Donner Summit

We visited Donner Summit. It is hard to imagine the pioneers traveling through this rugged mountain range. If you have read any of the books written about the Donner party and their ordeal, you will have a better understanding of what the Donner party went through.

We took Old Highway 40 heading West along Donner Lake to see the railroad snow sheds and the tunnels built by the Chinese. They were originally built with wood and later replaced with concrete. The square metal object was where the Chinese workers entered the tunnel and worked both ways digging out the earth and rock. The brick retaining wall is called The Chinese Wall and was built by the Chinese. The railroad no longer uses these tracks.