How deep was the snow for the Donner party?

The peak snow depth was somewhere between 15 to 20 feet deep at Donner Lake. Trees cut off at snow level by the emigrants ranged from 15 to 18 feet in height when the snow was gone, indicative of the exceptional snowpack that winter.

How deep was the snow at the Donner Camp on December 1st?

Dec. 1. Still snowing; wind west; snow about six or seven and a half feet deep; very difficult to get wood, and we are completely housed up; our cattle all killed but two or three, and these, with the horses and Stanton's mules, all supposed to be lost in the snow; no hopes of finding them.

How deep were the snow drifts in the Donner camp?

As the frigid winter and rugged Sierra terrain persisted, their numbers dwindled to seven men who summoned their determination and goodwill, eventually reaching the cabins on the edge of Donner Lake on February 18th, 1847. Upon arriving they encountered silence and saw nothing but snow drifts 20 feet deep.

How much snow fell on the Donner Party after the axle on their wagon broke?

Rain and snow pounded the mountains from Nov. 1 to Nov. 11, which buried the pass to California with 10 feet of snow.

When did it start to snow on the Donner Party?

On October 20, 1846, this group of 81 adults and children was attacked by a shockingly early snowstorm that kept piling snow multiple feet deep on the ground around them. It didn't stop for days. The snowstorms most of us have seen in our lives are nothing compared to what the Donner Party saw that year.

What was the snow like when The Donner Party was stranded?

How much snow fell on Donner Summit?

Forecasters say the heavy amounts of rain and snow that pummeled eastern Nevada County this weekend will likely put an end to fire season. Donner Summit and Soda Springs had 29 inches of snow as of 9 a.m. Monday, the National Weather Service said.

Did the Donner Party eat each other?

Not all of the settlers were strong enough to escape, however, and those left behind were forced to cannibalize the frozen corpses of their comrades while waiting for further help. All told, roughly half of the Donner Party's survivors eventually resorted to eating human flesh.

Who was to blame for Donner Party misery?

Years later, Franklin Ward Graves, the 57-year-old patriarch of the family, would complain that James Reed was at fault for the delays and hardship they all faced in the Wasatch Mountains. The delays there, in his view, contributed to their becoming trapped by snow east of Donner Pass later in the year (1846).

What did members of the Donner Party eat to survive in the Sierra Nevada mountains?

It's clear that Donner Party members went to great lengths to avoid eating their own dead: The stranded migrants consumed a glue-like substance made from boiled animal hides, along with charred bones, twigs, leaves and bark.

Are there any descendants of the Donner party?

Dozens of members of the covered-wagon party starved to death and others resorted to cannibalism to survive when stranded in the Sierra near Truckee over the winter of 1846-47. Forty-two of the 89 members died. Direct descendants of the party's Donner, Reed, Breen, Graves and Murphy families will attend the event.

What caused the Donner Party to not make it to California?

The Donner Party, sometimes called the Donner–Reed Party, was a group of American pioneers who migrated to California in a wagon train from the Midwest. Delayed by a multitude of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846–1847 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

How many people were eaten in the Donner party?

When rescue expeditions finally reached the the Donner Party the next spring, they found evidence of murder and cannibalism. Of the nearly 90 members who left Illinois, only around 45 made it to California. As many as 21 members had been eaten.

Did Charles Stanton survive Donner Party?

A single man with no relatives among the Donner Party, Stanton became the greatest hero of the tragedy by his selfless sacrifice. The two Indians who accompanied Stanton from Sutter's Fort did not survive either. Charles Stanton, 35, left the Party with William McCutchen on about September 12, 1846.

Who died first in the Donner party?

Breen's account of the winter of 1846–47 would provide the only contemporary written record of the Donner party's ordeal. On December 15 Baylis Williams, an employee of the Reed family, died of malnutrition at the lake camp; his was the first recorded death in the camps, although many others would soon follow.

How long did it take for the Donner Party to eat all of their food?

The Donner Party left Illinois for California in April 1846 — but just eight months later, their journey descended into mass cannibalism.

What conditions did the Donner Party face before and after getting trapped?

They soon encountered rough terrain and numerous delays, and they eventually became trapped by heavy snowfall high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Purportedly reduced to cannibalism to survive through the winter, only half of the original group reached California the following year.

Did the Indians try to help the Donner party?

Native Americans tried to help the starving Donner Party, research shows. They faced gunshots. The familiar story of the Donner Party is one of misfortune, madness, and profound isolation.

What was another mistake the Donner Party made?

Most historians agree that the Donner Party's fatal mistake was taking the Hastings Cutoff. It put them almost a month behind schedule and severely depleted their resources before the critical last stage of their journey.

How did George Donner hurt his hand?

The Donner family

The Donner children lost both of their parents in the tragedy. George Donner accidentally cut his hand, which became infected and spread gangrene up his arm. He died in March 1847 in between relief parties. Wife Tamsen died shortly after.

How did the Donner Party get rescued?

As the Donner Party fought to survive in the snowy Sierra Nevada mountains, four brave rescue missions ensured some traumatized members made it out alive. As the Donner Party fought to survive in the snowy Sierra Nevada mountains, four brave rescue missions ensured some traumatized members made it out alive.

How deep is the snow in Truckee?

On most winter days, Truckee has at least five inches of snow on the ground. Snow usually accumulates to ten or more inches deep from December to April. Truckee averages 64 days a year when the snow depth reaches 20 inches or more.

How did the Reed family survived the Donner Party?

5. They Survived Without Eating People. Only two nuclear families in the entire party—the Reeds and the Breens—made it through the horrible winter without a single death.

What became of the survivors of the Donner Party?

The two Donner families suffered greatly; all four of the parents perished. The surviving children reached Sutter's Fort as orphans, but they all found good homes. Like the Breens, all of the Reed family members escaped the disaster alive.