• Distance: 13.5 miles
• Elevation range: 7200′ to 9000′
• Wilderness permits: None required in Tahoe National Forest, but a SNO-PARKS pass is needed to park overnight at the Donner Summit parking lot during the winter season

This is one of the largest groups I’ve taken backpacking, a total of 11 people.  It was a challenge to manage because of the different levels of endurance, experience, and walking speed.  I usually keep groups to a max of 6 people.  But for this trip, the interest was huge, and it was a relatively easy in-and-out trip.  In the end, it turned out well.

We parked the cars at the Donner Summit Snow-park, and hiked on the south side of I-80 to the highway underpass.  The crossing was flooded up to our knees with melting snow.  At 0900, the freezing water felt like a wake-up call.

After the water crossing, we headed up Castle Valley to Castle Pass.  The trail was covered in snow starting at about 7600′, but the route was easy to follow.  Castle Pass and the ridge leading to Castle Peak were devoid of snow.  Castle Peak is the remnant of an ancient volcano.  This is noticed from the type of rock which forms its turrets and the ridge.

After a short break and snapping some photos, we continued north towards Basin Peak.  This was an awesome traverse with 360° views of peaks as far as the eye could see.  Lassen Peak, 100 miles away, was visible in the distance with it’s distinctive peak rising above all the other ridges and peaks.

As we neared Paradise Lake, we hit some snow fields on the north slope of Basin Peak.  Fortunately, the snow was hard packed, and it was easy to walk without postholing.  At this point, half of the group seemed to be running low on gas.  We decided to camp above the lake because the slope leading down into the lake was quite steep and covered in snow and ice.

After setting up camp, we all took a very well deserved break.  We melted snow for water, ate some snacks, and made some coffee and tea to stay warm.  Everyone had brought a tent to sleep in, except Ken and myself.  In an effort to minimize pack weight, Ken likes to carry a bivy to sleep in, affectionately known as a bear burrito.  For this trip, I decided to try something new and I packed my hammock.  Fitting the air mattress was  bit cumbersome, but otherwise, I slept well.  It was a windless night without moisture.

After dinner, we sat around to watch the sun set and take in the beautiful work of nature.

The next morning, we contemplated hiking down to the lake, but it seemed like a lot of effort and the snow as still frozen over.  Instead, we fixed breakfast, packed up, and headed back to the cars.  Instead of hiking over Basin Peak the way we came in, we picked up a section of the Pacific Crest Trail, cut across Round Valley, and towards Castle Pass.  Here, we retraced our path from the previous day.

This was a great trip for everyone.  Some people who had never hiked over winter terrain learned a few skills.  Some people who had never hiked so many miles in a day learned that, slowly but surely, they had the endurance to continue and not give up.  I learned to be more patient in helping and motivating the slower hikers.