"I hiked this on November 9 with great conditions. The weather was perfect! The dirt road wasn’t that rough and a regular sedan could make it up there with careful driving. I think it took us about 25 mins on the dirt road in a small SUV. Even though it was a Saturday, we didn’t see a ton of people on trail, just some mountain bikers and a few other folks toward the summit. Around 10k feet I started to slow down due to the altitude, but slow and steady is the name of the game to get to the summit. We had clear views at the top and the wind was minimal. Really couldn’t ask for better weather! There were very small amounts of snow and ice on shady parts of the trail, but nothing that was a barrier to continuing the hike. Happy trails!" — kaylam87 • Nov 9, 2019

"Nice day in the mid 50s. Hit snow around 7800 ft and from there it was continuous to the summit. Very clear day with exceptional views of the lake. Couldn't figure out best place to scramble up to the summit, tried a couple routes, but it seemed there must be a better way as it started to get a bit too involved." — scott • Oct 4, 2019

"Absolutely beautiful day! Parked by the PG&E building across HWY 50 and snowshoed the winter route (starting at Mount Ralston/Sierra Pines Road) for a total of 6.26 miles and 2,710 feet of elevation gain. Stunning views of Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Peak, and the Desolation Wilderness. There were two summit boxes; I signed one box. Did not see a USGS summit marker. Saw one juvenile black bear by Sierra Pines Camp (which was open) and saw the tracks of a larger adult bear about two miles into the hike. Heard a male sooty grouse calling. " — firesoren90 • Apr 27, 2019

"Beautiful weather! I trail ran/hiked this peak in 3 hours. Ran the flat non-rocky parts and hiked the steepest parts. This is a well marked trail and there were a lot of people (and dogs) on the trail. The waterfall was partially frozen as were some of the little stream crossings. There was patching snow on the trail above the tree line just before I reached the summit. It was easily avoidable and didn’t bother me at all in my running shoes. Didn’t see a summit box, but there was a USGS summit marker on a large rock. Great trail. Would do this one again. " — firesoren90 • Nov 17, 2018

"Started at the Donner Summit/PCT Trailhead and hiked on the PCT to Castle Peak (about 5 miles) then headed to Basin Peak. From Basin we made a small loop back towards the PCT and Peter Grub Hut. We connected onto the dirt road and made it back to the trailhead with a total of 12.5 miles. There were a few icy patches on the trail, but nothing that required micro spikes. Visibility was limited from the Camp Fire. " — firesoren90 • Nov 10, 2018