Mount Judah Loop (Nevada County, California)

It's a lazy kind of Sunday, but even so, I wanted to get some trail miles in. Originally, I had considered driving down to Yosemite today and hiking up to Clouds Rest, but drive time + hike time would have resulted in a 12-14 hour day, and I just wasn't feeling like that today. Instead, I decided to hike up to a small peak overlooking Donner Lake just across the Nevada/California border. 

As I reached the trail head, a group of 20-ish teenagers and a adult guide were starting up the trail, but the guide graciously allowed me to skip past them. It's probably a good thing. While I probably have 25-ish years on those kids, I hike enough and am currently in good enough shape to maintain a pretty quick pace on the trail. The trail itself is pretty easy as a number of switchbacks make their way over a crumble of granite. Eventually, the trail enters the forest and diverges from the PCT, which it had been following to this point.

This is a popular trail and I encounter a number of other very friendly hikers out today. All of them, offer to allow me to pass as they recognize my pace is significantly faster than theirs. Eventually, I reach a point where the trail splits with one branch going out to Donner Peak and the other continuing to Mount Judah. I head out part of the way to Donner Peak and take a couple of snapshots, but as I don't see a clear path to Donner Peak and don't want to take the time to search for it, I head back and shoot for Mount Judah.

A short time later, I arrive at the top of the barren Mount Judah, which has a terrific vista of Donner Lake and most of this particular part of the Sierra Nevada. I take a couple of minutes to take in the view, including a great view of Donner Lake, and then start back toward the trail head. However, I encounter a couple of gentlemen I had passed earlier and after a little discussion with them, I decide to try to continue the loop around back to the PCT, instead of coming back exactly the way I had come. 

After a about a mile, the loop trail is clear and I see that I will rejoin the PCT and dump out at the trail head I came in on. It has been a quick hike, but I never miss a chance to get out here and take in the fresh air. It helps me clear my head and get back to reality. In total, the trail was only about 5 3/4 miles, but my pace was fast and it was enough to get the blood flowing a little bit. It would have been a great hike to have some company on, but I survive on my own.