• Schmuppes@lemmy.today
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    edit-2
    1 day ago

    That is so fascinating. I believe one of the survivors later wrote a book about it, it’s public domain and can be downloaded from digital libraries. I never finished it, but read a good chunk up to the part where they had to eat their dead trek members and leather shoe straps. It’s ironic that they were initially trying to take a short cut and save time, but unfortunate circumstances stacked up, cost them lots of time and ended in disaster.

    • AquaTofana@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      1 day ago

      I’ll have to read it! We just moved to NorCal and joined our local library, so I’m sure I can find it there! If not, the Libby app!

      My husband and I did the drive to Reno over Halloween weekend, and we went over Donner Pass.

      Lemme tell you if you’ve never been, that section of the US is breathtakingly beautiful, but I could ALSO see how it is devastatingly, oppressively terrifying. And that was even with clear roads and little mountain towns sprinkled around. I got chills thinking about if there was nothing except chest deep snow, dying fires, and blankets to keep warm.