The 2022 Donner Relief Expedition celebrates the heroism, courage, self-sacrifice, and tenacity of the people who made up the Donner Party Relief Expeditions and who saved the Donner Party..

In December of 2020 four extreme athletes, the kind of people who think a hundred mile run is a warm up, did a reprise of the Forlorn Hope trek of 1846. The original group left Donner Lake in a quest to reach California and get help for the beleagured Donner Party. Fifteen people crossed the summit in the middle of December. By the time they reached California only seven survived, five women and two men. That set the rescue parties in motion that resulted in saving about half of the Donner Party.

The reprise of 2020 was to honor the bravery and sacrifice of those fifteen people. The four athletes left Donner Memorial State Park and ended their trek at Johnson Ranch which is near Wheatland, California.

On February 14, 2022, the demisemiseptcentennial (175th) anniversary year ,the four are again going on an expedition, this time in honor of the rescue parties who braved danger and discomfort, leaving comfortable homes in California to carry heavy packs on snowshoes to rescue strangers. They will leave Johnson Ranch taking the actual rescue parties’ route to Donner Memorial State Park. The night of February 17 will see them camped at Donner Summit with a public event at Donner Ski Ranch that evening. There will be festivities at the State Park on the 18th to which the public is invited. Free tickets (attendance is limited for the indoor event):
https://sierrastateparks.org/sierra-speaker-series-donner-party-relief-expedition-finale/ or https://sierrastateparks.org

You can track the group's progress and decide what you might like to particpate in by following this website:

https://www.forlornhope.org

The picure above is of the four athletes prior to last year's adventure. If you want to read about the background and last year's adventure take a look at the Donner Summit Historical Society's December, '20 and January, '21 Heirlooms available on the Historical Society's website, donnersummithistoricalsociety.org. This year’s event will be in the February and March, ‘22 Heirlooms.

The information above is all weather dependent.

Attendance is limited for the indoor event which starts at 2 PM in the State Park Visitors Center.

Tickets are free at this link. Attendees at the indoor event each receive a free booklet, "Donner Party Heroism, Pathos, and the Human Spirit."
https://sierrastateparks.org

These QR codes will take you to more information about the Thursday, Feb. 17 and Friday Feb. 18 events. You can also go to this link