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One
hundred and twenty five years after the Donner-Reed Party crossed the
salt desert; their trail is still etched in the salt and is easily seen. The
ruts left by the narrow wagon wheels, and tracks left by the people and
oxen have been filled. The salt deposited in the depressions, in the
sunlight, is a different color than that which was not disturbed.
Those who have followed the trail have been able to recreate their
journey from day to day by the things left behind. They found the bones
of oxen that had died of exhaustion and thirst, possessions that had been
discarded to lighten the load, abandoned wagons, some half buried in the
sand. Iron articles were badly rusted by the salt, but those of wood that
had been covered by sand were preserved. Many artifacts were brought
back. Some are here in the museum. Others are at the University of Utah
and in museums in Sacramento.
By the time the Donner-Reed Party reached Tooele Valley, they were
already about a month behind schedule. At Ft. Bridger they made the final
decision to follow Lansford Hastings' short cut instead of the well known
Ft. Hall Trail. Hastings told Donner he would guide them through the
mountains in Salt Lake Valley. However, he went ahead with the
Young-Harlan Party.
Leaving Ft. Bridger, the Donner-Reed Party turned south. All went well
till they reached the head of Weber Canyon. There they found a note
advising emigrants not to go down the canyon. Not knowing where to go,
Reed and two others went ahead to find Hastings to come and guide them as
he had promised. He refused to return, but came back to the foothills of
the Wasatch Mountains and outlined a trial for Reed. After six
days of exhausting travel, Reed returned. As best he could he guided the
party through the mountains. They hacked out roads through willows, only
to find they had to go back and start over. Wagons were pulled up
hog-back ridges that seemed impassable. Streams were crossed and
re-crossed. They spend sixteen days traveling thirty six
miles.
Crossing Salt Lake and Tooele Valleys was easy. To avoid the marshes,
they went south in Skull Valley. There, they put in a supply of water and
grass for the trip across the desert. They crossed Skull Valley, went
through Hastings Pass in Cedar Mountain; and then made a bee-line for
Pilot Peak. Their trail went over Grey Back Mountain, through sand dunes,
then salt mud. Before they reached Pilot Peak, oxen died of thirst and
exhaustion, wagons were abandoned, and many of their possessions thrown
away to lighten the loads.
After four days, they reached Pilot Springs, having traveled eighty
miles, not forty which they expected. They stayed there several days,
letting the oxen and cattle rest before going on.
Because of all the delays, they were snowed in at Donner Pass in the
Sierras. Eighty-seven people left Ft. Bridger. Forty seven lived to
arrive in California.
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