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| Introduction |
 | One hundred and twenty five years after the Donner-Reed Party crossed the salt desert, their trail is still etched in the salt and is easily seen. The ruts left by the narrow wagon wheels, and tracks left by the people and oxen have been filled. The salt deposited in the depressions, in the sunlight, is a different color than that which was not disturbed.
Those who have followed the trail have been able to recreate their journey from day to day by the things left behind. They found the bones of oxen that had died of exhaustion and thirst, posessions that had been discarded to lighten the load, abandoned wagons, some half buried in the sand. Iron articles were badly rusted by the salt, but those made of wood that had been covered by sand were preserved. Many artifacts were brought back. Some are here in the museum. Others are at the University of Utah and in museums in Sacramento.
By the time the Donner-Reed Party reached Tooele Valley, they were already about a month behind schedule. At Ft. Bridger they made the final decision to follow Lansford Hastings' short cut instead of the well known Ft. Hall Trail. Hastings told Donner he would guide them through the mountains into Salt Lake Valley. However, he went ahead with the Young-Harlan Party.
Leaving Ft. Bridger, the Donner-Reed Party turned south. All went well until they reached the head of Weber Canyon. There they found a note advising emigrants not to go down the canyon. Not knowing where to go, Reed and two others went ahead to find Hastings to come and guide them as he had promised. He refused to return, but came back to the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains and outlined a trail for Reed. After six days of exhausting travel, Reed returned. As best he could he guided the party through the mountains. They hacked out roads through willows, only to find they had to go back and start over. Wagons were pulled up hog-back ridges that seemed impassable. Streams were crossed and recrossed. They spent sixteen days traveling thirty six miles.
Crossing Salt Lake and Tooele Valleys was easy. To avoid the marshes, they went south in Skull Valley. There, they put in a supply of water and grass for the trip across the desert. They crossed Skull Valey, went through Hastings Pass in Cedar Mountain; then made a bee-line for Pilot Peak. Their trail went over Grey Back Mountain, through sand dunes, then saltmud. Before they reached Pilot Peak, oxen died of thirst and exhaustion, wagons were abandoned, and many of their possessions thrown away to lighten the loads.
After four days, they reached Pilot Springs, having traveled eighty miles, not forty which they expected. They stayed there several days, letting the oxen and cattle rest before going on.
Because of all the delays, they were snowed in at Donner Pass in the Sierras. Eighty-seven people left Ft. Bridger. Forty-seven lived to arrive in California. |
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