During the off-season months (October through April) I typically write social media posts for Fridays only for the California Trail Interpretive Center. This season I've chosen to follow the Donner Party during their ordeal in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during the winter of 1846/1847. I'm calling the posts "Fridays with the Donner Party". Here are [...]
Category: U.S. History
September California Trail Social Media Posts: Week 4
September 22 – A 5-month virtual road trip along the California Trail Since September 15 we’ve been “virtually” exploring routes leading to California in the region around the Truckee River. Now we return to the other major river route – the Carson River. As weary travelers crossed the 40-mile desert toward the Carson River, they [...]
September California Trail Social Media Posts: Week 3
September 15 – A 5-month virtual road trip along the California Trail The first wagon route established over the Sierra Nevadas followed the Truckee River. After crossing the 40-mile desert, emigrants were thrilled to have reached water and shade trees. There is a wayside interpretive exhibit located in the westbound I-80 rest area just west [...]
September California Trail Social Media Posts: Week 2
September 8 – A 5-month virtual road trip along the California Trail Continuing on the Applegate Trail from Rabbit Hole Spring we next encounter High Rock Canyon (GPS coordinates -119.413, 41.389). The Friends of Black Rock/High Rock website (https://blackrockdesert.org/high-rock-canyon/) has a nice introduction and description, as does the Bureau of Land Management website (https://www.blm.gov/visit/high-rock-canyon). The [...]
September California Trail Social Media Posts: Week 1
September 1 – A 5-month virtual road trip along the California Trail As we begin our final month of a virtual road trip along the California Trail we finish the Hastings cutoff by passing through South Fork (of the Humboldt River) Canyon (GPS coordinates -115.859, 40.746). The entrance to the canyon lies in South Fork [...]
The Watchmaker's Pulse 