Page:The Tourist's California by Wood, Ruth Kedzie.djvu/208

 172 THE TOURIST'S CALIFORNIA adopted as her nom de theatre the name of her na- tive county. From Blue Canyon there is connection for Tahoe via motor-stage. The cliffs at Emigrant Gap still show the iron spikes which supported the ropes when the wagons of the early home-seekers were lowered here across the gorge of the river. Slowly mounting, keeping ever in view the sur- passing scenery of the river and the Sierras, the train toils at last to the crest of the road and halts at the station called Summit (7000 ft.). From here the line begins to descend through a gulch of granite. Below Truckee Pass on Donner Lake is a massive cross which was raised by the " Sons of the Golden West " to mark the scene of the pitiful sacrifice of the company of immigrants, known as the Donner Party, who perished here in the snow. In April, 1846, they left Springfield, Missouri, and arriving at Salt Lake, took the route to the south. Their experiences were indescribable. They were attacked by Indians, their cattle died, many of the party fell ill ; but at last they reached this lake east of the Divide. They had been so much longer on the way than they expected that they found, when they attempted to attain the pass, that snow forbade their progress. They were forced to pitch camp in a wintry wilderness.