It’s close to eight hours to drive to Lake Tahoe so we headed out close to noon. This is a trip that Wade is familiar with so he did most of the driving. We’re headed up to their family cabin for a reunion.

The drive took us through vastly different landscapes, briefly leaving California into Nevada before returning. The cabin is on the California side of Lake Tahoe.

The Sierra Nevada mountain range was far off the distance to the right. They made for a beautiful photographic view.

On the way, since we passed by it, Wade also told me a story I had no inkling of. The Donner Party. In case you haven’t heard this woeful tale of life on the Oregon Trail, here it is. It’s also said that the area is haunted and sightings made by hikers. Lake Tahoe itself is believed to have many haunted spots – Thunderbird Lodge, Hellman-Ehrman Mansion, Pepper Tree Inn, Vikingsholm, as examples of many more according to US Ghost Adventures.

The Donner Pass Story

The Donner-Reed Party, as they are also called, was a group of about eighty pioneers traveling out West, as many did in a wagon train at that time. The Oregon Trail began in Independence, Missouri and ended in Oregon City, covering 2,170 miles or 3,490 km. It crossed what is today Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon.

Faced with delays and a difficult desert crossing, they decided to head to Donner Pass, thousands of feet above Truckee Lake, now named Donner Lake. They were told the pass would not get snow for another month. Early snowfall on the last day of October, however, forced them to retreat to Truckee Lake and winter there 1846-1847. It was a multi-generational multi-family group, with grandparents and forty-three children. By then, they had already lost people from sickness, accident, and intentional killing, as well as oxen that pulled the wagons, cattle, and horses killed by Native Americans. Wagons had to be left behind and food was depleted. When it was clear they needed more supplies, they had sent someone ahead. What was brought from Sutter’s Fort for them only brought brief relief.

Early December, they made snowshoes for some to cross the mountain pass for help.

“The Forlorn Hope” was the group of initially seventeen women and men led by Charles Stanton. They left December 16 with food supplies for six days. Two returned to camp at the start. Several men, including Stanton, died. William H Eddy became their leader and was hailed a hero by the end of this tale. Around December 24, they did the unthinkable to survive, resorting to cannibalism. By this time, several of the group had already died. Coming upon the two Native American guides who had fled the cannibalism that had begun, one from the group shot and killed them for food. The guides too had been starving the nine days since escaping. They ultimately did not survive what began as talk to eat them.

On January 12, they reached a village and were fed what was available – pine nuts, acorns, and grass. Eddy alone travelled with a Native American to get to Johnson’s ranch, the closest settlement, and the rest of the small group was rescued. Seven survived in the thirty-three days.

Rescue first arrived at the Donner camps late into February. More rescues followed. It was obvious that the Donner camps had also turned to cannibalism. Among those who were cannibalized was one of Eddy’s children. His remaining children who survived were rescued.

On April 29, 1847, Lee Keseberg, the last survivor, arrived at Sutter’s Fort at the edge of Sacramento Valley.

Photos on Here to Explore Our World are copyright and uploaded at a lower resolution for the website. If you’re interested in sharing any image or purchasing any prints, please contact Alex.

Lake Tahoe is beautiful. The water is blue-green and clear, aside from the very, very deep parts which reach to over 1,600 feet. This fresh water lake is the deepest on the continent. At over 6,000 feet above sea level, Lake Tahoe is an alpine lake and also one of the biggest. It’s also said to be the home of a creature named Tessie.

We had beautiful warm weather.

Don’t be deceived – the water is still chilly. It can be cold enough to cause shock. The lungs seize to get air and hyperventilation can follow. It’s now end of June so the water is warm enough to jump in, though it’s still startling cold for the uninitiated.

We spent the week playing games, eating, and relaxing. And daring the cold yet refreshing water.

As per Tahoe tradition we had a cribbage tournament. Wade’s son also introduced us to a fun game that was rounds of Pictionary, Charades, and Taboo. We had a lot of good laughs.

One night, just as we were headed down to roast marshmallows, a bear was sighted. My first thought – where’s Luna. She’d been exploring since we arrived. This cat, a complicated being and I was happy for her to see the natural world, even though it gave me panic attacks. On one occasion that I know of, a pair of raccoons followed her home and another time I spotted her trailing a skunk. We have lived in places with wildlife like coyotes, mountain lions, and bears.

Bear break-ins are common at Lake Tahoe homes. Bears know to go for coolers and refrigerators. They can effortlessly rip through a car. That night, the cabin was just on the bear’s route going somewhere. And Luna was safe. The rest of us sat around the fire pit and roasted marshmallows. Wade’s dad also told us stories as we sat bundled by the fire.

Wade and I were the last to leave. Before we headed home, his parents took the two of us around the lake in a boat. One of the spots we stopped at was Emerald Bay. We passed a lot of boats, of all kinds of fashion. In Emerald Bay is a curious little island. This is believed to be resistant granite that did not get gouged out by the glacier like the rest of the lake.

On the island is the remnant of the “Tea House”. A small room where Mrs Lora Josephine King and guests would be brought by boat to enjoy tea. She had purchased the land off the island in 1928 to build a summer home. Emerald Bay was the first favoured area on Lake Tahoe to have summer homes and the first ones were built in this area in the 1860s. Mrs King chose this plot as it reminded her of Scandinavia’s fjords. Her nephew-by-marriage, a Swedish architect, built Vikingsholm. Until her death in 1945, at age 82, this “hidden castle” was her summer home.

After passing hands, the state acquired Vikingsholm, which is now part of the Harvey West Unit of the Emerald Bay State Park. During the summer, visitors can enjoy tours of the house and Scandinavian architecture.

From Emerald Bay we continued on and docked at Camp Richardson for gas and Magnum ice cream. It was crowded and lively. 

From the boat, we saw eagles, Canadian Geese, and amazing views. While we were anchored at one point, Wade dove in. The lake was so clear we never lost sight of him. It was breathtaking.

Whiskeytown Lake

Just a few miles from Redding in Northern California is this beautiful spot, Whiskeytown Lake.

We passed by it on the way to Lake Tahoe. On the way home we stopped here for a break. The sun was setting and it was too beautiful to keep going. We harnessed and leashed up Luna and Wade took her for a quick look-see.

The mining town Whiskeytown, a California Historic Landmark, was flooded in the early 1960s to create the reservoir. Whiskey Creek Diggings, as it was called then, was one of the first mining towns, with a population of 1,000 in 1855. These days, it’s a popular recreation area.

On our stop, we saw a few groups camped there and some people were swimming in the lake. If you’re interested, Whiskeytown Cemetery is a tourist destination, because of its colourful quirkiness.

These lands have been the home of the Wintu people and their ancestors for thousands of years.

More reading: In My Own Words: Stories, Songs, and Memories of Grace McKibben, Wintu