Donner Party of Two?

Okay, this is how much of a librarain nerd I am. The first night at Northstar I dragged Brian to the bookstore so I could buy a book about the Donner Party. I found a great one; "Snow Mountain Passage" by James D. Houston. It's a historical fiction account of the Donner Party, their passage to the Sierras and the winter they were forced to spend at Truckee Lake (now named Donner Lake). And then we all know what happened then...eeeek!!!! Anyway, the story is deliciously horrifying, so when we were looking for a nice mellow cross country trail to ride yesterday and we stumbled across the Emigrant Trail how could I resist?

Definitley a feeling of "oh my gosh, THIS is where it happened!" Cue the theme to Twilight Zone.

"Their survival against depserate odds stands as a testament to the enduring pioneer spirit that helped shape the future of California." Very inspiring. Except, you know, they ate each other. Ewwwww!!!!

Alder Creek where "they" camped that winter.

Lucky for us it was a sunny, warm day-not a blizzard in sight. And we had plenty of Gu, so there would be no resorting to desperate measures to survive this ride~hopefully.

Our first challenge-fording the river.

Will he make it?

In true pioneer spirit, we turn tail and run. We might get our feet wet after all.

No covered wagons, just me on the bike.

This trail was perfect mix of gradual uphill, and fun downhill. We both were too tired to tackle anything more extreme after the bone jarring trails at Northstar.

Ugh, uphill! Where's there sky lift when I need it?

After a "grueling" 7 miles out, supplies were running low, so we were forced to turn back.

Actually we were just tired, so we cruised back.

It's always nice to find the exact right trail for the kind of riding mood your in. The Emigrant Trail was the perfect birthday ride.