions and ramp closures (both day and night).  The Hwy 20 eastbound merge with I-80 eastbound is closed weekdays.  Plan ahead by following CalTrans reports at https://roads.dot.ca.gov.  Check I-80 webcams at https://caltranscameras.app/cameras/route/I-80

General: There will be many more vehicles on the road for this holiday weekend.  Drive alertly with care and patience.

Paved secondary roads around the Summit should be in good condition.  Off Highway Vehicle roads may still have muddy or rutted sections.  There have also been a lot of downed trees on back roads.  The Old Donner Summit Road (along the north side of Van Norden Meadow) has serious ruts 100 yards west of Sheep Pens.  Its connector across the railroad tracks to Sugar Bowl Road and Donner Ski Ranch is physically closed.  Rattlesnake Canyon Road (FR85) north from Cisco Grove was closed for four years starting in 2024 for construction at Fordyce Dam.