Snowshoe Thompson weathered blizzards on 25 lb. skis with an 80 pound pack on his back just to deliver the mail.

Snowshoe Thompson (April 30, 1827 – May 15, 1876) was the nickname for the Norwegian-American John A. Thompson. He was undoubtedly one the best mountaineers to ever ski through Tahoe.

Despite his nickname, he did not use snowshoes as we think of them today. Instead he used ten-foot (over 3-meter) skis, and a single sturdy pole held in both hands. His version of cross-country skiing came from his native Scandinavia. In fact, he was one of the first to introduce cross country skiing to the U.S.

Thompson delivered the first silver ore to be mined from the Comstock Lode. Later he taught others how to make skis, as well as the basics of their use. Despite his twenty years of service, he was never paid for delivering the mail.

Snowshoe truly set the bar for delivering the mail under any condition. Read about his dedication in the following story by local historian Don Lane.

Tahoe’s First Mailman
by Don Lane, Lake Tahoe historian

Of all the people that have lived in our mountains, the one person that truly became a legend during his lifetime was a man who only lived to be 49, but a man that was adventurous, fearless and the best mountaineer to ever ski through the Tahoe Basin.

His name was John A. Thompson. It was during the winter of 1856, when he was 29-years old, when Thompson heard that the mail wasn’t getting through the Sierras during the winter because of the snowstorms, and he recalled that during his childhood days in Norway, they used these long, heavy skis, they called “snowshoes,” to get around the mountains.

So he fashioned a pair out of green oak, and although they were over 10 feet long, and weighed about twenty-five pounds, he knew they’d get him over the snow. So he declared himself ready to carry the mail across the mountains, and headed off from Placerville to Carson Valley and back again the rest of that winter … and for the next 20 winters. Through blizzards, frigid winds, and through whiteout conditions, Thompson carried the mail.

The weight of the bags usually ranged between sixty to eighty pounds, but one winter his load often averaged over 100 pounds. He never carried blankets, nor did he even wear an overcoat, depending on exercise to keep him warm. For water, he grabbed a handful of snow, and his food consisted of only some dried sausage, and a few crackers or biscuits.

By the day, he was guided by the trees and the rocks, for Thompson was a student of the mountains. He had a sixth sense about where he was, and never got lost, never. During the night, he looked up to the stars, like a mariner and sailed through the Sierras, sliding over the drifts with his long wood snowshoes, and pushing himself along with a single wood pole.

Once near Hope Valley, he ran into a pack of six hungry wolves who were ripping at the carcass of some animal. They started after him, but when he simply stared them down and kept on skiing, they stopped cold in their tracks and let him go his way.

On another day, Thompson ran into fresh tracks of grizzly bears, but he was never harmed in twenty years.

But although Thompson braved the meanest winters Tahoe ever saw, and faced down occasional wolves never missing a trip, he couldn’t overcome the inertia of government, when he sought to obtain a small pension for his 20-years of services, services that he had provided for free to the residents of Tahoe and Carson Valley, the sum of $6000. Although everyone seemed to support his request, he never received one red cent.

But when John A. Thompson died of a liver ailment in Genoa in 1876, he was loved and respected by every resident in the Sierras, and would be known forever as “Snowshoe Thompson,” a Sierra legend.

Photos:
Top: Contractor on skis. Courtesy of USPS
Skis: Tips of John “Snowshoe” Thompson’s skis, late 1800s. Courtesy of the El Dorado County Historical Museum

Actually, she was Tahoe’s Greatest artisan.

Undeniably.

For many, she set the stage for Tahoe-Truckee’s burgeoning art scene.

Dat-so-la-lee was a Washoe Native American born in Sheridan, Nevada in 1835.

Her birth name was “Dabuda”, meaning “Young Willow” which proved to be very prophetic. She used the willow in her basket weaving which made her famous. It is estimated that she created over 300 baskets in her lifetime, and many of these were at Lake Tahoe.

She died at the age of 90 and is now buried at the Stewart Indian School in Carson City, NV.

A fine collection of Dat-so-la-lee’s work and other Washoe basket weavers is on display at the Marion Steinbach Indian Museum located inside the Gatekeeper’s Museum in Tahoe City, next to Fanny Bridge. The Museum Store sells fine basketry separate from the museum’s collection.

Hours of Operation:
May 1 – September 30: Wed – Sun 110am to 5pm, closed Tuesdays

Admission:
$5 general
$4 seniors (55 and over)
Museum members and Children 12 and under are free.

Click here for the basket catalog including baskets from Tahoe’s most well known basket weaver, Dat-so-la-lee.

Its story is one of historic luster and charm that defines Lake Tahoe’s enduring ski culture, told best by local historian and renowned journalist Robert Frohlich in “Skiing at Olympic Hill: The Story of “a hillside sheltered by fir trees” which follows. 

Skiing at Olympic Hill: The Story of “a hillside sheltered by fir trees” by Robert Frohlich

The story of skiing at Granlibakken, which in Norwegian means ” a hillside sheltered by fir trees”, starts at the turn of the century. In 1896, the Steamer Tahoe, which for the next 40 years would transport mail, freight, and passengers from Glenbrook to Tahoe City, was completed. Four years later, the Lake Tahoe Railway and Transportation Company finished its railroad line from Truckee to Tahoe City.

During this period, the rustically elegant, 223-room Tahoe Tavern was built. Commercially operated skiing and snowplay had come to Truckee as early as 1893, but not until 1928 was the Tavern kept open all winter. The hotel, already a center of Tahoe’s social life, began offering winter fun to its guests who arrived by way the “Snow Ball Special” train from Truckee. Tahoe Tavern’s garage was turned into an ice rink, and a toboggan site was established at a site above today’s Tahoe City Golf Course. Soon, though, activities were moved to a more sheltered hill at today’s Granlibakken. There, with George Bliss supervising, a double toboggan slide was built.

“This was a special slide built in the snow,” writes David Stollery in his Tales of Tahoe, “with water from a nearby spring run down it during the night to freeze and make it especially icy and fast.” Horse-drawn sleighs shuttled bundled-up guests, as many as a dozen at a time, to and from what was dubbed “Olympic Hill”.

“Snowplay and skiing was a major part of our lives,” remembers Bill Bechdoltt, a Tahoe City resident and California State Parks special project director. Bill’s family moved to Tahoe City in 1906, and after growing up there, both Bill and his brother, Carl, became competitive ski jumpers. In the 1960s and early ’70s, Bill’s daughter, Cheryl, became a member of the United States Ski Team and a National Champion.

“You have to remember that in 1928, when I was 6 years old, there were only 12 families in Tahoe City,” Bill says. “There was no school in the wintertime. Our school closed in December and opened in March. So, all winter you had a lot of time. We learned to Nordic ski. All the kids played around on skis. That’s how you got anywhere. We would ski in together to the Granlibakken area, but most people would go in by horse and sleigh. The horses were stabled at the Family Tree Restaurant in Tahoe City. The sleighs would meet at the Tavern, and everyone would hop in. It was great fun.”

At about this same time, a group of Norwegian skiers were touring the west giving ski jumping exhibitions and, thus, sparking interest in the sport. Besides the famed jumper Alf Engen, the group included seven-time national jumping champion Lars Haugen. The jumpers so impressed Tahoe Tavern directors that they hired Haugen to design a jump hill at the site of Olympic Hill. It took Haugen almost two years and $10,000 to complete it, but for nearly a decade the hill reigned as one of the most popular winter sites on the west coast.

The organization of the Lake Tahoe Ski Club in 1929 firmly established skiing in the area. It was started by such great skiers as Jack Starratt, Carl Bechdolt, Joe Henry, and Doug Smith. The club has had more National Champions and Olympians than any other ski club in America. To name just a few, the club’s Kristin Krone, Daron Rahlves, Marco Sullivan, and Bob Ormsby are Olympians and World Cup participants.

“The first meeting of the club was held at the Tahoe Tavern,” recalls Squaw Valley resident Patricia Fox, who was six years old at that time. Her mother, Marie Henry, was elected secretary. “It was quite a big deal. Everyone brought homemade refreshments. There were around 30 people there, and they elected officers. Norman Mayfield was elected president, and Robert Watsin vice president.”

With the Olympic Hill ski jump established and the support of the Lake Tahoe Ski Club insured, the Tahoe Chamber of Commerce bid for the 1931 National Jumping and Cross-country Races. Support for the bid also came from the newly formed California Ski Association (now the Far West Ski Association) directed by Auburn Ski Cub founder Wendell Robie. The Chamber’s bid was accepted. But within a year, the Tahoe Tavern owners found themselves bankrupt, and they asked the Lake Tahoe Ski Club to take over preparations for the championships.

The newly formed club responded, and the meet was a success. Local skiers Carl Bechdolt, Bob Mandeville, and Joe Henry participated. Marie Henry came in fourth in a field of 17 in cross country. In one race, called a “Dauerlauf”, covering 30 miles, from Truckee to Brockway Ridge to the Tahoe Tavern, Bob Mandeville came in third, with a time of six hours, 16 minutes, 45 seconds. Alf Engen set the jump record on Olympic Hill with a jump of 210 feet. Sig Ulland jumped 218 feet but fell. First place, however, went to Sig Vettestad of the Auburn Ski Club. Vettestad became California’s first Ski Jumping Champion.

Also held on the hill during the winter of 1931 were tryouts for California and Nevada skiers competing for the 1932 Winter Olympic Team. The next year on February 26,27 and 28, 1932, the United States Championships were held at Olympic Hill, under the auspices of the Lake Tahoe Area Ski Council, which included Lake Tahoe and Auburn Ski Clubs. Many in the council served as officials for the championships, including Tim O’ Hanrahan, Dr. R.S. Emer, Bert A. Cassidy, Wendell, Robie, Harold, Lee and Alex Laing – al working under the direction of council resident Norman R. Mayfield of Tahoe City.

Throughout the ’30s, the ski hill, under the direction of the Lake Tahoe Ski Club, was often chosen as the site for contests and exhibitions – among them the 1936 California State Championships and the 1939 National Ski Association meet.

During this period, the ski area attracted attention in the West for the challenge of its 60-meter jump and the beauty and solitude of its setting. Not until after Word War II though did the hill become a popular recreational ski resort, through the efforts of a retired sea captain and Norwegian ski jumper Kjell “Rusty” Rustad. Rustad had resigned from his job in the Maritime Commission in San Francisco and moved to the Tahoe area because it reminded him of his home in Norway.

At this time, the only operating ski areas were Soda Springs and Sugar Bowl on Donner Summit, and White Hills, atop Spooner Summit on Highway 50. Hoping to establish a new ski area, Rustad settled on the Olympic Hill area, although he realized it would take much work to develop.

“My husband saw his dream come true when he first explored the pretty canyon where Granlibakken is now located”, remembers Jeannette Rustad, who spent two decades with her husband at the small ski resort. “By choosing that spot, Rusty made a dream come true for the community – he offered Tahoe City residents skiing, in their own back yard.”

After securing a land use permit from the Forest Service and leasing the top portion of the ski hill, Rustad cleared the hill he had staked out for his ski slope, and then installed a 450-foot rope to the top of it. The original warming hut, known at the Roundhouse, built by Tahoe Tavern, had collapsed in 1938 under heavy snow, so with the help of his Finnish friend, Bert Brolund, Rustad built three log quarters for overnight guests, and a day lodge.

“As the hill was cleared of trees, the bark had to be peeled off them before they could be used for building the log hut,” recalls Jeannette. “Much credit is due to Bert for this; he had earned this trade in his native Finland. The original idea was to use logs for the other two buildings, but it became too arduous task. They used ship-lap siding for those, the easier way out”. The only road leading toward the resort went north of Rustad’s property and connected with Highway 89 at the site of Spitsen Lumber.

Rustad turned for help to Wayne Poulsen, who was pursuing his own dream of establishing a ski area at Squaw Valley. “Rusty was quite a character,” says Poulsen.

Both men had worked for Pan American Airways, Poulsen as a pilot and instructor; Rustad as a navigator. He had a lot of personality, that fellow; I liked him. He decided he was going to build a ski area and nothing was going to stop him. He cleared that hill himself, built a log cabin, and a bridge to get over the creek.

“I had bought several World War II landing crafts called weasels. They had been used in the Pacific theatre on the beaches, but were great for land use over snow. I was using them to bring friends and possible investors into Squaw Valley from the highway. Rusty had the same problem getting people into his ski hill, so I rented him one of my weasels.”

In the winter of 1947, Rustad began running skiers to his resort, which he had named “Granlibakken” in honor of a ski area where he had skied as a boy in Norway. Granlibakken soon became a popular ski spot and remained so even after Squaw Valley opened in 1949. Protected from heavy winds and strong sun, the resort was the first place receiving enough snow for skiing in the fall and the last place to lose its good snow in the spring. Home to the Lake Tahoe Ski Club and many local residents, it became known as a friendly and fun resort.

“When I was growing up, everybody, it seemed, had learned to ski there,” remembers Dick Nielsen, an alumni of the Lake Tahoe Ski Club and member of the U.S. Ski Team in downhill in the late ‘ 60s. “It wasn’t the easiest of slopes for a beginner to learn on, but it got you going on skis right away. Everybody ski jumped as much as raced back then, and the jump was just as popular as the ski hill. A lot of really good skiers and racers came out of Granlibakken.”

With the help of the Lake Tahoe Ski Club, a small jump was constructed alongside the wide slope, and in 1952, Rustad and the Lake Tahoe Ski Club hosted the Junior National Jumping and Cross-Country Races.

Granlibakken continued to change. In 1953, Rustad relinquished acreage across the road from the ski hill to UC Berkeley’s International House, whose volunteers built a lodge there. In 1958, this area was sold to UC Alumni for use as a year-round education and recreation center, and the alumni enlarged the original building to sleep 150 people, and added a dining room and swimming pool. In 1968 the property was sold to Hugh Miller, a new York Publisher who christened his new resort the Four Seasons at Lake Tahoe. He enlarged the area and built its first condos, but, in 1976, went bankrupt.

What had not changed through the years of success and hardship is the small ski hill and the friendly camaraderie found in the great outdoors. “We made up our minds to operate the ski hill when we took over, partly, I suppose, for historic reasons,” explains current owner Bill Parsons. “We purchased grooming machines and provide rentals, lessons, and snowplay area. Though small, it remains a secluded and beautiful surrounding.”

Granlibakken’s snowplay area is open every day; the ski hill, on weekends and holidays. One poma and rope tow transport skiers to the large ski slope that continues to survive, evoking historic and treasured memories.

Robert Frohlich, aka Fro, was a prolific travel and ski journalist who moved to Squaw Valley in 1977, while working for ABC Sports as an assistant to the producer. Fro has been published in numerous industry magazines and publications including Moonshine Ink, Snow Country, SKI, Skiing, Peaks, Powder, Couloir, Sierra Heritage, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Ski Area Management. He was a contributing editor for Tahoe Quarterly Magazine and a columnist for the Reno Gazette Journal, the Squaw Valley Times, Ski Racing and Snowbomb.com. For 10 years, Fro covered major professional boxing for Boxing Illustrated and the United States Amateur Boxing Association.

Fro wrote two books about Lake Tahoe’s enchanting ski history. Mountain Dreamers: Visionaires of Sierra Nevada Skiing written in 1998 is a biographical journey of the trials and tribulations of the early characters who shaped the Lake Tahoe ski culture. Fro was awarded the prestigious ULLR Award by the International Skiing History Association for Mountain Dreamers.

Skiing with Style. Sugar Bowl: 60 Years is Fro’s second coffee table book, published in 1999. It examines in-depth the history and heritage of Donner Summit and Sugar Bowl Resort in particular, recalling the rich history and storied past of the resort’s coming to fruition, complete with evocative writing and extensive historical photographs.

Fro passed away in October 2010 after a long fight with cancer.

Robert’s generous spirit will live on through the newly created Robert Frohlich Scholarship Fund. Please consider donating to the fund, care of the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation, P.O. Box 366, Truckee, CA 96161.

Today, it’s been reincarnated as the Heavenly Ski & Snowboard Foundation. The Blue Angels Ski Club.

The Angels’ official club house was the Blue Angels Snack Haus located on the mountain, and was renowned for its exquisite lake view dining and sun decks complements of mother nature. Skiers would meet to grab a bite, drop off their backpacks and enjoy magnificent views of Lake Tahoe and fresh air “the same the angels breathe” (Mark Twain); just like today’s visitors, locals and Face Rats.

Today, retired and aspiring Blue Angels can be found enjoying the scene at their newest unofficial club HQ, the Blue Angel Café located on Ski Run Blvd. One of the original Blue Angel fabric logos that graced a racer’s jacket is framed and hanging on the wall downstairs. And, you’ll find skiers and ski racers hanging out near the fireplace and bar braggin’ about their day.

Skiing at Heavenly and in South Lake Tahoe dates back to 1947 when Lee and Daisy Miller operated a tow rope using the back wheel of a Model T pickup truck to pull skiers to the top of the hill on Bijou Skyway Park (today’s Ski Run Boulevard).  In 1955, Chris Kuraisa purchased Bijou Skyway Park for $1,950 and moved up the hill and opened the California Base Lodge with one lift, naming the area Heavenly Valley.

Meet Paul Bailey, watercolor painter and designer.

Paul has captured the romance of living in the mountains through his watercolors of nostalgic mountain scenes and lifestyles set in the 1930′s – 1950′s.

While his arrangements and use of light may be simple, they portray typical mountain culture and values, and life’s pleasantries.

They are intentionally made to be wholesome and simple. Like our life in the mountains.

Besides the leading galleries in Tahoe and Truckee, you’ll find his vintage posters in the strangest places. Like McDonalds in Truckee.

You can find Bailey’s vintage posters at Alpine Mountain Systems in Truckee, James Harold Galleries in Tahoe City, and Art Attack in Incline Village.

About Bailey:

Bailey has been a painter and art designer for more than 30 years and is a native Californian. He learned his skill from his parents who taught him graphic art, watercolor and pastel as a child. He later went on to art school, adding studies in architecture as well.

This combination has enriched him with a unique ability to create depth and dimension, bringing the viewer to appreciate the realism of his paintings.

He has worked in many mediums, but has primarily focused on watercolor and pen-and-ink. His popular vintage posters begin as a watercolor.

Just head to the “Y” and follow these quick tours, provided by the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association.

The Statue of Three Mackinaw Trout
At the “Y” in Tahoe City

A small footpath winds around the statue of three Mackinaw trout allowing you to view this amazing sculpture from all angles. The sculpture was created by John Betts (now an America’s Cup yacht builder) and depicts the healthy and vibrant life in Tahoe City.

Tahoe City Dam and Fanny Bridge

Local legend has it that the bridge received its name from all of the fannies that can be seen from the road as visitors and local alike stare over the edge into the cool waters spilling through the dam on Lake Tahoe filled with wild Mackinaw, German Browns, and Rainbow trout cruising for fish food dropped by their human friends. Located over the only outlet of Lake Tahoe, Fanny Bridge is a must-see historical spot. And just for fun, count the fannies as you walk across the bridge.

James Edward Church Historical Marker

Across the street from the Tahoe City Dam and Fanny Bridge, you will find a historical marker commemorating James Edward Church. In 1909 he was the first to demonstrate techniques at this very spot for measuring water content in snow in order to predict the water flow after the snow melts. Look to the right and you will see the headwaters of the famous Truckee River that runs from the dam at Tahoe City to Pyramid Lake in Nevada.

Gatekeepers Cabin & Marion Steinbach Indian Basket Museum

Located next to Fanny Bridge, the Gatekeeper’s Museum is a reconstruction of the original Gatekeeper’s Cabin – home of the water master who controlled the flow of water out of Lake Tahoe. It now showcases Tahoe history, from its Native inhabitants through the logging era and the establishment of the tourism industry at Lake Tahoe. Exhibits include Native American baskets, resort memorabilia, historical photographs, clothing, oral histories, maps, archival documents, newspapers and artifacts.

Open weekends year-round, and daily throughout the summer
West Lake Blvd at Fanny Bridge, Tahoe City
(530) 583-1762

Click here for more historical tours and information about North Shore’s arts and culture.

Featured image: Fanny Bridge by Lainie Vreeland, North Tahoe Artist

Besides maritime history and activities for kids like the inside boat simulator, you’ll find nautical and landlubber outings and unique items here, on the west shore of Lake Tahoe at Homewood.

If you love art, history and boating, you don’t want to miss the Tahoe Maritime Museum in Homewood.

The newly remodeled museum is a West Shore landmark and is home to more than 25 vessels and the largest collection of outboard motors on the west coast. The exterior of the spacious 5,800 square foot building is reminiscent of an old Tahoe boathouse with huge showcase windows lending a peak inside.

Inside, the open design allows visitors to easily view the boats, motors and nautical memorabilia. And hands-on activities for children help them to better understand our maritime history and the significance it played at Lake Tahoe.

The outboard motors include models from the late 1920′s as well as an outboard motor made by the Indian Silver Arrow Company.

Photographs of steamers, working boats and leisure craft like the classic wooden Chris-Crafts and Gar Woods showcase Lake Tahoe’s rich maritime history and love affair with the water. Several boats significant to Tahoe are on display such as Miss Tahoe and Lemme Go First, as well as the restoration of The Shanghai, an 1890s vessel discovered at the bottom of Lake Tahoe.

Miss Tahoe is the museum’s ride boat and was locally born and bred, purchased by local marina proprietor Jake Obexer in 1939. She is a 28-foot, triple cockpit runabout that offers rides to Museum members in July and August.

Tahoe Maritime Museum
5205 West Lake Blvd.
Homewood, Lake Tahoe, CA

Hours:
10am-5pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Phone: (530)525-WAKE (9253)

To see photos of the new building and to learn more, click here to visit their website.

Hidden from view across from Sugar Pine Point State Park, Ehrman Mansion is an isolated architectural treasure.

Nestled among the majestic sugar pines on the West Shore, Ehrman Mansion or Pine Lodge is a fascinating example of the opulent tradition in Tahoe summer homes with meticulous landscaping still intact today.

In 1897, San Francisco businessman I. W. Hellman began buying property at Sugar Pine Point and by 1913 had acquired nearly 2000 acres. His grand but informal summer home called Pine Lodge, was completed in 1903 and was considered to be one of the finest in the high Sierra. His daughter, Florence Hellman Ehrman inherited the estate and she and her husband Sydney spent many summers here entertaining family and friends. Today, it is part of the California State Parks.

So, next time you’re traveling the West Shore, do yourself a favor and stop. In winter, take your cross-country skies for an enchanting ski along Tahoe’s lake shore.

Ehrman Mansion
Sugar Pine Point State Park

Operating Hours:
Call 530-525-7982 for park hours

The Zephyr Cove Fire Lookout has been meticulously maintained and restored for the last dozen years by its current local landowner.

While there are only three in the Tahoe basin, our region has several historic and noteworthy lookouts, some still operated today.

The Forest Service manned the 14′ x 14′ Zephyr Cove fire lookout tower into the 1970s.  In 1955-56 and 1958, the first USFS employees stationed at the lookout were Leonard and Margaret Hoff, Idaho school teachers who came to Tahoe in the summer. The tower was furnished with a bed, table, refrigerator, stove and sink upstairs. Downstairs, there was a water heater, bunk beds, bathroom and shower.  Abandoned by the USFS in the 1980s, luckily (for all of us) locals jumped in to preserve this important Tahoe landmark and historic site.

Lookout towers played a huge role in fire prevention and detection in Lake Tahoe in the early 20th century. They were built on peaks and mountains, with an observation range of about 30 miles in diameter.

There are 2 other fire lookouts in the Tahoe Basin:

• Angora Fire Lookout in South Shore above Fallen Leaf Lake which was saved from the June 24, 2007 fire; and
• Martis Peak Lookout above Incline Village

Click here to visit a website with photos and maps of Lake Tahoe fire lookouts.

All 3 Tahoe lookouts are still standing today. You definitely feel like you are stepping back in time when you tour them and their surroundings. They are also perfect destinations by bicycle and have outstanding views of Tahoe – duh!

In addition to the fire lookouts in the basin, there are several others nearby.

Here are just a few:

Red Mountain (Signal Peak) Lookout -

Off of I80 going west past Truckee, above Rattle Snake Creek. The 1909 stone fire lookout station atop Red Mountain was abandoned in 1934.

Alder Ridge Lookout -

Hwy 50, overlooks the South Fork American River Canyon on the Eldorado National Forest. Alder Ridge Lookout was constructed by the CCC in 1936.

It is a 60′ Aermotor tower with a 7′x7′ metal cab. In 2004 a Passport In Time project restoring the tower and ground residence was completed.

Leek Springs Lookout -

Off of Emigrant Trail and Highway 88.

Tony, the lookout there for years, has one of the most extensive pictorials of historic lookouts in the state.

He’s a wealth of knowledge about our forests, geology and cultural heritage.

Ham’s Station Lookout -

Off of Hwy 88 west of Kirkwood.

Not sure if it’s still standing. It was rumored that it would be demolished in 2004.

Sure hope not. It’s a part of Sierra Americana.

The Donner Party was no party at all.

A severe blizzard at the end of October lasting into November 1846 sealed their fate. In December, 15 of the 89 original party members tried to get over the pass to Sutter’s Fort.

They traveled through drifts ranging from 12 to 60 feet of snow.

Yep – 60 feet of snow.

Be smart.

Check weather here before you go, and Avalanche conditions here.