If the party had made it before the snows of winter, Donner Lake perhaps would still be called Truckee Lake, and Donner Summit would probably be named after some other party that tested the mettle of the Sierra. Instead, the Donner Party confronted one of the biggest and earliest series of snowstorms on record, and the rest is history.

As Mark Mc Laughlin noted in a recent article here on Tahoetopia, the Stephens Party had crossed the pass two years earlier (1844) in November without any problems. If only the Donner Party had checked the weather on Tahoetopia a few weeks earlier, they might have been able to make a dash over the summit and down to Sutter's Fort!

Now that we do have semi-accurate weather forecasts, late October can be a great time to hike on Donner Summit-as long as there is not lots of snow already on the ground. Weather permitting, I suggest a hike up to Roller Pass where parties of emigrants struggled over the crest of the Sierra.

To get to Roller Pass, go to the Pacific Crest Trailhead (PCT) on Donner Pass, just off old Highway 40. Head south on the PCT for about one mile to a junction with the Mt. Judah Loop Trail. There you will have a choice: Stay on the PCT for about one more mile to Roller Pass, or take the longer, more scenic loop past Donner Peak and Mt. Judah. I recommend going out one way and coming back the other.

The total distance is a little over five miles and the views are spectacular. From the top of Mt. Judah you can look south to Anderson Peak and Tinker Knob, west to Sugar Bowl and the Soda Springs/Norden Area, and north and east to Donner Lake and Truckee.

Just below you are train tracks leading in or out of Coldstream Canyon. Trains go through a tunnel underneath Mt. Judah and emerge on Donner Summit. If you are lucky, you can watch a train run into the mountain and pop out on the other side.

On the hike you will see a wide variety of hardy trees able to handle the tough Donner winters. One of my favorites is the mountain hemlock. Covered with dark green needles from head to toe, the hemlocks' tops lean over like wizards hats. If you see groves of hemlocks, you are probably on a north- facing slope. They are common trees near the tops of most downhill ski areas in the Sierra.

When you reach the junction of the PCT and the south end of the Mt. Judah Loop trail. you will be close to Roller Pass. Walk about 100 yards further south to find a metal marker denoting the pass. It is named "roller" because emigrants used log rollers to winch wagons up the steep grade to the top. Go to the southeastern edge and look down. You will wonder whether the emigrants were nuts to try this route, or if it was easier than it looks. Either way, you will have a new respect for the pioneers. It is also understandable why people were excited when the transcontinental railroad was completed 25 years later.

DIRECTIONS TO TRAILHEAD: Take old Highway 40 from the west end of Donner Lake to the top of Donner Summit. As you reach the top, turn left onto the road next to the Sugar Bowl Academy parking lot and drive about 100 yards to the trailhead on your left. Park along the road. If you using Interstate 80, take the Norden/Soda Springs exit and drive about 3 miles east. Go pass Sugar Bowl on your right and then turn right onto the road just before Sugar Bowl Academy.