Jeff Kropp and I went up to Donner last weekend.  Jeff was really
in "off the couch" shape, having not climbed in about 8 months.  As he
had been filling his weekends with deep sea fishing trips and told tales
of catching greater than his body weight in rockfish and stripers, 
maybe I should say he was "off the boat."  I was pretty focused on
climbing at the Big Chief, now climbable in sun and in shade.  So we
just went to work.  I RP'd Drill Drop (11a/b), Jeff fell once following.
I led the 10d to its right (roof move down low, face move high), Jeff
followed.  N.b. the 11b described between these two routes in the
guide - stick clip, then 7 bolts - does not exist except as a TR.
Jeff led May Cause Drowsiness, 10d, so did I, a little balance to
contrast with the thuggishness typical of the crag.  We hiked
a little up and right, around the edge of the crag, and quickly found the
cave Anne Smith had told us about.  There are 2.5 steep routes - a
left hand cave route (plus direct start) and a supersteep right hand
route.  Anne rated them 11c +/- one letter grade, accurate I think.
I flashed the left hand route, giving it 11b and Jeff followed.
I couldn't do the first move on the right hand route, clamping
a flat edge, Jeff took over and worked up, falling a few times
high up in the roof.  I aided the first move (ground potential for the second)
and monkeyed up to
the crux at bolt #5.  When I fell off, I landed softly on the ground(!), 
which rises up there.  I was able to swing back on and experience the 
crux pulls.  We gave it 11d and vowed to return some day. (The direct start
to the LH route looks like 5.12).  We continued 
to hike around the crag and found 4 more
routes on the back of the crag and were back at the car in about 10
minutes.
  We camped in a scenic clear cut next to the dirt road and returned to
the BC on Sunday.  I led the first route to the left of the parking
lot, a bouldering start to a 3 bolt headwall.  This route is very
new, with chalked x's marking the proposed bolt locations.  It needs
a scrub as lichen rained down whenever I brushed the rock.  I hung
twice on the headwall, Jeff followed free (but avoided the start) - 
about 11b.   Further up the crag we worked on the 12b arete, drawn in
by the sight of 3 bolts in about 8 ft.  Neither of us did so well, and
the holds felt pretty sharp on our torn tips.  Two locals showed and 
worked on the 11b double roof to the right.  Jeff took the TR and
bailed at the first roof; I held out for the lead.  After watching the 
guys carefully and absorbing the beta, I was pretty motivated and led 
it.  This is a pretty nice route, up there with the two cave routes for
"best of the crag."  The other route is 11b or c according to the locals
but looked very sharp.  Jeff was finished so we drove into Truckee for
lunch at the deli.  On the way out I tried to lead Disciples (11c) at
Snowshed but fell near the top.  The smooth granite was gentle on my hands,
after the volcanic asphalt of Big Chief. 

Joel