As with most of my trips, I plan very few things in advance. Most of the time I plan an ultimate outward-bound destination (e.g., Arctic Ocean), but sometimes I do not (Labrador, for instance, was only added as my ultimate destination on my 2002 trip when I was a stone’s throw away in Newfoundland, after reading the “Call of the Labrador Wild” en route). I usually plan the outward-bound route in general, but reserve the right to change it or deviate from it as I go along. I never plan the inward-bound journey until I point the Defender east. Some of the best destinations I picked up along the way from locals or others I met along the way. This year, so far, I only have two camps as destinations (in Lake Tahoe and Samuel Taylor north of San Francisco), as well as the route starting in Springfield, Illinois, i.e., the hapless Donner Party trail. Although I intend to follow that route as closely as I can, one site in particular I hope to visit is the place where the hapless teamster John Snyder met his end at the hands of James Reed, one of the Party’s leaders. I will let you read a synopsis of poor John’s story (see #1 below) and a research paper (see #2 below) prepared in 2012 about where his grave Is located. Who knows I may even try to drive the Defender up that hill that caused the brouhaha between John and fellow teamster Milt Elliot .
If you read these two pieces, who do you think was to blame for John’s demise, him or Reed?
1- John Snyder (unknown-1846) - Find A Grave Memorial
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