BSS
Contributors
http://www.sierracollege.edu/ejournals/jscnhm/v2n1/stormking.html
Interesting (brief) history of winter travel over Donner Pass
- Thread starter BSS
- Start date
Dughlas Stiubhart
It's good to be Stew
http://www.sierracollege.edu/ejournals/jscnhm/v2n1/stormking.html
Thanks for the link to Donner Pass history, BSS. I used to live up there so I've been to many of the places mentioned and have heard some of the stories.
One of my favorite things to do was skiing on I-80 when the road was closed during the really BIG storms.
Stew
Thanks for the link to Donner Pass history, BSS. I used to live up there so I've been to many of the places mentioned and have heard some of the stories.
One of my favorite things to do was skiing on I-80 when the road was closed during the really BIG storms.
Stew
Lighthawk
Weekend warrior
Great web link on Donner. I live just down the hill and have been up on the summit in the worst of storms for the last twenty years. Those Pacific storms funnel their furry on Donner in a most impressive way.
---------------
My favorite story is from 1911, when the annual race from San Francisco to Truckee, for the first car to cross the summit (before the days of the snowplow and I-80) was held. The race began June 1 in SF, but they allowed our local boys from Grass Valley to start on June 2. They only had a Model-T, so the SF and Sacramento guys with Cadillacs, Packards and Mormons weren't worried.
The Grass Valley boys made it to Emigrant Gap the first night, where the snow began to block the way. They tied manila rope around the rear wheels to go the last few miles, before they walked to Cisco for dinner and a bed. They spent the next day digging to clear two miles of road to the 6,000' elevation.
In the morning the snow was frozen, so the light-weight T was able to drive on the surface of the snow halfway to Soda Springs. They were stopped by a washed out bridge over the Yuba River, but were prepared with block & tackle which they used with a small raft to get their rig across the river. See ya later, City boyz!
At 2am on June 10th they crossed Donner Summit where they hit high angle drifts, so out came the block & tackle again. They hoisted the car onto the top of the railroad snowshed (!) and drove for three miles until they could use the road again. A few hours later they were eating at the Donner Lake Hotel. Four hours later they claimed the Silver Cup as the first rig across the summit in 1911.
Next time it takes four hours to get from Truckee to Sacramento, remember that eight days was the winning time in 1911!
(courtesy of Sierra Heritage Magazine, 1997)
---------------
My favorite story is from 1911, when the annual race from San Francisco to Truckee, for the first car to cross the summit (before the days of the snowplow and I-80) was held. The race began June 1 in SF, but they allowed our local boys from Grass Valley to start on June 2. They only had a Model-T, so the SF and Sacramento guys with Cadillacs, Packards and Mormons weren't worried.
The Grass Valley boys made it to Emigrant Gap the first night, where the snow began to block the way. They tied manila rope around the rear wheels to go the last few miles, before they walked to Cisco for dinner and a bed. They spent the next day digging to clear two miles of road to the 6,000' elevation.
In the morning the snow was frozen, so the light-weight T was able to drive on the surface of the snow halfway to Soda Springs. They were stopped by a washed out bridge over the Yuba River, but were prepared with block & tackle which they used with a small raft to get their rig across the river. See ya later, City boyz!
At 2am on June 10th they crossed Donner Summit where they hit high angle drifts, so out came the block & tackle again. They hoisted the car onto the top of the railroad snowshed (!) and drove for three miles until they could use the road again. A few hours later they were eating at the Donner Lake Hotel. Four hours later they claimed the Silver Cup as the first rig across the summit in 1911.
Next time it takes four hours to get from Truckee to Sacramento, remember that eight days was the winning time in 1911!
(courtesy of Sierra Heritage Magazine, 1997)
home skillet
Senior Member
Great web link on Donner. I live just down the hill and have been up on the summit in the worst of storms for the last twenty years. Those Pacific storms funnel their furry on Donner in a most impressive way.
---------------
My favorite story is from 1911, when the annual race from San Francisco to Truckee, for the first car to cross the summit (before the days of the snowplow and I-80) was held. The race began June 1 in SF, but they allowed our local boys from Grass Valley to start on June 2. They only had a Model-T, so the SF and Sacramento guys with Cadillacs, Packards and Mormons weren't worried.
The Grass Valley boys made it to Emigrant Gap the first night, where the snow began to block the way. They tied manila rope around the rear wheels to go the last few miles, before they walked to Cisco for dinner and a bed. They spent the next day digging to clear two miles of road to the 6,000' elevation.
In the morning the snow was frozen, so the light-weight T was able to drive on the surface of the snow halfway to Soda Springs. They were stopped by a washed out bridge over the Yuba River, but were prepared with block & tackle which they used with a small raft to get their rig across the river. See ya later, City boyz!
At 2am on June 10th they crossed Donner Summit where they hit high angle drifts, so out came the block & tackle again. They hoisted the car onto the top of the railroad snowshed (!) and drove for three miles until they could use the road again. A few hours later they were eating at the Donner Lake Hotel. Four hours later they claimed the Silver Cup as the first rig across the summit in 1911.
Next time it takes four hours to get from Truckee to Sacramento, remember that eight days was the winning time in 1911!
(courtesy of Sierra Heritage Magazine, 1997)
Great story! I had no idea that had happened and I spent a ton of time up in the Yuba Gap area with my brother who ran the Thousand Trails snow park there. It just goes to show how preparation is so important in exploration. It also shows just what real adventure and exploration can be. We have gotten a little soft haven't we?
Home Skillet
---------------
My favorite story is from 1911, when the annual race from San Francisco to Truckee, for the first car to cross the summit (before the days of the snowplow and I-80) was held. The race began June 1 in SF, but they allowed our local boys from Grass Valley to start on June 2. They only had a Model-T, so the SF and Sacramento guys with Cadillacs, Packards and Mormons weren't worried.
The Grass Valley boys made it to Emigrant Gap the first night, where the snow began to block the way. They tied manila rope around the rear wheels to go the last few miles, before they walked to Cisco for dinner and a bed. They spent the next day digging to clear two miles of road to the 6,000' elevation.
In the morning the snow was frozen, so the light-weight T was able to drive on the surface of the snow halfway to Soda Springs. They were stopped by a washed out bridge over the Yuba River, but were prepared with block & tackle which they used with a small raft to get their rig across the river. See ya later, City boyz!
At 2am on June 10th they crossed Donner Summit where they hit high angle drifts, so out came the block & tackle again. They hoisted the car onto the top of the railroad snowshed (!) and drove for three miles until they could use the road again. A few hours later they were eating at the Donner Lake Hotel. Four hours later they claimed the Silver Cup as the first rig across the summit in 1911.
Next time it takes four hours to get from Truckee to Sacramento, remember that eight days was the winning time in 1911!
(courtesy of Sierra Heritage Magazine, 1997)
Great story! I had no idea that had happened and I spent a ton of time up in the Yuba Gap area with my brother who ran the Thousand Trails snow park there. It just goes to show how preparation is so important in exploration. It also shows just what real adventure and exploration can be. We have gotten a little soft haven't we?
Home Skillet
ntsqd
Custom User Title
Emigrant Gap.
Interesting to see Emigrant Gap mentioned. Few even know of it any more, much less where to find it. I stopped in there as my family has some history there. Not much left compared the picture that my grandmother has of the General Store that her Father in Law, my great Grandfather, ran up to sometime in the 50's.
Interesting to see Emigrant Gap mentioned. Few even know of it any more, much less where to find it. I stopped in there as my family has some history there. Not much left compared the picture that my grandmother has of the General Store that her Father in Law, my great Grandfather, ran up to sometime in the 50's.
Accrete
Senior Member
Nice link BSS, thx for sharing it.
The DP area is beautiful, cari and i enjoy heading over the pass on our annual visit to her folks in Reno. When she and i were first married we lived near my folks in Sacramento. Come the holidays we would flip a coin with the families and see which house we would spend the "Eve" at, then Christmas day we would drive over the pass to the other side of the family. There were some wild times a few holidays with the weather, but the FJ40 or Toyota 4x4 always got us through.
The DP area is beautiful, cari and i enjoy heading over the pass on our annual visit to her folks in Reno. When she and i were first married we lived near my folks in Sacramento. Come the holidays we would flip a coin with the families and see which house we would spend the "Eve" at, then Christmas day we would drive over the pass to the other side of the family. There were some wild times a few holidays with the weather, but the FJ40 or Toyota 4x4 always got us through.
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