Besides eating each other...?

Question

...What else do you think of when someone brings up the Donner Party?

Why a reindeer? Did Santa visit them?

Answer 1

Perseverance in the face of incredible odds. The courage of people who set out to cross a continent with little knowledge of the hazards ahead. The sacrifice some members of the party made so others would survive. The incredible kindness they showed each other. The harsh beauty of nature.

Answer 2

The donner party listened to a "guide" who suggested a route that he claimed he had taken, but had not. The leaders of the donner party trusted this man to know what he was talking about and followed his suggested route, which was unbelievably harsh and difficult. All of the lives of the donner party are on the head of this man who told them to take this route.

Answer 3

Cannibal the Musical is HI-larious.
BUT..it's about Alferd Packer, not the Donner Party.
Them South Park boys is funny.

Answer 4

That's the most common response, however ... there are all of the mistakes they made on their way over; have you ever read Stewart's "Ordeal by Hunger"? It's an amazing book. Also, McGlashen has written a couple good books as well.

I also think of, besides cannibalism and mistakes, of the mountains, how they knew mid-western snow but Sierra Nevada snow is quite different, I think of racism and ignorance and John Sutter who was a true hero, and ended up broke and near forgotten.

Answer 5

Snow, and lots of it, and Donner lake (Have been through Donner Pass).

Answer 6

That they took an untried route over mountains at the wrong time of year because an irresponsibly published book said to. And the horrid desperate madness and deprivation they suffered.

Answer 7

A tough gig, survivors and casualties, alike. Lousy luck. A growth experience for the survivors.

Answer 8

A reindeer.

Answer 9

Cannibal the Musical.

I **** you not. It's actually a very entertaining movie.

Answer 10

Ice, snow, winter, pickaxes...