This is Donner Pass in August, when the "spring" flowers have their days.
Here are petroglyphs thousands of years
old; the "Chinese Wall," a classic example of
mortarless masonry which after more than a century still supports
the trains that appear and disappear through rocky tunnels and
snowsheds.
There are rock climbers and somewhere there are ruts from the wheels of the 49'ers' carts. A thousand feet below is Donner Lake, a glacial leftover, 200 feet deep in some parts and sparkling with fool's gold and trout. Here the Pacific Crest Trail extends north and south the whole length of the crest of the Sierra Mountains and newcomers are welcomed into California.
Joanne Meschery, the author of this excellent little book relates the origin of the name Truckee which clearly preceded the many trucks that go through on Interstate 80. Two years before the ill-fated Donner Party, the Stevens Party successfully crossed the Sierras, "discovering" Lake Tahoe and Donner Lake in 1844. They were shown how to follow the Truckee River to its source and then trek along the north side of Donner Lake to the pass by a Paiute Chieftain who approached the wagon train with a friendly "Tro-kay," meaning "everything's cool."
Fourth of July Fireworks from the dock at the Donner Lake Village Resort.
The manager's car, disappearing in a snowbank. With each spring thaw, like rocks from a New England field, cars in Truckee emerge crushed and rusted.
Ho encontrato un ristorante Italiano
fabuloso, mi favorito in Truckee: La Trattoria. Per favore, un
"hello" a mi amici, Ken and Liz. 
The conversion kick was low but a defense player tipped it up and over for the extra point. A real groaner. Luckily for the perpetrator it was getting very dark and snowy.
Let's try snowboarding.
Or how about some windsurfing right off the dock? Return to the DOCTOR'S LOUNGE or
Questions? Comments? Write me at DrJohn@idiom.com
