Winter Wonderland - Donner Lake

Donner Lake, located just a few miles from Lake Tahoe in the Northern Sierras, is a true winter wonderland. With nearly 200 inches (50 meters) of snowfall in an average year, you can count on spectacular snow covered mountains from December through May. In 1846 a group of emigrants, headed by George Donner, headed west from Springfield, MO to California. Due to some misguided advice regarding a "short cut" to California the party got a late start across their final westward barrier...the Sierras. They got stranded on the eastern shores of what is now known as Donner Lake by a late October Snow storm. The party was rescued in February, almost 4 months after they were trapped by the storm. Of the original 87 members in the party on 48 survived. Just 21 years after the Donner Party, the transcontinental railroad was completed over the pass. The snow sheds visible in the video are part of this rail system over the 7056 foot Donner Summit. Today I80 crosses the summit, which is frequently ravaged by fierce winter storms giving today's residents and visitors a idea of what the Donner Party experienced in the mid 1800's. Come visit Donner Lake and the Truckee area for winter fun and taste of American history.