Since the weather took a turn for the better, we decided to try one last hike in the Sierras (it snowed during the week, but the temperature went back up). Our destination: Summit Lake, which is just off the Donner Lake Rim Trail.
It was 9am when we hit the trail - ours was the first car in the small, still under construction parking lot. The morning light was lovely and the air was only moderately cool.
Along the trail, we crossed through rocky terrain that opened up to beautiful, scenic views. We could hear the 80 freeway nearby most of the time.
The air was breezy, but the sky was clear and the sun was warm. Then we briefly entered a forested area and then back into the open.
We crossed several bridges over a creek.
I had a perfect moment listening to the music of the breeze in the leaves within a colorful, tunnel-like atmosphere.
We could see Donner Lake sparkling in the distance.
The trail ended at a dirt road where we continued toward Summit Lake. The freeway was never very far away.
We came across some snow in the areas where the sun doesn’t shine much.
Then we arrived at the lake - very lovely. We ate our sandwiches and enjoyed the serene landscape.
After eating, we turned around and retraced our steps.
We encountered people on bikes and other hikers. Everyone was very friendly. Several had dogs without leashes. We saw and heard quite a few birds too.
The light was different on the return trip, but just as nice.
More scenic views.
And then back to the parking lot - still under construction. The distance was 7.98 miles and around 1,400 elevation gain. Great hike!
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