Donner Pass

Growing up in Northern California and living just at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, I got to travel quite often to Reno. In doing so, I went over the Donner Pass. For those of you that haven't been there before, it is beautiful. The story of the Donner party and their struggles can be found at http://www.donnerpartydiary.com/ . I got the sample above about 12 years ago when traveling back from Loomis and a family visit. Several years ago I got to experience a different side of the Donner Pass. I traveled to Roseville, California via the California Zephyr operated by Amtrak. It runs from Chicago, Illinois to Emeryville, California. The ride is a L O N G one, but well worth it! On the return trip there are actually guides on the train that give an audio account of the Donners and their demise. There is also a monument at the Donner Memorial sight, indicating how deep the snow got during the storm. This dirt was gathered from the base of that monument.