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Glacier Way Trailhead in Tahoe Donner
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The hike from the Glacier Way trailhead in Tahoe Donner really has six hikes you can enjoy. Each hike has its own unique and interesting views. Each of the hikes starts at the parking lot at Glacier Way. Snowshoeing and cross country skiing in the winter are excellent.
There is an excellent trail map with trail numbers on the Tahoe Donner web site, www.tahoedonner.com. The link for the map is on the left side under Maps. The hikes for Glacier Way are on the lower left side of the trail map. You can also get a map at the main club house from Member Services.
1. The first hike is very short and easy. You follow the asphalt paved path at the south side of the parking lot about 30 yards to a picnic table, then continue to the left of the picnic table along a flat path about 500 yards to a bluff that overlooks Truckee, the airport, Northstar, and the Carson range.
Each of the remaining hikes start from the gated (locked) fire service road at the west end of the parking lot.
2. To take the hike from the gate to the picnic table that overlooks the west end of Donner Lake, Negro Canyon and Castle Peak, follow the baserock service road most of the way. Along the way are excellent views of the Carson range, Northstar, the Truckee airport, Heavenly ski area (South Lake Tahoe), Tinker’s Knob, the mountain range between Alpine Meadows and Donner Lake, and Mount Judah. The service road has three knolls that sequentially increase in size and are relatively easy to climb. After the third knoll you walk about 200 yards and take the path to the left to the picnic table. This hike is about 1.5 miles each way and takes about 40 minutes round trip. 3. The third hike is very similar to the second hike except you take the first right from the service road (at the 2nd knoll). The path to the right goes gently up about 400 yards, makes a left and ends back on the service road in about a half mile. This hike is about 40 minutes round trip back to the gate. 4. The fourth and fifth hikes also start from the locked gate. As you walk along the service road you will encounter one of 3 paths you can take to the left, the first is about 300 yards from the gate, the second a half mile from the gate, and the third is about a mile from the gate. The paths to the left make two loops that have an excellent overlook of Donner Lake. Each of these paths to the left soon heads downhill, so the returning part of the loop is uphill back to the service road and always feels longer than it is. There can be additional forks in the loops so it may be confusing as to when to head back up to continue the loop, so please take the Tahoe Donner trail map. Each hike takes about an hour round trip back to the gate. 5. The sixth hike follows the service road past the third knoll. Rather than go left to the picnic table, you just keep heading up about another mile, which puts you on top of a ridge with great views. If you continue, you go down amongst beautiful trees, and then along the ridge with views of Euer Valley on the left and the Carson Range on the right. To get back you turn right and go downhill and then head back to the service road. This hike may take several hours and is about 4 miles. When you head back the path has plenty of forks which will be confusing, so please take the Tahoe Donner trail map. If you get lost you will most likely end up at Skislope Way below Glacier Way.
The fourth, fifth and sixth hikes should be taken in the summer when the forks in the trails are marked with Tahoe Donner trail numbers. These trail markers have been removed for the winter.
Below are additional photos taken when hiking and skiing at Glacier Way with my two hiking buddies, Aspen and Sabree. |
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John Williamson 530-412-1356
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California Realtor® license 01490822 Nevada Realtor® license S0167613 |