Well, the Donner Party will not go down as the last Donner team to have problems near Tahoe

As you can see from the below map, the Caldor Fire is working its way toward the Tahoe Camp where I have reservations, which is just 20 miles below Donner State Park.  Not a good omen for my trip.

 

Milestones for outward bound OTR-11

	Camp	Washington DC
	1	Camp 1
	2	Camp 2
593		Indianapolis IN
211		Springfield IL
316		Independence MO
15		Hart Grove Creek Kansas City MO, Kansas River
70		Perry Lake KS
76		Manhattan KS, Kansas Rivers, Route 77
55		Alcove Springs, Blue River, Marysville KS
53		Blue River KS
148		Interstate 80 near Lincoln Nebraska and Platte River
345		Sydney NE (turn off to Courthouse Rock)
40		Courthouse Rock NE
20		Chimney Rock NE
15		Castle Rock NE
16		Scott’s Bluff, Courthouse rock, Castlerock
54		Fort Laramie
15		Guernsey WY, wagon ruts
168		Independence Rock, Devils Peak
125		Southpass over Rockies
32		Farson DP camped nar
104		Fort Bridger Little Sandy,
67		Echo  UT
45		Donner Hill , Emigrant Canyon Rd., UT
44		Grantsville (Luke Hollaran grave)
0		Great Salt Lake Desert (Jordan River)
115		Pilot Peak and Donner Spring
117		Thompson Creek NV Ruby Mountains
59		Camp- South Fork Rec Area
20		Elko, and Humboldt river
108		Golconda and Grave of John Snyder
106		Humboldt Sink (past Lovelock)
0		40 Mile Desert
101		Truckee Meadows Reno, Donner Party Park
0		Alder Creek and Donner Camp
41		Donner Memorial State Park
0		Camp:  Lake Tahoe, Sweet Pines Campground
87		Fort Sutter
108		Samuel Taylor State Park
3489		Total miles

 

 

Daily Itinerary ETM and Donner and Donner Party

From YouTube video and Herman Blog	From Mullen book
Washington DC
Springfield marker - 39° 48.028′ N, 89° 38.919′ W. Marker is in Springfield, Illinois, in Sangamon County. Marker is on East Adams Street west of 6th Street, on the left when traveling west.  Marker is in this post office area: Springfield IL 62701, United States of America.
Independence Square, Independence Missouri, 524 S. old SAGE Street independence Missouri, 0CTA, 816. 252. 2276, National frontier Trail's museum, 318 W. Pacific Ave., 816. 3 to 5. 7575. The start of the trail is in Courthouse Square, old independence landing north of independence Missouri, the courthouse is located at Main and Maple Street near independence Square , Courthouse location, 112 W. Lexington Ave., independence Missouri. Independence tourism, 800. 748. 7323	4/15   Springfield Illinois (see marker) 5/12   Independence Missouri
Hart Grove Creek Kansas City, Marion Park is southeast of the corner of U.S. Highway 71 (Bruce R. Watkins Drive) and East Bannister Road (County Road West) Hart Grove Campground, which is located in the park along Hart Grove Creek, was the campsite for many travelers along the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon trails as well as for the ill-fated 1846 Donner Party.   Blog: After following Virginia Reed's route via Interstate 70 and US Highway 24 to Manhattan, Kansas, I met a local woman who told me exactly where the Reeds and Donners crossed the Kansas River (then called the Caw) a week after they left Independence, Missouri. So the next morning I backtracked a bit and found the crossing northwest of Topeka, off US Highway 24.. (Bridge crossing is in Wamego, KS. Sign says Kansas River)   Blog Once on the other side of the Kansas River, I followed the company's general direction up Kansas-99, across Kansas-9 and up US Route 77 to the Big Blue River Crossing (now known as Independence Crossing).	5/15   Blue River, Heart Grove, 22 miles west of independence 5/17   Wakarusa River, 60 miles west of Independence 5/19   KAW (Kansas) River Kansas, state park 5/22   Camp at Soldier Creek in Kansas,  Camp at Black Paint creek, 116 miles from Independence Missouri 5/24   *Big Blue Earth River, 3/4 of mile from spring at Alcove Spring, where reed carved is initials
Banks of the Big Blue River; Alcove Springs, rock where read carved his name new paragraph memorial to Sarah keys Emmigrant park outside Marysville Marysville Kansas camp, free camping in Iowa Park	5/26   *Vermillion Creek; 163 miles from Independence Missouri 5/29   Sarah Keyes dies, buried in banks of Big Blue River on right side of Oregon California trail, grave unknown 5/31   Cross the Big Blue River           Camped on Little Blue River           88 miles from Big Blue River Crossing, 251 miles from Independence
WH Camped at Reservoir,  North fork of Platte River, Interstate 80 follows the trail, Platte River runs through Nebraska   Blog Today US Route 77 north, Interstate 80 west, and Kansas-26 west generally follow the same route Virginia's company took across the Plains near the Platte River.	6/9     Along PLATTE River           Bluffs overlooking PLATTE river 6/14   Young boy dies after being run over by the wagon           Foreign and 50 miles from independence, 200 miles to Fort Laramie           Dash hollow camp, beyond south PLATTE river
Courthouse Rock Chimney rock Scott's Bluff	*Castle rock near North PLATTE river in Nebraska 6/23   *Chimney Rock, BAYNARD, Nebraska `6/26  Passed Scott's Bluff, camp near Fort Bernard on PLATTE river; *Scotts Bluff National Park, near Fort Barnard on Platte river, camped at Fremont Spring
Fort Laramie WY	*Fort Laramie, Reed learns of Hastings cut off 6/30   *Camped near spring within sight of Laramie peak, 32 miles from Fort Laramie, see page 87 for camps 7/4     Camp at LA PRELE creek in WY 7/6     Camped by a natural bridge across North Platte River           *Continental divide at South Pass           Camp at Willow Springs, two days after leaving North Platte River           *Letter received from Hastings; *Three days from Independence Rock, crossed Platte River
Guernsey Wyoming, check out wagon rush
Independence rock in Wyoming, Sweetwater river nearby, (she was in Casper the day before) Blog_ I continued on Interstate Highway 25 north and Wyoming-220 west to see Independence Rock for myself.  Devils gate nearby, see gorge, one halfway point on the journey	7/12   *Independence Rock, Overland Trail, slept near bass, 100 miles to Southpass           *Devils Gate (see page 95)  can be seen from Independence Rock,           Sweetwater River
The Rockies and the continental divide;  Southpass to cross Rockies	7/17   *Summit of South Pass, 920 miles from Independence Missouri
Cut off to Fort Hall or Fort Bridger :  the parting of the ways, California or Oregon   Blog: Donner  family camped their last night as members of the Russell Company at Little Sandy, a river near today's tiny town of Farson, Wyoming.  The newly named Donner Party took this left hand turn near the Little Sandy River, Before taking the cutoff, the Donner Party camped near the Little Sandy River, which winds westward toward the parting of the ways.	7/24   Camped on little Sandy River, one of the forks of the Green River, a tributary of the Colorado river           *Cut off near little Sandy River (see page 101), Road to left to Fort Bridger, Road to write to Fort Hall,           Camped at Big Sandy River, 20 miles from turning left,           George Donner in charge,           Cross Green River
Fort Bridger; Hastings cut off 74 men and women and children; Georg now in charge, last fort for the next 800 miles Hastings cut off sign, BLM; On the California National Historic trail marker;	7/26   *Camped in meadow 1/2 mile from Fort Bridger 8/2     camp at Bear River, Snow capped mountains nearby, Echo Canyon Camp 8/4     Snyder joins with Graves family
Wasatch Mountains; Weber River, Echo Canyon, Hastings pointed to another route, they took the Emmigration Canyon route   Bolg: I criss-crossed the party's general route through the Wasatch via Interstate 80 west to the valley,	8/9     Weber Canyon Path, headed west toward WASATCH mountains, crossed Yellow Creek near Wyoming and Utah border, camp at HENIFER Utah, Wasatch Mountains, camp at Dixie Hollow River, check out East Cannon State Park nearby 8/12   Hogsback Summit, after giving up on Weber canyon, Big mountain, East Canyon Creek; mouth of little Emigrant Canyon, Dixie Hollows to Emigrant Canyon on route 65 21.9 miles 8/16   Graves family joins party with Snyder in tow, on a party now consist of 87 people +22 wagons 8/18   cut through Reed's gap, Big mountain into Mountain Dell Canyon
Donner Hill, at end of Emigration Canyon; place where they emerge from Wasatch Mountains, they look the wagons uphill	8/21   Donner Hill see historical marker, see Internet for coordinates
Luke Hollaran grave, the edge of the great Salt Lake desert	8/25   pass through Grantsville today, see Donne-Reed museum in town, pass-through Hope Wells Utah where a note from Hastings was found, IOSEPA is this the same as Hopewells?
The Jordan River, the last river; Actual campsite of Donner before great Salt Lake Desert The Great Salt Lake desert, 40 miles to pilot Peak Spring at pilot peak The great basin desert They Went spring to Spring, sage brush, Oasis Nevada,  where they spent the night (mobile home camp)   Blog:  I drove through the desert toward Pilot Peak via Interstate 80 in what is now Nevada,	8/30   trek across the great Salt Lake desert begins;  come close to Pilot Peak along the way 9/1     look for a marker at Silver Island and Spring at base of Pilot Peak 9/4     spring at base of mountain named after Donner party, Donner spring is 5.9 miles to Pilot Peak, (turn right off 80 at Indian Lunch Buffet and Café) 9/11   make way across Silver Zone Pass to Big Springs, 3 miles from Donner Spring, Johnson's ranch and Big Springs 9/13   Flowery Springs camp, Jaspur Pass 9/15   14 miles over PEQUOP Mountain via Jaspur pass, Mound Springs across Spruce Mountains what is now Clover Valley, see Mound Springs coordinates on Web, 216 miles from Pilot Peak to Mound Springs 9/18   Ruby Valley, Thompson Creek, 50 Springs 9/20   in Ruby Valley, Davis Ranch, Cave Creek, see google map, near South Ruby Lake Camp off Ruby Valley Road, party went around the southern end of the Ruby Mountains, route up Mineral Valley, last camp in Ruby Valley 9/22   across crossed west via Overland Pass, reached Huntington Creek, Huntington Valley, camped at Sadler Ranch, Sinking Creek Valley 9/25   crossing Huntington Valley, follow Huntington Creek into Canyon, South Fork Canon (where I stayed?), Camp is where Smith in Huntington Creeks met,
They finished the Hastings cut off, return to the trail near Elko Nevada Humboldt River, river disappears in the Humboldt Sink, see the Hot Springs where they camped at Carlin (brothel there today, dovetail)	0/27   came out of Canyon and hit Humboldt River , CARLIN, MOLEEN, exit in Canyon at Susie Creek, the "short trip" ends, Moleen to Elko 12 miles, Moleen to Carlin 15 miles, Carlin to Golconda 87 miles 9/29   BEOWAWE, joined by two Indians one called "Thursday" (like Donner): Gravelly Ford nearby
Ironpoint near Golconda, where Snyder died. Blog: Site is next to the Humboldt River a few miles off the Interstate, near Iron Point, Nevada.	10/2   camped midway between Battle Mountain and Stone House, note: South Fork to Golconda 127, miles 10/4   Red house 10/5   Snyder killed 10/6   near Ironpoint, the Donners are two days ahead on trail 10/9   IMLAY, 49 miles from Golcconda, WINNEMUCCA is 34 miles from IMLAY, IMLAY to Truckee is 167 miles
Blog: The two areas of the dry, arid Great Basin that pioneers on the California Trail most dreaded were the Humboldt Sink and the waterless desert between the sink and the Truckee River, known as the 40 Mile Desert. Humboldt sink is a few miles west of Lovelock in 80. the Humboldt Sink stretches approximately 11 miles east to west and 4 miles north to south. 40 mile desert, the end of ???? to Truckee Wadsworth Nevada at the Truckee River	10/11 Lovelock on route 80, Breens horse dies as a result of Eddy not helping him get out of the mud 10/13 begin hike over northern 40 Mile Desert to Truckee River 10/16 camp death, Wadsworth is north of 80, Wolfinger is killed by Spitzer in Reinhart, Begin walk up winding Truckee River, Truckee River crosses route 80 here
Truckee Meadows now Reno Nevada	10/20 Donner Springs in Reno, Donner park located at 4385 LORETO Ln. in Reno, lead wagons reach Truckee Meadows ( Reno today), LAGOMARSINO Canyn near Lockwood, 10 miles to Reno 10/23 Pike killed in Truckee Meadow by accident
Alder Camp (6 miles to Truckee), Donner Camp, Donner Summit 7239 feet	10/25 emigrants climb to Sierra, Donner's are the last to leave the Meadows, the Donner trail is believed to be between Big Valley and HOKE Valley, Stampede and Prosser reservoirs 10/27 Donner brakes axle, George cuts hand, a storm is brewing 10/30 group arrives in valley east of Donner Lake 11/3   first attempt at Summit, snow 11/4   snow drifts to 10 feet deep 11/5   Pioneers take shelter
Johnson's Ranch and Fort Sutter Blog: the Humboldt Sink stretches approximately 11 miles east to west and 4 miles north to south.

 

 

Donner ---- video series correlated to Mullen Book

From YouTube video	From Mullen book
Independence Square, Independence Missouri, 524 S. old SAGE Street independence Missouri, 0CTA, 816. 252. 2276, National frontier Trail’s museum, 318 W. Pacific Ave., 816. 3 to 5. 7575. The start of the trail is in Courthouse Square, old independence landing north of independence Missouri, the courthouse is located at Main and Maple Street near independence Square , Courthouse location, 112 W. Lexington Ave., independence Missouri. Independence tourism, 800. 748. 7323	4/15   Springfield Illinois (see marker) 5/12   Independence Missouri
Hart Grove Creek Kansas City, Marion Park is southeast of the corner of U.S. Highway 71 (Bruce R. Watkins Drive) and East Bannister Road (County Road West) Hart Grove Campground, which is located in the park along Hart Grove Creek, was the campsite for many travelers along the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon trails as well as for the ill-fated 1846 Donner Party.	5/15   Blue River, Heart Grove, 22 miles west of independence 5/17   Wakarusa River, 60 miles west of Independence 5/19   KAW (Kansas) River Kansas, state park 5/22   Camp at Soldier Creek in Kansas,  Camp at Black Paint creek, 116 miles from Independence Missouri 5/24   *Big Blue Earth River, 3/4 of mile from spring at Alcove Spring, where reed carved is initials
Marysville Kansas camp, free camping in Iowa Park
Banks of the Big Blue River; Alcove Springs, rock where read carved his name new paragraph memorial to Sarah keys new paragraph immigrant park outside Marysville paragraph	5/26   *Vermillion Creek; 163 miles from Independence Missouri 5/29   Sarah Keyes dies, buried in banks of Big Blue River on right side of Oregon California trail, grave unknown 5/31   Cross the Big Blue River             Camped on Little Blue River             88 miles from Big Blue River Crossing, 251 miles from Independence
WH Camped at Reservoir,  North fork of Platte River, Interstate 80 follows the trail, Platte River runs through Nebraska	6/9      Along PLATTE River             Bluffs overlooking PLATTE river 6/14   Young boy dies after being run over by the wagon             Foreign and 50 miles from independence, 200 miles to Fort Laramie             Dash hollow camp, beyond south PLATTE river
Courthouse Rock Chimney rock Scott’s Bluff	*Castle rock near North PLATTE river in Nebraska 6/23   *Chimney Rock, BAYNARD, Nebraska `6/26  Passed Scott’s Bluff, camp near Fort Bernard on PLATTE river; *Scotts Bluff National Park, near Fort Barnard on Platte river, camped at Fremont Spring
Fort Laramie WY	*Fort Laramie, Reed learns of Hastings cut off 6/30   *Camped near spring within sight of Laramie peak, 32 miles from Fort Laramie, see page 87 for camps 7/4      Camp at LA PRELE creek in WY 7/6      Camped by a natural bridge across North Platte River             *Continental divide at South Pass             Camp at Willow Springs, two days after leaving North Platte River             *Letter received from Hastings; *Three days from Independence Rock, crossed Platte River
Guernsey Wyoming, check out wagon rush
Independence rock in Wyoming, Sweetwater river nearby, (she was in Casper the day before)   Devils gate nearby, see gorge, one halfway point on the journey	7/12   *Independence Rock, Overland Trail, slept near bass, 100 miles to Southpass             *Devils Gate (see page 95)  can be seen from Independence Rock,             Sweetwater River
The Rockies and the continental divide;  Southpass to cross Rockies	7/17   *Summit of South Pass, 920 miles from Independence Missouri
Cut off to Fort Hall or ort Bridger :  the parting of the ways, California or Oregon	7/24   Camped on little Sandy River, one of the forks of the Green River, a tributary of the Colorado river             *Cut off near little Sandy River (see page 101), Road to left to Fort Bridger, Road to write to Fort Hall,             Camped at Big Sandy River, 20 miles from turning left,             George Donner in charge,             Cross Green River
Fort Bridger; Hastings cut off 74 men and women and children; Georg now in charge, last fort for the next 800 miles Hastings cut off sign, BLM; On the California National Historic trail marker;	7/26   *Camped in meadow 1/2 mile from Fort Bridger 8/2      camp at Bear River, Snow capped mountains nearby, Echo Canyon Camp 8/4      Snyder joins with Graves family
Wasatch Mountains; Weber River, Echo Canyon, Hastings pointed to another route, they took the Emmigration Canyon route	8/9      Weber Canyon Path, headed west toward WASATCH mountains, crossed Yellow Creek near Wyoming and Utah border, camp at HENIFER Utah, Wasatch Mountains, camp at Dixie Hollow River, check out East Cannon State Park nearby 8/12   Hogsback Summit, after giving up on Weber canyon, Big mountain, East Canyon Creek; mouth of little Emigrant Canyon, Dixie Hollows to Emigrant Canyon on route 65 21.9 miles 8/16   Graves family joins party with Snyder in tow, on a party now consist of 87 people +22 wagons 8/18   cut through Reed’s gap, Big mountain into Mountain Dell Canyon
Donner Hill, at end of Emigration Canyon; place where they emerge from Wasatch Mountains, they look the wagons uphill	8/21   Donner Hill see historical marker, see Internet for coordinates
Luke Hollaran grave, the edge of the great Salt Lake desert	8/25   pass through Grantsville today, see Donne-Reed museum in town, pass-through Hope Wells Utah where a note from Hastings was found, IOSEPA is this the same as Hopewells?
The Jordan River, the last river; Actual campsite of Donner before great Salt Lake Desert The Great Salt Lake desert, 40 miles to pilot Peak Spring at pilot peak The great basin desert Went spring to Spring, sage brush, Oasis Nevada,  where they spent the night (mobile home camp)	8/30   trek across the great Salt Lake desert begins;  come close to Pilot Peak along the way 9/1      look for a marker at Silver Island and Spring at base of Pilot Peak 9/4      spring at base of mountain named after Donner party, Donner spring is 5.9 miles to Pilot Peak, (turn right off 80 at Indian Lunch Buffet and Café) 9/11   make way across Silver Zone Pass to Big Springs, 3 miles from Donner Spring, Johnson’s ranch and Big Springs 9/13   Flowery Springs camp, Jaspur Pass 9/15   14 miles over PEQUOP Mountain via Jaspur pass, Mound Springs across Spruce Mountains what is now Clover Valley, see Mound Springs coordinates on Web, 216 miles from Pilot Peak to Mound Springs 9/18   Ruby Valley, Thompson Creek, 50 Springs 9/20   in Ruby Valley, Davis Ranch, Cave Creek, see google map, near South Ruby Lake Camp off Ruby Valley Road, party went around the southern end of the Ruby Mountains, route up Mineral Valley, last camp in Ruby Valley 9/22   across crossed west via Overland Pass, reached Huntington Creek, Huntington Valley, camped at Sadler Ranch, Sinking Creek Valley 9/25   crossing Huntington Valley, follow Huntington Creek into Canyon, South Fork Canon (where I stayed?), Camp is where Smith in Huntington Creeks met,
They finished the Hastings cut off, return to the trail near Elko Nevada	9/27   came out of Canyon and hit Humboldt River , CARLIN, MOLEEN, exit in Canyon at Susie Creek, the “short trip” ends, Moleen to Elko 12 miles, Moleen to Carlin 15 miles, Carlin to Golconda 87 miles 9/29   BEOWAWE, joined by two Indians one called “Thursday” (like Donner): Gravelly Ford nearby 10/2   camped midway between Battle Mountain and Stone House, note: South Fork to Golconda 127, miles 10/4   Red house 10/5   Snyder killed 10/6   near Ironpoint, the Donners are two days ahead on trail 10/9   IMLAY, 49 miles from Golcconda, WINNEMUCCA is 34 miles from IMLAY, IMLAY to Truckee is 167 miles
Humboldt River, river disappears in the Humboldt Sink, see the Hot Springs where they camped at Carlin (brothel there today, dovetail)
Ironpoint near Golconda, where Snyder died
40 mile desert, the end of ???? to Truckee Wadsworth Nevada at the Truckee River	10/11 Lovelock on route 80, Breens horse dies as a result of Eddy not helping him get out of the mud 10/13 begin hike over northern 40 Mile Desert to Truckee River 10/16 camp death, Wadsworth is north of 80, Wolfinger is killed by Spitzer in Reinhart, Begin walk up winding Truckee River, Truckee River crosses route 80 here
Truckee Meadows now Reno Nevada	10/20 Donner Springs in Reno, Donner park located at 4385 LORETO Ln. in Reno, lead wagons reach Truckee Meadows ( Reno today), LAGOMARSINO Canyn near Lockwood, 10 miles to Reno 10/23 Pike killed in Truckee Meadow by accident
Alder Camp (6 miles to Truckee), Donner Camp, Donner Summit 7239 feet	10/25 emigrants climb to Sierra, Donner’s are the last to leave the Meadows, the Donner trail is believed to be between Big Valley and HOKE Valley, Stampede and Prosser reservoirs 10/27 Donner brakes axle, George cuts hand, a storm is brewing 10/30 group arrives in valley east of Donner Lake 11/3   first attempt at Summit, snow 11/4   snow drifts to 10 feet deep 11/5   Pioneers take shelter

 

“Never take no cut off, and hurry along as fast as you can” . Reed