What would you do to live in California? by Tony Green

Bridge over Donner Pass

Recently I went on a business trip to Reno, Nevada. I live in the San Francisco Bay area so my driving route would require the use of Interstate 80 East over the Sierra Mountains.

I had never made the drive but knew during winter chains were required on any automobile making the trip which is part of the reason why I postponed my overdue face-to-face reconnection with my client base.

 I started my drive on a sunny 75 degree day in Pleasanton and passed through Sacramento rather unceremoniously. The temperature began drop as the sun dropped below that horizon and the elevation rose to over 7,000 feet at the summit of Donner Pass.  I glanced as the snow covered peaks and the rugged terrain of densely packed forests with nothing around. This would be not a good place not to break down.

Sure enough as I drove further towards the Nevada border I noticed a Greyhound bus which had broken down off to the side of the road.   The vehicle seemed to be DOA as the passengers stood in the parking area watching the process of offloading its contents take place. 

I thought to myself, "There isn’t a damn thing out here, and with the mountains my chances might be even odds your mobile phone would work. What a lousy place to get stuck.....

This made me remember when my daughter mentioned the Donner party in 1848 that became stranded in these very mountains without food and shelter trying to immigrate to California and happened to be unlucky to get caught in unprecedented snowfalls.

As history recalled the parties decided to make the trip by wagon and at many places had to cut their way through trees to make way for their wagons.

As I looked I thought how could this occur? I am not sure it would be possible make the crossing with a proper gear and training on my own, nonetheless with wagon and children and in many ways not knowing where you are. 

Many of the people happened to be wealthy and had productive lives on the East Coast where they began their journey. At initial glance the arduous journey seemed like a lot to go thorough just to get to California.

The premise was to settle to California which its mild climate and abundant resources. Wait a minute, where had I heard that before?

In recent times the weather, culture, and high standard of living make California an ideal place to live and raise a family. Why should this not have been the case 150 years ago?