Philosophy

The philosophy of the Tahoe Donner Hiking Club is to allow hikers to hike one’s own pace. All hikes are group hikes. This may result in intermittent stops for hikers to regroup.

Season

The local hiking season typically starts in May and ends in October.

Weekly Hikes

Weekly Hike Comparison

The following descriptions compares the various weekly hiking groups.
(Hiking Comparison in PDF)

- - GREEN hikes are structured to progress at a slower pace with distances and difficulty generally less than the BLUE hikes.
  - BLUE hikes are structured to progress at a moderate pace and are generally shorter in duration than the BLACK hikes.
  - BLACK hikes are structured to progress at a faster pace with distances and difficulty generally greater than the BLUE hikes.

DOGS: At the discretion of the hike leader, and when permitted by the local regulations, dogs may be invited on hikes.

- - Dog owners must follow the hiking club and local rules on dogs and also any directions given by the hike leader.
  - Dogs not in compliance will be banned from future hikes.

HIKE COMPARISONS: Below is a matrix comparing the various hiking groups.

- - The notes are only guidelines and exceptions may occur.
  - Hikers MUST ALWAYS read the leader’s posted description of the day’s hike (which may differ from the Hike Library description) before registering for a hike, to make sure it is appropriate for their particular skill level and physical ability.
  - It is recommended that hikers join hikes at their level or lower and then move to the next hiking group level as they gain fitness, skill, and confidence. Hikers not acclimated to high altitude are welcome to call the hike leader in advance to ascertain if the hike is appropriate for them.
  - After a conversation with a hiker, or based on recent experience, a hike leader may recommend that said hiker not join the hike.

COMPARISON OF HIKES 2023
Description	GREEN	BLUE	BLACK
Hike Day	Any day of the week	Any day of the week	Thursdays & Fridays
Drive to Trailhead	At leader’s discretion	At leader’s discretion	At leader’s discretion
Hike Distance	Typically, 3-5 miles	Typically, 5-8+ miles	Typically, 10+ miles
Hike Style	Frequent stops to regroup	Periodic stops to regroup	At hike leader’s discretion
Recommended Pace	1.5-2 miles per hour on flat trails	2.5+ miles per hour on flat trails	2.5+ miles per hour on flat trails
Food Breaks	Typically, includes snack or lunch stop, depending on distance	Typically, includes snack and/or lunch stop, depending on distance	Typically includes a morning snack break and a lunch stop
Trail Conditions	Established trails with moderate terrain	Established trails that may be narrow, steep, and rough at times	Typically, on an established trail, but sometimes includes off trail and/or scrambling
Elevation Change	Mostly flat trails with slight elevation changes. Sometimes short, steeper grades	More challenging ascents are typical	Often steep and challenging trails. Best for those with a high level of fitness
Leader	Waits for group at decision points and at end of hike	Marks turns with blue tape and/or waits for next hiker who waits, etc.	Marks turns with blue tape and/or waits for next hiker who waits, etc.
Leader’s Speed	Hikes at group’s pace	Waits for slower hikers or monitors group speed through conversation with sweep via radio	Monitors group speed through conversation with sweep via radio
Sweep	Volunteer sweep at start	Volunteer sweep at start	Volunteer sweep at start
Sweep Duties	Stays with the last hiker	Stays with the last hiker	Can change during the hike – hiker at back of group always carries the radio
Group Size	No limit, however, may be broken into smaller groups	No limit, however, may be broken into smaller groups	To be reviewed if the group size becomes a problem
Timing	Typically ends late morning	Typically ends early afternoon	Plan for an all-day adventure
Dogs	In accordance with club and local rules and at leader’s discretion	In accordance with club and local rules and at leader’s discretion	In accordance with club and local rules and at leader’s discretion

Backpacking Trips

Backpacking trips are planned throughout the hiking season. Typically they involve multiple days of hiking and primitive camping in the wilderness. The Backpack Trip Coordinator has the ultimate authority to decide whether a hiker is prepared for the difficulty of a backpacking trip. Periodically, a beginning level backpacking trip is offered to give hikers new to backpacking an opportunity to try it out. Trips done in the past include:

Emigrant Wilderness
PCT – Bucks Summit to A-Tree
Bay Area (Skyline to Sea, Henry Coe State Park & Ohlone Wilderness, Pt. Reyes)
Siskiyou County (Gumboot Lake on the PCT and down the Sisson-Callahan National Recreation Trail)
John Muir Trail
Desolation Wilderness
Benson Lake Loop
Lost Coast
Virginia Lakes Trail to Yosemite’s Glen Aulin, across the Ten Lakes Trail, and out Lukens Lake Trail
Lassen National Park
Trinity Alps
Ruby Mountains
High Sierra Camps in Yosemite
Grand Canyon
Paria Canyon in southern Utah/northern Arizona

See Calendar for current year’s trips.

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Away Trips

Away trips are a great way to combine hiking with seeing other parts of the state or country and even international locations.

Domestic Trips: Lodging options include both car camping and/or motels when possible. In the past we have visited a number of hiking spots in the Bay Area as well as state parks and national parks. A nonrefundable deposit for the camping sites is taken when a hiker signs up for a trip.

International Trips: These trips combine hiking with sightseeing and culture. The club has hiked in Peru (Salkantay and Inca Trail), the Dolomites (Italy), Slovenia (Julian Alps), Patagonia (Chile and Argentina), Japan and Romania.