Day 12, Angel Creek Camp to South Fork Camp

Today, day 12, would have gone, or would be going, like this.

 

 

After a pleasant evening with the temperature a cool 41 degrees, we would be traveling 11miles to the south east to visit Clover Valley, the point at which the Donner Party reached the glorious Ruby Valley.  Searching for a pass to cross over the Rubies to reach the Humboldt River and rejoin the California Trail, they headed south 70 miles along the Rubies, as we would be doing.  Along the way they found a number of springs and creeks for respites from what they encountered crossing the Great Salt Lake desert. Eventually, they found what is now known as the Overland Pass, which we will use to cross over to the west side of the Rubies and then travel north in search of the Humboldt River, the penultimate rive they would encounter.  Our goal for day would have been to head for South Fork  Recreation Area Camp, 45 miles to the north, for a total distance traveled today of  157 miles.

 

Three years ago, Donner and I stayed at the South Fork Recreation Area on our way down to the Grand Canyon, 383 miles south.  What a wonderful place.  There was only one other camper there, probably because it was October 22^nd, three weeks later than when we would have been visiting today. Here is our camp there. I cannot seem to see Donner.

 

 

After we camped at South Fork in 2018, we drove through the Ruby Mountains over 110 miles south to Route 50, the same highway that if we stayed on it heading west would have taken us to our doorstep 2336 miles away.  The first 10 miles of the road were nicely paved, but then the next 100 were dirt. But what a gorgeous ride it was through the Rubies. Wild horse everywhere.  And what views! I wonder if the Donners though the same.

 

The temperate in the area today is supposed to be partly sunny in the 60s. But the temperature tonight will be 26, so out would be coming the winter sleeping bag. Interestingly enough, today would have been about the same date that the Donner Party reached this very point. While I might have welcomed some brisque cold air, they would have been freighted by it, knowing that they still had 321 miles to go (today’s measure), and could only do at most 15 miles a day under the best conditions. What was foremost on their mind was whether they would beat the snows to the Sierras at Truckee Lake, now called Donner Lake, for reasons  related to the well-known fact that the snows, I mean heavy snows,  beat them there by a matter of hours. HOURS, when they had taken journey six months to get there. What bad luck.

 

Here are some links to my 2018 blog and trip through the Rubies. Oh, how I longed to get back there, but my priorities trumped my longings.

 

On The Road - 9 : Day 32 photos (otr9.blogspot.com)

 

On The Road - 9 : Day 32 photos (otr9.blogspot.com)

 

Tomorrow’s would-be journey would have been bringing one of the more interesting highlights I was hoping to experience on the trip.

 

Ed and Donner