One hundred and sixty-plus years ago this week, the members of the Donner Party had come to the realization that they were really trapped. The active storm pattern had finally abated during the middle of November 1846, but the deep snowdrifts on Donner Pass still blocked the route to the west and safety.

Alder Creek Group
The two Donner families living at Alder Creek-five miles from Donner Lake--were unable to build cabins due to a lack of manpower and the weather conditions. They were forced to pitch tents and hastily construct crude lean-tos using cut, tree branches covered with canvas, blankets, pine boughs, and rubber raincoats.

Jean Baptiste Trudeau, a 16-year-old from New Mexico who had been hired by the Donners back on the trail at Fort Bridger (Wyoming), later described their desperate situation: "Our little band worked bravely on until we came to Alder Creek Valley, where we had to stop, it being impossible to go further. The snow came on with blinding fury and being unable to build cabins we put up brush sheds, covering them with limbs from the pine trees."

The primitive accommodations were a rude shock for the prosperous Donner families. Back in Illinois George and Jacob Donner had been wealthy, gentlemen farmers with young children. The Donners, along with their neighbor, James Reed and his family, had left comfortable homes on April 15 (1846) with bright hopes and dreams of a new life in California (still, then, part of Mexico).

Land, climate, and greater economic opportunity for his family were what inspired 60-year-old George Donner to uproot his family and head west with his wife, Tamsen (44), a teacher who planned to open a school. They brought their five young girls. The two oldest, Elitha (13) and Leanna (11), were from George's second marriage, while the three youngest, Frances (6), Georgia (4), and Eliza (3) were from his third marriage to Tamsen.

George's younger brother, Jacob "Jake" Donner, decided to join the wagon train. Jacob, in his mid-fifties, was accompanied by his wife Elizabeth "Betsy" (45) and their five children: George (9), Mary (7), Isaac (5), Samuel (4) and Lewis (3). Traveling with them were two sons from Betsy's previous marriage, Solomon (14) and William (12) Hook. To help with tending the livestock, maintenance duties, and hard physical labor during the overland migration, the Donner families hired four men: John Denton, Noah James, Hiram Miller, and Samuel Shoemaker.

Donner Lake Group
When the weather finally cleared on November 12, fifteen of the strongest men and women in the Donner Lake portion of the full Donner Party, attempted to break out. They dressed warmly and took dried beef as their only food. Charles Stanton, who had crossed Donner Pass twice and knew the route, lead them westward. Two Miwok Indian guides, Luis (19) and Salvador (28), joined the desperate effort. The two Indians had come with Stanton from Sutter's Fort to try to rescue the pioneers.

The 18 in the group were able to walk through the snow along the north shore of the lake, but once they ascended the steep slope up to the pass they encountered drifts up to 10 feet deep. They floundered helplessly in the fresh powder until they turned around in defeat, beaten by the mountain once again.

John Breen described their effort: "In a day or two the weather cleared, and some persons went to examine the road on the mountain to see if the cattle could cross. At night they returned and reported six feet of snow two miles from [lake] camp."

The photo below is the west slope of the Sierra leading up toward Donner Pass.



Sutter's Fort
On the west side of the Sierra, James Reed had arrived at Sutter's Fort shortly before the late October storm had blocked the pass. Although he had barely recovered from his own journey over the mountains, Reed was anxious to return to help his family and friends.

Despite Reed's exhaustion and a warning from Captain Sutter that it was too late to try and cross the snow-covered mountains, Reed was determined to bring food to his family as well as to those who had banished him from the company. Reed was hopeful that Charlie Stanton had reached the emigrants with provisions, but with the unexpected snow he knew they would need extra help to come back over the Sierra.

Thirty-year-old William McCutchen, who had accompanied Stanton in an earlier effort to get help, told Reed he was ready to risk his life again to save his wife Amanda (25) and infant daughter, Harriet, who he had left behind.

One More Rescue Attempt
In early November, Reed, McCutchen and two Indian guides rode east from the fort with provisions generously supplied by Sutter. Shortly after they departed the fort it began to rain in the valley with more snow falling in the upper elevations. It rained off and on for several days as the four ascended the Sierra west slope. They traveled up Bear Valley which is near present-day Nyack and the Emigrant Pass visible from Highway 80.



When they reached the head (eastern end) of Bear Valley at elevation 4,500 feet, heavier rain and sleet warned of worsening conditions in the higher terrain. They were able to secure the flour and horses they had with them, but they were unable to kindle a fire. Reed wrote, "At the lower end of the [Bear] valley, where we entered, the snow was 18 inches in depth."

After another mile or two it was 24 inches deep. The next day's march brought them to snow nearly four feet deep and the horses began to flounder, some of them almost smothered in snow. Here the Indians deserted Reed and McCutchen and returned to the fort. Without snowshoes the two men could make no headway. Frustrated and defeated, they gathered their horses together and backtracked out of the mountains and back to safety.

Editor's Note: This installment is #20 in an exclusive, weekly series tracing the actual experiences of the Donner Party as it worked its way into American history. Mark McLaughlin, weather historian, who lives on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, wrote the series for Tahoetopia.