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Monument, Donner Lake
This monument at Donner Pass in the Sierras commemorates the spirit of all the pioneers who made the hazardous overland trek to California as well as those who perished in the famously, ill-fated Donner Party. The massive monument sits at Donner Lake near the summit, about two and a half hours East of San Francisco.

The Donner Party was actually part of a group of 500 wagons heading West in 1846. The 87-member Donner Party broke off from the larger group in hopes of finding the 'Hastings Cut-Off' which promised to save them 400 miles. Instead they found that the shortcut was practically impassable by wagon and they lost weeks. When they finally rejoined the main trail they decided to cross the Sierras despite the threat of snow.

As they entered the Sierras they encountered the worst snow in thirty years, as much as 23-feet deep. On October 31, a broken wagon axle forced them to stop by Truckee Lake (now Donner Lake). Another huge overnight snowstorm stranded them at the lake for the winter. Having traveled 2,500 in seven months they were one day late crossing the Sierras and only 150 miles from the safety of Fort Sutter.

In the end, the last of the survivors would not be rescued from this location for five months. During that time some of the stranded pioneers had resorted to cannibalism in order to survive. 41 of the 87 Donner party died here. Still today their descendants occasionally meet here at Donner Lake to remember those lost in the winter of 1846

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