topic Re: The Donner Pass in Community Chat

The Donner Pass

On It — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 20:48:12 GMT

I saw this photo where snowplows are trying to help truckers at the Donner Pass. It must be frightening to be stalled in one of those big rigs. Imagine a covered wagon.

Re: The Donner Pass

ROMARY — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 21:04:35 GMT

I think I remember learning about The Donner Pass.......Our fore-mothers and fore-fathers crossing that pass in heavy, treacherous snow storms.

Wishing all who travel right now the very best of luck and safety.

Re: The Donner Pass

cheriere — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 21:33:37 GMT

My goodness, that's so frightening! I pray all those stranded are alright.❤️❤️❤️

Re: The Donner Pass

Babyfran — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 21:37:34 GMT

OnIt, I thought the same exact thing when I saw this on the news yesterday. Those pioneers must have been beyond scared.

Re: The Donner Pass

SandySparkles — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 21:51:33 GMT

😮Wow! This jaw-dropping photo reminds us of the unpredictability and harshness of nature! I have nothing but RESPECT for truck drivers❤, and all they must endure on a daily basis to deliver vital goods and services.👍😊 It certainly makes you have more compassion when you think of delayed deliveries!🥰

~~~All we need is LOVE💖

Re: The Donner Pass

SaveTheTurtles — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 22:12:13 GMT

Scary stuff. Hopefully everyone is ok.

Re: The Donner Pass

Kachina624 — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 22:18:25 GMT

I can't understand why all these motorists headed right for Donner Pass knowing that this terrible storm was predicted, only to sit in their vehicles stranded. We heard about the storm several days before it actually arrived. Surely there are other routes, even if not as convenient. They should just close the highway. They close interstates in NM at the first sign of a c stiff breeze.

Re: The Donner Pass

patbz — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 22:50:21 GMT

@Kachina624 : As another poster mentioned, these are truckers and the only other way to get where they are going is at least 5 hrs around it. For truckers time is money.

Re: The Donner Pass

Kachina624 — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 22:56:04 GMT

@patbz. Tell me they're making money spending several days sitting shivering atop Donner Pass. Probably burning diesel the whole time too.

I heard there's a second storm due tonight or tomorrow. I wonder if they ever got dug out of the first?

Re: The Donner Pass

beach-mom — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 22:57:39 GMT

@Babyfran wrote:
OnIt, I thought the same exact thing when I saw this on the news yesterday. Those pioneers must have been beyond scared.

@Babyfran - Same here. I saw the pictures and thought of what happened there so many years ago. Such a terrible situation - today AND worse back then in 1846.

Re: The Donner Pass

fthunt — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 00:09:43 GMT

Your Walmart order may be late............

Re: The Donner Pass

Venezia — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 00:52:48 GMT

I just watched a report about this where a guy was saying that these truck drivers are being given orders and routes by dispatchers.

He made it clear that the big companies don't care about the individual drivers; that the drivers need to do their own checking and plan alternative routes, if they think conditions aren't safe. But so many of these drivers are doing their jobs to make a living just like the rest of us; the boss says "Go" and they go or someone else will do the job.

I think the ultimate blame lies with whomever was responsible for shutting that stretch of highway down. Ridiculous to leave it up to individual drivers to decide whether to risk it or not.

We see the aftermath of that! I pray there are no fatalities.

Re: The Donner Pass

RedTop — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 00:54:15 GMT

@Kachina624

Truckers do not have complete control over choosing their routes. Company dispatch not only routes the drivers, but the company also has specific places along that route where drivers can buy their fuel.

Under this type of extreme weather conditions, drivers would have to contact dispatch regarding traffic and road conditions to either get re-routed, or shut down in a truck stop until the road reopened. Dispatch would also have to notify the receiving warehouse that the load scheduled to be there tomorrow at 5 a.m. is delayed, with delivery time unknown. Truck drivers are on a tight schedule on their runs.

Re: The Donner Pass

febe1 — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 01:02:08 GMT

I never missed a movie on Donner Pass. Every story just held me tight. What brave men and women crossing in their covered wagons. Never can get enough of it.

Re: The Donner Pass

mspatmac — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 02:43:22 GMT

I have driven over Donner many times but never without thinking about the covered wagons and the brave people in them.

Re: The Donner Pass

Puggywuggy — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 03:35:03 GMT

BRR...I cannot even imagine! Truly terrifying to a desert dweller such as myself.

Re: The Donner Pass

Linmo — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 05:19:19 GMT

I'm in the SF Bay area. My neighbors are traveling up there tomorrow because they had prior reservations that they weren't able to cancel. Personally, i would just not worry about losing the money and stay home!

Re: The Donner Pass

Love to Run — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 12:31:39 GMT

Well, I hope they have snacks...

Re: The Donner Pass

Jacie — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 12:49:20 GMT

I am not very good on geography.

Year's ago on a Nevada vacation we were driving and climbing in altitude and the sky was getting gray and dark, I commented to my husband that I suddenly was no longer seeing other cars,birds or wildlife anymore. Almost an eerie silence.

Shortly thereafter, I said "this is kind of creepy, like we are in Donner's Pass as the storm approached." Not 3 minutes later we came upon the road sign that said Donner's Pass. My husband and I looked at each other with some disbelief, husband said it was right out of an Alfred Hitchcock script! We still laugh about it all these years later!

Re: The Donner Pass

depglass — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:23:24 GMT

Isn't Donner Pass known for Pioneers eating each other because they were so desperate? Perhaps McDonald's should do an air drop.