Donner Party hike and barbecue — no kidding

Is it morbid to throw a barbecue lunch after a hike to commemorate the Donner Party tragedy?

Well, you’re going to need sustenance after a long hike over difficult Sierra terrain.

This year’s annual Donner Party Hike, sponsored by the Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce, will feature six different morning hikes on Saturday, Oct. 4, followed by a barbecue lunch and an afternoon presentation by Mark McLaughlin, a weather historian known as “The Storm King.” McLaughlin will discuss weather and how it has shaped history in the southern Sierras over the last 30 years.

McLaughlin is especially knowledgeable on how climatic factors contributed to the catastrophe that became known as the Donner Party tragedy in the winter of 1846-47, when the pioneers were stranded by snowstorms, cut off from food and provisions and struggled to survive — some resorting to cannibalism of those who had died.

On Sunday, Oct. 5, history buffs can join a more leisurely walking tour that begins at the Donner Camp Picnic Area at Alder Creek, followed by a presentation at Donner Memorial State Park to view the Murphy Cabin Site and Pioneer Monument.

During all of these events, you can learn about the history of the people who ventured across the southern Sierra, from the Native Americans to the California-bound settlers, including the Donner Party.

For complete hike descriptions, visit the Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce or call (530) 587-8808. Cost for the Saturday hikes: $40 per hiker ($45 after Sept. 26). Cost for the Sunday walking tour: $10.

The Saturday hikes begin and end at Sugar Bowl Lodge, Highway 40 off the Soda Springs exit to Interstate 80. Registration is 7:30 to 9 a.m. The Sunday walks begin at the Donner Camp Picnic Area off Highway 89 North at 9 a.m.

— Hugo Martin, Los Angeles Times staff writer

[Photo: Reenactors of the Donner Party; courtesy Truckee Chamber of Commerce]

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 12:34 pm by Hugo Martin and is filed under California, Lake Tahoe & Eastern Sierra, Outdoors & Adventure, Sierra Nevada. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.