Mt Judah Loop

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Frog Lake Overlook->

The Hike: The initial section of the trail is relatively lush, but short-lived. The first switchbacks are reached fairly quickly as the trail makes its way up a sparsely treed granite wall. After this first set of switchbacks, the trail continues to climb to the south and southeast with views of Lake Mary directly below and the Donner Pass region getting better with every step. Along this section, we were greeted with beautiful trail-side lupine. After passing through a stand of red firs, the trail passes over a ski run. Just after this, the junction with the north end of the loop is reached at ~1.0 mile.Actually, I believe there are two junctions. The first is a single-track and the second (only a hundred or so feet further) is an old dirt road that quickly leads up to a better dirt road where the main trail (appears to be another old road) branches off to the left a little further up. Both of these trails should get you to the same place if you choose to do the loop clockwise. The single-track gets to the ridge a little ways north of the main trail. At this intersection, we continued on the PCT to the south and immediately passed under a chairlift before crossing the better road (~1.1 miles). The trail then reenters the mixed forest of mountain hemlocks and red firs. Sprinkled in, are a few open spaces where, in the summer, Mule's Ear add a bit of color to the scenery.

At ~1.95 miles the southern loop intersection is reached. Turn left to leave the PCT and follow the Mt Judah Trail. At ~2.1 miles another trail branches off to the right. This area is Roller Pass, which was an alternate (and easier) route for 19th century emigrants on their way to Sutter's Fort than what is now known as Donner Pass. Stay left and begin climbing the ridge in earnest and enjoy the views as they really open up. The trail crosses immediately below the summit of Mt Judah to the west at ~2.6 miles. The view in every direction is fantastic-Donner Lake to the east, Castle Peak to the north, Lake Van Norden to the west, and the Sierra Crest to the south. The trail continues by following the ridge north of Mt Judah where Scarlet Gilia adds a splash of bright red to the barren ridgeline in the summer. The trail then begins to descend from the ridge just south of the northern peak of Mt Judah (~2.75 miles). A use-trail will take anyone willing to this peak.

The trail traverses down the eastern and northern side of Mt Judah before reaching a three-way intersection between Mt Judah and Donner Peak (~3.45 miles). Use-trails lead to the summit of Donner Peak to the northeast. Turn left to continue the loop. At ~3.8 miles the main trail curves around the nose of Mt Judah and intersects with the first north loop trail mentioned earlier. Since I am writing this more than five years after the fact, I'm not 100% sure which trail we took. If you stay left on what appears to be an old road (option #2, red on maps), you'll intersect with the better road (~4.0 miles), then leave the better road on the old road mentioned earlier (~4.1 miles), and close the loop. If you turn right at the northern nose of Mt Judah (option #1, blue on maps), you'll head north for ~200' before staying left and then turn to the southwest to descend toward the PCT to close the loop (~0.4 miles from the intersection). I do know that we must have walked a little ways north from the nose to get a viewpoint of Castle Peak over Lake Angela. Along the section below the nose we experienced one of the prettiest wildflower displays we ever have in the Sierra Nevada. The lupine and paintbrush flowers were out in full force. Back on the PCT, we retraced our steps back to the trailhead.