Howdy, homebodies! Are you ready for the trip of a lifetime? If you ever played The Oregon Trail computer game growing up (hey, fellow millennials!), then this episode will be right up your alley. If you also are a fan of harrowing cross-country treks, stories with real-life villains and heroes, and dark tales with lukewarm endings, then this episode is also for you. And if nothing else, the almost entirely tragic tale of the Donner Party will make you very appreciative of a warm, cozy bed. Grab a warm drink and an extra blanket, and enjoy the first and likely snowiest episode of our snowbound theme.

Links for Today’s Episode:

The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party by Daniel James Brown

Ripley’s: The Donner Party: Horror and Cannibalism in the Mountains by Engrid Barnett

The Haunted West: Ghost Hunt - Summit Tunnel No. 6, Donner Summit

The Union: Ghosts of the Donner Party

Tahoe Guide: Ghost Stories of Tahoe and Truckee

Smithsonian Magazine: When a Deadly Winter Storm Trapped a Luxury Passenger Train Near the Donner Pass for Three Days

Britannica: Sierra Nevada Mountains

Wikipedia: The Donner Pass

Most Terrifying Places: Unnatural World - The Travel Channel

Sierra College Press: Tamsen Donner: Dream to Legacy

Here Lies A Story: The Donner Party: Worse Than You Thought

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Credits:

Podcast Art: Lunch City Studio

Music: Goosebumps by Veace D

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