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Lake Tahoe and Donner pass is maybe 15 miles apart .... This video shows Tahoe getting slammed .... ua-cam.com/video/CBNE6Z68RGc/v-deo.htmlsi=NUvr_5csYP--_j3d
The Donner Party was a group of Wagons heading for the California Coast. They committed to cross Donner Pass (it was named that later) late in the season, got caught in a similar blizzard, and ended up eating each other. I don't believe anyone survived....Added in response to comments. I am wrong. 42 died and 47 survived.
Hi, I go from the Bay Area to southeast Idaho every couple of months and periodically have to take a route other than Donner’s for this obvious reason, I don’t take my chances on that thing, but is there a way other than down through Bakersfield CA?
Hi there, I live in the area and cover this story often. I am a meteorologist. You did a GREAT job covering this and it really tells the story about how this all unravels when it's snowing hard with wind. Great job.
I live in Virginia City, Nevada. We got dumped on! Our roommate got stuck in blinding conditions, just two miles away from home! He had to dig out - twice! He finally made it home Saturday night, an hour later!
I'm a truck driver. With the years of trucking, I've learned to work only 8 months a year. I take the whole winter off and relax in Quartzsite Arizona. I'm driving where they do the tv show, " Highway through hell." I lost control going down a 9% grade hill, where there should have been sand. They fully blamed me for the accident. Only two accidents like those and nobody wants to hire you anymore. The crews that were maintaining that route should have put sand. The coquihalla is only 8%, and there's always sand. The insurance told me that if I drive in poor road conditions and I have an accident, I'm fully 100% responsible. Now I understand well. That's why I don't work during the winter anymore.
This storm people should stay off Donner Pass for the duration of the well forecasted storm. Sand would not have helped. It was snowing at 5" per hour and the sand would be covered in 5 minutes. The snow totals we forecast at 10 feet and 100 mph winds. Westbound, park in Reno and hang for the weekend, Eastbound, stay in Sacramento and don't plan on leaving till Mon or Tues. Nothing you got in that ruck is worth your life and a blizzard like that can turn life threatening, even in a truck.
What part of blizzard don’t those people understand? They knew for days it was coming, and yet they still went out. Kind of hard to feel sorry for stupidity.
its Cali. you can't tell them any common sense. oh, by the way, why are they burning all that fuel while stuck?? SAVE THE PLANET !! TURN OFF THAT CAR!!! let your smugness keep you warm!!!!
Aside from the storm being forecast for a solid week, if one still elects to travel into the Sierra during its presence, at least bring along basic gear that has been advocated for decades when conditions might trap one's vehicle. Then, it will be a 'memorable', but not 'terrifying' experience
I am also a truck driver. I have been dealing with this terrible weather in Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, and California. Fortunately, I was able to "steer clear" of the Donner Summit during these storms. Speed kills, inexperience in winter weather does as well.
Yup yup, I have been snowboarding with my FWD (Helical LSD) Civic for many seasons now, have been through tons of storms like this, It's always the people who go fast, have 0 skill and think they are better than the weather, in particular AMG's, Infiniti's, BMW's etc. etc. etc. that are always the ones in a ditch on the side of the road lmao! My response to people when they see me driving reasonable is; Want to know how I have gone snowboarding 100's of times? By driving safe.
You all had several days notice that this storm was going to be a killer, yet here you are in your cars, praying for help. What one word describes your mental processes best?
It's California. May be they were too brainwashed by the propaganda on a newspaper a couple years ago claiming there might be no more snow in winter in California because of global warming.
Right that’s exactly what I was thinking! I would have gotten enough food, water, cigarettes, chocolate etc., to last me a couple of weeks and hunker down until it’s over. Oh I would have also bought candles and back up heating for my house
Ive lived in these mountains all my life. Every storm i can ill be out helping people. 20 years ago i would be on the pass all night log playing and helping. The biggest problem is people that have no business driving on that mountain let alone in the snow. Some truly special individuals
Cal. Trans is a democrat run ineffective government agency. Look at California. Newsome is more worried about what Xi Jinping thinks of him than doing a good job
I don't understand why people insisted on traveling during this extreme weather. Everybody knew this was gonna happen. This storm was predicted a week out.
Idiots from the bay area thinking they are immune to nature because they have a four wheel drive SUV or a tesla and they don’t want to cancel their vacation plans
Orange Jesus told ‘em, weathermen are ‘fake news.’ When confronted, Trump said, “Look at it this way..I was half right.. 500% is fantastic in badeball.”
I've lived in Colorado since the mid 60's. Back in the pre-internet days you could get caught unawares in a storm like this. But now? There's absolutely no excuse for it. Especially this storm, which has been predicted for days. But you have radar, webcams, waze reports, etc in the palm of your hand. Use it.
Lots of people especially ones not familiar with snow on a regular basis think it’s only snow. Snow, freezing temps and wind can kill you just as easily as tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes.
When I was a kid we moved from Canada to California and people said "aren't you afraid of the earthquakes?" We said "aren't you afraid of winter? It happens every year and kills a bunch of people."
Yes, but when all 5 weatherstones are combined, special weather powers are granted and a tornhurricuake is released and it is stronger than all those put together.
Don't touch wet paint drivers Don't listen they they say I gotta go to reno over hwy 80 rain or shine I drove from echo summit back from reno in snow storm with no chains it snowed all the way to auburn then rain
I learned long ago in Chicago that, when they tell you a monster storm is approaching, you stay put at home. We had a series of storms in 1979-1980 that left twenty feet of snow! April 09, 1975, was another good one!
Was in Springfield area for those 1979/80... the biggest storms in IL history, in reality they make these west coast storms look like nothing... you haven't seen a storm until you've been in -65F in a whiteout like IL was, I think in 1983.
Well, foolishness killed them too. They also ignored the warning given. And left way too late. But, it was the 1800s, so.... Zero excuses today, in a society full of them. SMH Reap what you sow....
If these people would read of the Donner disaster back in the 1800s, they would know how bad it can get! Sometimes history does repeat itself as far as weather goes. Surely they won’t resort to cannibalism!
I love seeing these people with their expensive cars believing they've got it all under control and can handle anything and then Mother Nature steps up and shows who's really in charge.
What about the ppl who brought their unprotected dog snowshoeing like that??? No coat...unbelievable! Their fur isn’t enough in those conditions! And he didn’t have a lot of it to begin with. The pads of their feet ice up & they can’t walk when the ice forms between them! I hope he made it. I lived in Reno yrs ago & travelled beautiful Donner many times, all hours. But never when there were warnings out. *Freaking common sense!* Yet there were always fools who did, regardless. And got stranded. Not like this, tho. And whatever happened to the check points at the base that stopped ppl from crossing w/o chains??? And nothing but 4 wheel drive allowed??? Done away with? Wow.
I go over that thing every couple of months and this is why I profusely check the weather and I even call the local places just make sure it’s good to pass on because I have been stuck before. There are times I have to go down around way out of the way, but I don’t want to take chances. I love watching this and seeing these guys so willing to help other’s in the freezing cold! 😊
We have a pass here in idaho called ‘little donner’ and shoot that is deadly during some times. I cant even imagine what the true donner pass is like in comparison 😅😅😅
Talked to a fire fighter who used to work in that area. A young woman got stuck once in a 9 hour traffic jam and ran out of gas. She’s died of hypothermia and they found her the next morning. People remember her asking if she could get in their cars to stay warm. I’ve been in a blizzard a couple of times. Our Toyota sequoia never failed to keep moving but so many people in rental vehicles aren’t prepared. Glad to see these guys doing anything they can to help. You still have to look after people that do stupid stuff and make sure everyone is safe.
I was a devoted skier in my younger days with a Ford Bronco from the BA to Tahoe. I always said, if I needed chains for my 4x4 I should not be on the road. Brings back fond memories!
And it’s telling that nowadays CalTrans generally closes the roads before they even get to R-3 restrictions, for that exact reason. If snow tires and 4WD can’t get you through, chains aren’t going to save you.
@@kilodeltaeight You mean most 4WD which are really 2WD because of the open diffs? double locked 4WD and either vbars or studded chains will crawl some shit.
As a resident of Northern Nevada, I can say this storm isn't really different from a lot of other storms. I would just say its the people who don't listen or pay attention to warnings ahead that causes bad things to happen.
Thank you for reiterating that radical weather is not unusual at the summit of the Sierra. It's not a disaster, nor is it climate change. Truckee is famous for extreme weather.
The dilemma is its frequency now, due to climate change we don't have these once or twice a year now we don't even have them once a year. We have storms like this once every 3 years now. And in three years people forgot or they cannot conceptualize it better unless they are adapted to these conditions frequently. Bad things happens due to them not understanding the severity's of these things. @@cccsss9985
I just want to know if this is climate or weather? I can't keep up with Global warming/ climate change vs weather patterns that are appropriate for the time of year .
As a Canadian who has seen some truly dangerous winter weather. Got to say the stupidity of these people actually makes me angry. Watching that asian fella with his kid in the car really got me pissed. You simply do not chance that. it ain't worth it. and let's be honest he had no comprehension how to deal with that scenario. He just had dumb luck that somebody yanked his sorry ass out of the rhubarb.
Great video and report Johnathan. You have a great talent for shooting and telling the story. I can't believe how many people were trying to get through there. I heard a report the other day that Palisades Tahoe had hurricane force wind gusts during the storm. I think they had a gust of 126 mph. Thats crazy during a snow storm. Keep up the great reporting. Stay Safe!
Thank you as always for your support! There were a lot of spots with hurricane force winds with this storm, that was the most dangerous part of it, no doubt about it.
The Blizzard of 1978 looked like that. The barometer bottomed out, but in Michigan, we did not attempt to travel. The wind was blowing snow horizontally.
Respect to that Donner party who tried to cross this area with basically nothing. If you people knew that story maybe you’d stay home but then again maybe not knowing the stupidity of people
I did OTR refrigerated trucking for 22yrs years, never once got stranded up there or anywhere because of snow, I'd shut it down somewhere safe. Darwin will weed them out 😁😁
When I lived in Chicago, I carried several bags of clay kitty litter in my trunk. I was in the major blizzard of ‘79 there. The kitty litter got me out of numerous situations. I hope everyone stays safe & that this tip helps.
@@lynnoaks7884 yep! Mom gave me a list like that when I got my drivers license. Was the cardboard for traction? Try the kitty litter- good for when the cardboard gets soggy.
It's not enough for mountain blizzards and 10 feet of snow. ...And I thought Chicago was a living hell. In that 79, we were trapped on 294 into Indiana in that blizzard. 14 people died that night because they CLOSED the exit ramps. :-(
It's named the Donner Pass after The Donner Party who became stranded in this pass in late October 1846. It was reported by survivors that they had resorted to cannibalism to survive long enough for a rescue attempt to finally locate them, but it took 3 relief attempts to do so and several months. Anyone traveling through this pass, even today, had better be prepared for conditions like this of up to 10 feet of snow.
I'm a trucker driver for over 30yrs and I take the weather serious, I watch the weather constantly and if these conditions are forecasted and I'm working 1 I will take the time to avoid going this route! 2nd I will find a place to wait the storm out and until it's safe to pass thru! These people are just completely unaware or completely stupid to even risk chancing a storm of this magnitude!! Your always going to have people who think they can out think anything!
Same for the idiots who think they can ride out a cat 5 Hurricane 🌀 with all the 100s of tornadoes 🌪 within. People were picked up and threw miles away into the Ocean in Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 😢 😪
Because interstate 80 is a major highway. They close it , clean out the area ( cars , trucks , etc ) then plow the snow out of the way. Even then, chains and / or snow tires with 4wd are a good idea until they can get back down to the roadway. This is not new. Happens every winter. They have hugely massive snow removal equipment posted at Donner Pass. Believe it.
Driving across Canada, NFLD to BC. Whiteout conditions across Saskatchewan. I just pulled over into the parking lot of a feed store. Climbed into the back of the vehicle, had all my blankets food water. No problem. Had a great nights sleep. Howling wind buffeting the vehicle all night. Morning, my water bottles were all frozen. Not a breath of wind. Complete silence. Serene. Was one of the best nights of my life sleeping in the back of my car in that blizzard. A great experience.
@@blondythesuperdog8825 Satire, but if true what storm was that? Show a link to pictures or video, What route did you take? What weather systems travel across the country that you could follow? Or why? I'll take the authentic hunkering down in a vehicle during a blizzard experience any day. Storm system circulate, hardly ever travel across latitudes, if ever. Oneupsman failed.
The authorities have been telling people for days to not go anywhere near the pass during this storm. Do you think people listened? Well, obviously not. I grew up in all this kind of weather and people knew to stay the hell out of those conditions. If you did go out, you had blankets, water and food and you told people where you were going and what route and timing.
You should have seen idiots asking on Reddit if driving from SF to Reno was ok. Everyone was angry. I bet those idiots still tried it are in this video.
How many times in our lives do we keep hearing not to drive when even 6" of water floods our streets, strands drivers all the time...and what do ppl continue to do??
I lived in S Lake Tahoe in the early 70's. Locals never left in winter. We were snowbound & not unhappy about it. One winter it started snowing Friday. Snowed straight thru Sunday night. 6' snow. You literally had to dig your car out if you could find it & had somewhere to put the snow. My all time favorite place l lived.☃️⛄
If I want to visit Donner Pass, and it is a pass, through huge mountains, so an important east-west route, I would not choose the time a blizzard was predicted for at least a week in advance. This is kind of ridiculous. The road should be closed to avoid the risks.
I live near here. Everyone is free to decide which risks they accept. The most harmful force in the world is people waiting for government permission to live their lives. Every road leading to this place has multiple huge lightboards telling people to turn around. That's more than enough.
@@Jeff-sp7bg If these transported items can't be rerouted, then the state has to provide safe passage to the few actually essential vehicles. Having vast numbers of vehicles stalled under dangerous conditions is simply ridiculous.
@Jeff-sp7bg ...problem is that you aren't getting fuel and food if there are people already stuck on the road. It doesn't matter if a truck can get up there if there are other vehicles stuck ahead of them and they can't get around them.
Work outside in Idaho check the weather everyday in the winter. I recorded a -89 degree wind chill in Montana. The entire State was in a state of emergency don't ever give up a wood stove you never know.
This is one of the worst storms I've seen. Never doubt the intensity of mother nature. Donner Pass has high elevation, steep climb, steep descent, and narrow roads. Exits are even more treacherous
Why, oh why, oh why do people even think, for a moment, that it was a good idea to drive here during this blizzard. I live in Maine and was following the weather forecast about this area. This is nuts to be driving on this road during this weather.
Spot on. I agree; specially when a lot of people in California are not used to driving in the snow, it makes no sense. This is a bit off topic, but how is the weather in central Maine during winter? I enjoyed Maine last summer. I was in New Hampshire doing some work with people which was my first time in the east coast, and I liked it. I got to visit Maine (it was on my bucket list of top two states to visit in the east coast) for a few hours to make time for my flight back home and I really liked it; it was my favorite out of the three New England states I visited.
@@michaelmosquera4709 I am so happy you got to spend time on the Maine coast. I grew up in VT, raised my kids and worked in corporate in CT and retired to Searsport, ME. It was the first place I ever felt at home. I love the coast of Maine. 11 years ago, I landed in Florida but I am returning to Maine, starting my trek on May 1. I am excited to go back, even though it will take some reacclimating to the cold weather. I like the Florida weather, but not too much more. I live in the Ocala National Forest, which is truly awesome. I am so happy about going back.
@@lynnefletcher7152 Thank you for sharing Lynne; I’m glad you found a place, and the slogan “the way life should be” must be really accurate. I was born and raised in Southern California and out of all states(4) I’ve been too, Maine has been my favorite and I think it’s really underrated in my opinion. I I hope you are able to trek and have a great journey. Never been to Florida at all, but I can see why you chose Maine.
Im a trucker. Last time I wanted to go up to Donner Pass, troopers wouldn't even let chained Truckers up because foreigners didnt know Snow and they went up before but it turns into a rescue operation.
I grew up in that area, and snowshoeing out into the wilderness in those conditions is a remarkably stupid idea. It would be so amazingly easy to get fully disoriented in the blizzard, or not see the signs that you're about to cross over a thin crust of snow and get dropped into a river.
I lived in Sacramento for forty years and watching the weather forecast was and is one of the most important things if you are planning on going over Donner Pass. I drove truck and it never ceases to amaze me how stupid people can be.
Right? Coming down the west side in I80 in the rain can be insane. We had a cabin in Truckee to use in the 80s,90s and made quite a few trips up there ahead of big winter storms to bo boarding. We would watch the forcasts and head out before the storm. Had an old cj5 with chains and full winter backpacking gear etc. just in case. What a blast.
I love how he referenced "Sierra Cement". Now that I live in upper Michigan, I can attest. The snow in California is very cementy. Even harder to drive on. I will never understand why people drive up the pass during storms.
@@tundrabee119 I was a troll who did the same 😉 St. Ignace was my home for six years. Experienced one winter when Sault Sainte Marie got five feet of snow in two days. 😳 City Dump Trucks were dropping it in the St Mary's River LOL to get rid of it. Crazy times. Now I live full-time in Florida with my current wife. Snow no more. Summer Tires on all the vehicles 😛
Oh man...stay out of blizzards is all I can say. There was always one blizzard day every year when I lived in Nebraska. You drive down the highway at 15 miles an hour, unable to see the taillights on the truck five feet ahead of your car, and you pray you make it home unscathed.
the reporting you do is so important. thank you for braving these conditions to show us the extreme weather we need to get used to as these weather events will be our new norm.
8:41 see that square hole with a cover on it built into the bumper? inside your trunk is a tow-eye that screws into the hole behind that cover. it's made literally exactly for this and most every vehicle has it front and rear if there are no attachment points underneath or the vehicle has cowled valences front/rear. ♥
Living in Michigan, and I kept a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol for frozen doors on vehicle and for where you unlocked and insert your key to gain entrance. Works very well also kitty litter kept in trunk as well for getting stuck in snow /icey roads for traction under tires!
I've been over Donner hundreds of times. I was a transcon driver for 38 years. Only idiots are stuck on Donner and CDOT is currently run by idiots. They closed Donner many times when I was truckin and the weather wasn't even close to this. I'm glad I retired 12 years ago. It was 70° today.
This what happens when you have a media and goverment agency’s that can’t be trusted or believed especially California. This was the most shut down state during COVID and the gov was at the French. Laundry and Pelosi was getting her hair done.
As a survivor of the Blizzard of '66 here in Upstate NY...I can surely identify with this! We got 8' in a couple of days. My Dad was snowed in Oswego for 3 days and they brought him home on a snowmobile. I can only imagine Calipornia and their electric cars!!
Probably not, but they would have been fine if stuck dinky little cars unequipped for driving up a mountain in winter wouldn't have made them stop going uphill. It was the loss of momentum that killed them.
@@amyrudolph1090 I live in rural Upstate and when I was working, I had to drive a stretch that looked a lot like Donner pass. Ours is called Perry Hill and is a steep uphill climb. I used to be to work by 5:30 in the morning and they rarely plowed at that time. I had a Subaru wagon with studded snows and really loved that car in the snow. One time about 4:30 in the morning I'm trying to make it to the major highway and am pushing snow over Hank and it packed under his hood so bad I had to stop. Thank God I got going again up the small knoll...got to the highway, brushed off the car as I could barely see. Punched a hole in the snowbank and was able to get out on 104 (cleared off) and into work..another 15 miles of whiteouts.
Such an interesting video. I haven’t thought about these kinds of conditions since the early to mid 1970s Rochester, NY, and before that Vienna, Austria. At 71, I live in south Florida!
I'm a trucker, I was supposed to be running through there either Sunday night or Monday morning, but I turned the load down. Always keep an eye on the weather.
Live in California,work as a pet sitter. Had clients that were going to go on vacation for a birthday, but they canceled because of the blizzard forecast. Scary that people took that chance anyways.
As a heads up to any subaru owners out there. Your spare tire kit comes with a bolt. And you have 2 small access ports on the front and back of the vehicle. The eye bolt just screws in and then you can pull yourself out. I bought a 2nd and just have them in always.
Been there. Done that. I'm a retired truck driver & had a dedicated run to Reno for a couple of years. Don't miss it ! However, I never seen it this intense!!!
I can't count how many times I've heard the news telling people to NOT travel on that stretch or highway, because of the blizzard. I remember when I first became a FF/EMT. My captain told me "As long as there are stupid people, you will always have a job".
Seeing chains on the trucks and some cars brought back memories of past blizzards and snowy conditions here in the northeast. I remember driving my mom's 64 Ford Galaxy in the late 60's on local roads in northeast New Jersey and needing to stop and put chains on. Just a few years ago I was driving through a narrow gorge in southwest New Hampshire, with a steep mountainside on one side, and a drop-off to a river on the other side. I had just driven through this gorge 10 minutes earlier and the road was clear and snow free. Coming back from the stores the conditions drastically changed; a tremendous gust of wind created a white-out from powder snow on the hillside, blanketing the road with a very slippery coat of snow. I spun out on this narrow 2-lane road, but somehow managed to straighten out, avoiding a plunge to the river, or a head on collision with another vehicle coming the other direction. Never again did I go for some snack food in uncertain whether conditions.
I lived in Roseville, CA from 2008 to 2010....These kinds of storms didn't happen during those 2 years, but even a regular storm....I was not interested in going past Auburn...Haha. Good luck and stay safe all on the road!!
After I raised up to 325k trading with her I bought a new House and a car here in the states 🇺🇸🇺🇸 also paid for my son's surgery (Oscar). Glory to God.shalom.
@Elizabeth8.1 I'm so happy for you dear, please can you elaborate more about this 🙏 I'm having a lot of family crisis lately. I definitely believe you're God sent🙏🙏🙏
I hope they all had good supplies and how unreal the force of the wind and divine intervention that truck driver walked away! Thanks for this first hand coverage!
My ancestors were related to the Donners. Have a history book with their names in it. Just seeing this makes me wonder what they went through. I couldn’t even imagine the freezing and hunger and pain in trying to keep their children warm.
What I find the most interesting is where they were trapped was much lower elevation than the summit…and the amount of snow historians estimate that were at that low of elevation is mind boggling.
@@JonathanPetramala As someone who has captured few of our own natural disasters here in CO .. I appreciate your very professional high quality work, it was a joy to watch from the warmth of our own home! 😎
@@JonathanPetramala I just subbed to your channel too, one quick question if it's not too invasive .. What camera and lens are you using? Footage looks awesome even in the poor lighting and visibility
Waving from Eastern Plumas (50 miles straight north of Truckee). We got slammed like mad, no power for 54+ hrs, it came back on early this morning. Lots of digging out today for everyone.
I’m so stunned how much snow falls out there I’m from Chicago and I have followed & studies the Donner party story since High school, seeing all that makes me imagine those settlers had it without electricity vehicles and limited supplies and food, great job documenting this storm ⛈ ❤
In 1990 I was headed over Donner Pass on the old road, in March, it was a beautiful sunny day. I noticed clouds rolling in fast around noon, and five minutes later, it started snowing like crazy. Everyone kept tooling along. I grew up in Northern California in the mountains. Needless to say, I immediately turned my vehicle around, and the people in my vehicle were asking me what the H was wrong with me. I said this is Donner Pass, known for sudden snow storms. I’m not getting stuck on the top of the mountain. They kept making fun of me until they found out the next day that 40 people were stranded.
@@JonathanPetramala Thank you. I subscribed yesterday when I watched your video. You and your friend’s News video has to be the most interesting, INFORMATIVE, and compassionate human news report I’ve ever experienced. I do not know how to even put it in words. I wish every bit of news out there was like yours. You are so much appreciated, not just by me but other viewers, and mainly by those you helped out on the road. You pointed out things that people should have considered, yet never once gave the impression that people were stupid. We’re human, and lack knowledge or experience. And yes, sometimes we humans make stupid mistakes. But we still care for others. It’s what makes us human. God bless all your endeavors and keep you safe. Enjoy the journey.
@@GodsSparrowSpeaks That is very kind of you and perceptive...in situations of high stress and danger, poking fun and pointing fingers doesn't do any good, that isn't solution oriented problem solving...and we need to solve a problem quickly. I am really trying to provide an alternative to corporate media...I think they are vapid, unserious and unsubstantial. I am glad you found the channel and I hope you enjoy it!
I FREAKIN LOVE THIS ! YES.....love it all....what a beautiful STORM! This makes me so happy....look at the dog and the people...nothing but SMILES....SNOW ROCKS!
Thank you for helping these people. What I saw was a lot of people not wearing chains. Over Donner pass it’s a must in these conditions. Scary at nighttime.
I went over Donner pass as a trucker from Sacramento few winters ago by sheer weird timing. No warnings from DOT, no troopers at all. Once I climbed bout 1o miles into it, the flakes came white out down fast and blizzard conditions thicker with the temperatures staggering drops , defrost heat on blast, wipers freezing up, windows cracked open enough for fresh cool air….and no traffic at all in both directions, contemplated in making a turn around, but the depth of snow was too severe to see exactly where the edge drop offs were so I pushed on at a steady slow creeping along speed in keeping my control and traction, staying in center of both lanes, trailer fish tailing just slightly enough wanting to go into the mountain side or drop cliff drop edge side following slop angle grade, but I kept her behind me. No chains, I managed in what seemed like forever, in completely making to the other side safely.
I drove that pass for 9 yrs back and forth from "the furniture" to "the shaky" LMAO. Like Nascar drivers with a bigger track. I'll say this, been over that pass more times than I can count, went barefoot a few times directly after chain law went up too. That pass is nothing to mess around with in the summmer. USUALLY the bad weather weeds out most four-wheelers which solves the momentum issue for us big fellas (gals in my case) as well as all the new Johnny-big riggers making the pass passable for anyone with the EXPERIENCE, EQUIPMENT and SKILLS to get her done, (example - folks with supplies and history since 1978 going to same cabin on same date) that being said traffic was always LIGHT. I can see by todays standard that we have gross overconfidence in our EXPERIENCE, EQUIPMENT and SKILL. This brings me much JOY knowing that CPS in all their glory was the recipient of this glorious MESS. My only hope is that the Truckee Scale on the West side was able to get a little action too......probably not high enough though......how sad.
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does using multiple acounts to promote eachother count as botting or is thisjust youtube aproved botting?
you got me, i'm subscribed, thank you for your coverage!!! wow, scary
Lake Tahoe and Donner pass is maybe 15 miles apart .... This video shows Tahoe getting slammed .... ua-cam.com/video/CBNE6Z68RGc/v-deo.htmlsi=NUvr_5csYP--_j3d
EVs will last much longer than gas powered vehicles with just a heat pump and heater
Thanks for helping the folks getting unstuck.
It's all fun and games till the cannibalism starts.
😳😳😳
🤨🧐
Good one!
The restaurants will be closed.
I wonder if any knows what long pig is?
The fact that its called "Donner Pass" should give you pause on a very nice day.
The good news- 1 modern American body can feed 200 people for a month.
Exactly.
Right?
The Donner Party was a group of Wagons heading for the California Coast. They committed to cross Donner Pass (it was named that later) late in the season, got caught in a similar blizzard, and ended up eating each other. I don't believe anyone survived....Added in response to comments. I am wrong. 42 died and 47 survived.
@@brucewilson1958 Lots survived. Marysville, CA is named after one of the girls that made it out. The adults DID put the kids first.
Im a truck driver and i bypassed this storm because i watched my weather apps and the weather channel, and i went the long way back to oregon
Good call
Yeah it saved my butt, my company wanted me to go through donner but I said nope! I'm the captain of this ship
Hi, I go from the Bay Area to southeast Idaho every couple of months and periodically have to take a route other than Donner’s for this obvious reason, I don’t take my chances on that thing, but is there a way other than down through Bakersfield CA?
@@joshuaryantrucking7396I love it when people with brains tell some asshole in an office to shove it.
@@anastasiasellers1246Why not go through Redding and SE Oregon?
Hi there, I live in the area and cover this story often. I am a meteorologist. You did a GREAT job covering this and it really tells the story about how this all unravels when it's snowing hard with wind. Great job.
Thank you very much! I try to just show the impacts and share the stories of those involved…and of course help when I can too.
YES - I so agree!!! 💗💗💗
To think they could all be cozy in their homes sitting by a roaring fire
I live in Virginia City, Nevada. We got dumped on! Our roommate got stuck in blinding conditions, just two miles away from home! He had to dig out - twice! He finally made it home Saturday night, an hour later!
I'm a truck driver. With the years of trucking, I've learned to work only 8 months a year. I take the whole winter off and relax in Quartzsite Arizona. I'm driving where they do the tv show, " Highway through hell." I lost control going down a 9% grade hill, where there should have been sand. They fully blamed me for the accident. Only two accidents like those and nobody wants to hire you anymore. The crews that were maintaining that route should have put sand. The coquihalla is only 8%, and there's always sand. The insurance told me that if I drive in poor road conditions and I have an accident, I'm fully 100% responsible. Now I understand well. That's why I don't work during the winter anymore.
More power to you - enjoy your Winter breaks
I've driven the coquihalla in summer. I was thinking no way in "Hell" would I drive that in winter. Smart move!
Well enjoy I'm retired you can have all this now
This storm people should stay off Donner Pass for the duration of the well forecasted storm. Sand would not have helped. It was snowing at 5" per hour and the sand would be covered in 5 minutes. The snow totals we forecast at 10 feet and 100 mph winds. Westbound, park in Reno and hang for the weekend, Eastbound, stay in Sacramento and don't plan on leaving till Mon or Tues. Nothing you got in that ruck is worth your life and a blizzard like that can turn life threatening, even in a truck.
You are no truck driver. As you should have shut down
What part of blizzard don’t those people understand? They knew for days it was coming, and yet they still went out. Kind of hard to feel sorry for stupidity.
Wanna be Darwin Award winners.
its Cali. you can't tell them any common sense. oh, by the way, why are they burning all that fuel while stuck?? SAVE THE PLANET !! TURN OFF THAT CAR!!! let your smugness keep you warm!!!!
Aside from the storm being forecast for a solid week, if one still elects to travel into the Sierra during its presence, at least bring along basic gear that has been advocated for decades when conditions might trap one's vehicle. Then, it will be a 'memorable', but not 'terrifying' experience
It's like the people in Florida staying in hurricanes and then need to be rescued.
It is commiefornia
Donner pass has always been a problem spot in the winter!!!! When CHP says to stay away and don't travel on it! Take heed to there warnings!!!!
People think they are infallible. They really should have shut the highway down earlier.
Oh ! but they want to go skiing 🙄
Yeah! Just ask the Donner Party wayyy back in 1846 -- 1847!
But what about our room reservations and our reservations at the steak house?
REDRUM
I am also a truck driver. I have been dealing with this terrible weather in Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, and California. Fortunately, I was able to "steer clear" of the Donner Summit during these storms. Speed kills, inexperience in winter weather does as well.
Yup yup, I have been snowboarding with my FWD (Helical LSD) Civic for many seasons now, have been through tons of storms like this, It's always the people who go fast, have 0 skill and think they are better than the weather, in particular AMG's, Infiniti's, BMW's etc. etc. etc. that are always the ones in a ditch on the side of the road lmao!
My response to people when they see me driving reasonable is; Want to know how I have gone snowboarding 100's of times? By driving safe.
@@dangusprimefwd is great in snow with snow tires 💯
You all had several days notice that this storm was going to be a killer, yet here you are in your cars, praying for help. What one word describes your mental processes best?
Two words... Natural Selection.
Mostly California democrats. Need I say more?
@@jimmyjames6487😂 yeah. I'm sure you know all of their political affiliations. 🙄
It's California. May be they were too brainwashed by the propaganda on a newspaper a couple years ago claiming there might be no more snow in winter in California because of global warming.
@@jimmyjames6487You must live in the city.
Telling people to stay home is like a challenge for them. BONEHEADS!
Hold My Beer 🍺 moment😅😅😅
They're regretting their decision now, i believe I-80 is still closed!!
Couldn't have said it better myself 😂
Right that’s exactly what I was thinking! I would have gotten enough food, water, cigarettes, chocolate etc., to last me a couple of weeks and hunker down until it’s over. Oh I would have also bought candles and back up heating for my house
Yep, it's right up there with wearing a mask to help others!
Ive lived in these mountains all my life. Every storm i can ill be out helping people. 20 years ago i would be on the pass all night log playing and helping. The biggest problem is people that have no business driving on that mountain let alone in the snow. Some truly special individuals
Truly…🤦♂️
Some people try So hard to win the Darwin Award💀🏆. Cal Trans should have preemptively shut down I-80 on Thursday afternoon.
Cal. Trans is a democrat run ineffective government agency.
Look at California. Newsome is more worried about what Xi Jinping thinks of him than doing a good job
Agreed! since common sense is a long extinct myth these days 🤦🏼♀️
Agreed. Incompetence is everywhere.
Bay Area “coders” can’t read a weather report.
They had announced shut down but people don’t listen
I don't understand why people insisted on traveling during this extreme weather. Everybody knew this was gonna happen. This storm was predicted a week out.
The same reason these SAME people will vote for Biden and Newsom. Dummies are real!
Obiviously they have wifes, why else would a man drive long distance on ice?😂
When I saw the 4 year old in the car seat I just shook my head
Idiots from the bay area thinking they are immune to nature because they have a four wheel drive SUV or a tesla and they don’t want to cancel their vacation plans
Orange Jesus told ‘em, weathermen are ‘fake news.’
When confronted, Trump said, “Look at it this way..I was half right.. 500% is fantastic in badeball.”
One more thing. 150 yrs ago people were SMART enough to load the wood up and staying in their cabins
150 years ago they did not have the weather forecasting we do today.
My great grandfather said it’s a foolish man who leaves home with the snow blowing off the roof. 🌨️
😊😊
@mgHocus Pocus😊reg8134
You have heard of the Donnor Party which this pass is named for, they ate fallen members to stay alive.
I've lived in Colorado since the mid 60's. Back in the pre-internet days you could get caught unawares in a storm like this. But now? There's absolutely no excuse for it. Especially this storm, which has been predicted for days. But you have radar, webcams, waze reports, etc in the palm of your hand. Use it.
Lots of people especially ones not familiar with snow on a regular basis think it’s only snow. Snow, freezing temps and wind can kill you just as easily as tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes.
It’s the Donner pass. I’m not american and I know the story.
When I was a kid we moved from Canada to California and people said "aren't you afraid of the earthquakes?"
We said "aren't you afraid of winter? It happens every year and kills a bunch of people."
Yes, but when all 5 weatherstones are combined, special weather powers are granted and a tornhurricuake is released and it is stronger than all those put together.
Came from the Caribbean to Canada. I QUICKLY learn that snow is more deadly than I ever imagine.
Maybe sum idiots will 'just go to sleep', alone, in the snow.
BUMMER😶🌫️🥶
Authorities: Stay home everybody
Morons out on the roads: Challenge accepted
Don't tell me what to do! Lol.
Don't touch wet paint drivers Don't listen they they say I gotta go to reno over hwy 80 rain or shine I drove from echo summit back from reno in snow storm with no chains it snowed all the way to auburn then rain
Exactly 😂
Here, hold my beer
Well to be fair they probably hardly ever se snow, let alone anything this magnitude..
Meanwhile, here in Mn, it's practcially summer already
I learned long ago in Chicago that, when they tell you a monster storm is approaching, you stay put at home. We had a series of storms in 1979-1980 that left twenty feet of snow! April 09, 1975, was another good one!
Is that when studded snow tires had just been banned,?
Darwin Fools take it as a challenge.
April 9, 1975 before i born there won't be that many cars on road those days..but would be more smarter then today cuz no cell phone
Was in Springfield area for those 1979/80... the biggest storms in IL history, in reality they make these west coast storms look like nothing... you haven't seen a storm until you've been in -65F in a whiteout like IL was, I think in 1983.
And please don't forget 1967's snowstorm. About 28 inches. The hawk does not play. We shipped out snow.
God why is this like the most entertaining thing ive watched on yt all month!? Great work helping everyone out!
Thank you!
SAME!!! It was amazing!!!! 💗💗💗
This is what killed the Donner Party. Could you imagine no cities or towns for over a hundred miles because there wasn’t any towns yet.
Well, foolishness killed them too.
They also ignored the warning given.
And left way too late.
But, it was the 1800s, so....
Zero excuses today, in a society full of them. SMH
Reap what you sow....
If these people would read of the Donner disaster back in the 1800s, they would know how bad it can get! Sometimes history does repeat itself as far as weather goes. Surely they won’t resort to cannibalism!
Now they are having fun in the snow 😂
That's right the Donner Party didn't have warm cars to stay in these are a bunch of California goofballs
Yep. I had family on my father’s side, in the Donner party. It was such a tragedy!
I love seeing these people with their expensive cars believing they've got it all under control and can handle anything and then Mother Nature steps up and shows who's really in charge.
Right.... Entitled wanabes😂
see any tesla's in there? I bet there are
@@curie3938I saw two tesla being towed in the same spot in tahoe early winter when a storm hit the day before. Definitely made fun of my brother
I bet those EVs are doing great.
A bunch of jerks and they endanger folks who have to come out after their lame asses. Loss of critical thinking skills at an all time high.
Why did this guy bring his little boy into a mountain blizzard?! This kind of weather is no joke.
because people have never really suffered and think they are invincible!
..emergency Snack? ;]
That same idiot wrapped the tow strap to his exhaust.
What about the ppl who brought their unprotected dog snowshoeing like that???
No coat...unbelievable!
Their fur isn’t enough in those conditions! And he didn’t have a lot of it to begin with.
The pads of their feet ice up & they can’t walk when the ice forms between them!
I hope he made it.
I lived in Reno yrs ago & travelled beautiful Donner many times, all hours. But never when there were warnings out.
*Freaking common sense!* Yet there were always fools who did, regardless. And got stranded. Not like this, tho.
And whatever happened to the check points at the base that stopped ppl from crossing w/o chains??? And nothing but 4 wheel drive allowed???
Done away with?
Wow.
Visiting from Boston, they said
I go over that thing every couple of months and this is why I profusely check the weather and I even call the local places just make sure it’s good to pass on because I have been stuck before. There are times I have to go down around way out of the way, but I don’t want to take chances. I love watching this and seeing these guys so willing to help other’s in the freezing cold! 😊
I work for a National moving company and there’s a reason our drivers avoid this area like the plague when bad conditions are forecast.
The only thing missing is Jack Nicholson chasing a small boy through the snow and yelling "DANNY!" over and over again.
there was no redrum this day lol
High 5 to your comment ... best of several hundred I have read today 😅
Redrum
Winner 🏆🎈🎉🥳 winner 💐 chicken 🍗 dinner!🍽️ 🐔🍗😂
You just gave me flashbacks! Lol 😮
Forecasters: There's going to be a terrible blizzard on Donner Pass!
Californians: Let's drive over Donner Pass.
And “let’s take the Tesla!”
Ohhhh myyyy----yeah people are craazzzyyyyy---especially with children???😮😮😮 And people with cars that aren't equipped for emergencies???
That guy thinking it's funny, what a stupid a**hole
brought to you by Newsom voters
We have a pass here in idaho called ‘little donner’ and shoot that is deadly during some times. I cant even imagine what the true donner pass is like in comparison 😅😅😅
Talked to a fire fighter who used to work in that area. A young woman got stuck once in a 9 hour traffic jam and ran out of gas. She’s died of hypothermia and they found her the next morning. People remember her asking if she could get in their cars to stay warm. I’ve been in a blizzard a couple of times. Our Toyota sequoia never failed to keep moving but so many people in rental vehicles aren’t prepared. Glad to see these guys doing anything they can to help. You still have to look after people that do stupid stuff and make sure everyone is safe.
Absolutely, I don’t want to feel responsible for leaving someone behind like that woman
I was a devoted skier in my younger days with a Ford Bronco from the BA to Tahoe. I always said, if I needed chains for my 4x4 I should not be on the road. Brings back fond memories!
And it’s telling that nowadays CalTrans generally closes the roads before they even get to R-3 restrictions, for that exact reason. If snow tires and 4WD can’t get you through, chains aren’t going to save you.
@@kilodeltaeight You mean most 4WD which are really 2WD because of the open diffs? double locked 4WD and either vbars or studded chains will crawl some shit.
@@iffykidmn8170
👍
Snowmobile time!
Did the same from E Bay with a 71 cj5 and chains, etc.
As a resident of Northern Nevada, I can say this storm isn't really different from a lot of other storms. I would just say its the people who don't listen or pay attention to warnings ahead that causes bad things to happen.
Yeah but now we have video footage in HD!
People out there haven't even experienced snow, no reason to downplay the drama
Thank you for reiterating that radical weather is not unusual at the summit of the Sierra. It's not a disaster, nor is it climate change. Truckee is famous for extreme weather.
The dilemma is its frequency now, due to climate change we don't have these once or twice a year now we don't even have them once a year. We have storms like this once every 3 years now. And in three years people forgot or they cannot conceptualize it better unless they are adapted to these conditions frequently. Bad things happens due to them not understanding the severity's of these things. @@cccsss9985
YEAH BUT TRUCKERS PASSING THROUGH SAN FRANCISCO CROSSING THE BAY BRIDGE INTO OAKLAND
I just want to know if this is climate or weather? I can't keep up with Global warming/ climate change vs weather patterns that are appropriate for the time of year .
As a Canadian who has seen some truly dangerous winter weather. Got to say the stupidity of these people actually makes me angry. Watching that asian fella with his kid in the car really got me pissed. You simply do not chance that. it ain't worth it. and let's be honest he had no comprehension how to deal with that scenario. He just had dumb luck that somebody yanked his sorry ass out of the rhubarb.
Stupid minded city folk prove how dangerous they are in extreme winter conditions. That should be the title for this video.
Couldn’t even speak English!
Probably here on a nefarious mission. ;)
Thousands are now....
_Buckle up...._
And most of them do not even have an emergency kit in the vehicle....smdh
Common sense isn’t so common anymore.
This shows you the how dumb people are. An adult to make this decision to RISK driving in this!??? For what??
Great video and report Johnathan. You have a great talent for shooting and telling the story. I can't believe how many people were trying to get through there. I heard a report the other day that Palisades Tahoe had hurricane force wind gusts during the storm. I think they had a gust of 126 mph. Thats crazy during a snow storm. Keep up the great reporting. Stay Safe!
Thank you as always for your support! There were a lot of spots with hurricane force winds with this storm, that was the most dangerous part of it, no doubt about it.
The Blizzard of 1978 looked like that. The barometer bottomed out, but in Michigan, we did not attempt to travel. The wind was blowing snow horizontally.
Respect to that Donner party who tried to cross this area with basically nothing. If you people knew that story maybe you’d stay home but then again maybe not knowing the stupidity of people
Thank you. I'm sure my family would appreciate it.
I wonder if they teach Donner's Pass in schools anymore??
Might be a good lesson to learn 🎉🎉😂😂
And they bring their little kids.
Smh
I did OTR refrigerated trucking for 22yrs years, never once got stranded up there or anywhere because of snow, I'd shut it down somewhere safe.
Darwin will weed them out 😁😁
Xcellent Documentary!
I wonder how many people even know the story of the Donner party?
I'm hungry
It's like Burning Man 💁♂️
They probably blame it on trump
TASTES LIKE CHICKEN.
A story of murder, survival, stupidity and cannibalism in the High Sierra' s about 178 years ago.
When I lived in Chicago, I carried several bags of clay kitty litter in my trunk. I was in the major blizzard of ‘79 there. The kitty litter got me out of numerous situations. I hope everyone stays safe & that this tip helps.
It is a big help for sure
New Englander here. winter car: kitty litter, blankets, cardboard, water, trailmix bars, chocolate, empty large plastic lidded coffee can, flares, phone charging system, t.p. extra gloves and socks.
@@lynnoaks7884 yep! Mom gave me a list like that when I got my drivers license. Was the cardboard for traction? Try the kitty litter- good for when the cardboard gets soggy.
EXACTLY!!!! I live in Ohio and grew up in middle of cornfield our drivers Ed instructor told us this during class
It's not enough for mountain blizzards and 10 feet of snow.
...And I thought Chicago was a living hell. In that 79, we were trapped on 294 into Indiana in that blizzard.
14 people died that night because they CLOSED the exit ramps. :-(
It's named the Donner Pass after The Donner Party who became stranded in this pass in late October 1846. It was reported by survivors that they had resorted to cannibalism to survive long enough for a rescue attempt to finally locate them, but it took 3 relief attempts to do so and several months. Anyone traveling through this pass, even today, had better be prepared for conditions like this of up to 10 feet of snow.
I had to scroll so far down to find someone to reference this!
I'm a trucker driver for over 30yrs and I take the weather serious, I watch the weather constantly and if these conditions are forecasted and I'm working 1 I will take the time to avoid going this route! 2nd I will find a place to wait the storm out and until it's safe to pass thru! These people are just completely unaware or completely stupid to even risk chancing a storm of this magnitude!! Your always going to have people who think they can out think anything!
Yep
Same for the idiots who think they can ride out a cat 5 Hurricane 🌀 with all the 100s of tornadoes 🌪 within.
People were picked up and threw miles away into the Ocean in Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 😢 😪
Common Sense isn't common. In fact. almost extinct and getting worse daily! I feel for you being out there in that mess!
Thank you for what you do
My concern would be stupid dispatchers
but honey its says its all wheel drive
How was the road not closed for atleast 24 hours before storm? Everybody knew it was gonna be bad.
Because people are allowed to be stupid.
Because interstate 80 is a major highway. They close it , clean out the area ( cars , trucks , etc ) then plow the snow
out of the way. Even then, chains and / or snow tires with 4wd are a good idea until they can get back down to
the roadway. This is not new. Happens every winter. They have hugely massive snow removal equipment posted
at Donner Pass. Believe it.
that is exactly what the state of Wyoming would have done!!!
How is it that people ignored the warnings and still drove it?
Got to support the tow business.
Driving across Canada, NFLD to BC. Whiteout conditions across Saskatchewan. I just pulled over into the parking lot of a feed store. Climbed into the back of the vehicle, had all my blankets food water. No problem. Had a great nights sleep. Howling wind buffeting the vehicle all night. Morning, my water bottles were all frozen. Not a breath of wind. Complete silence. Serene. Was one of the best nights of my life sleeping in the back of my car in that blizzard. A great experience.
Chicken..I drove non stop followed a storm from Vancouver to Halifax..Newfies scared of their own shadow.😅
Wonderful memory! ♥
Thanks for sharing.
@@blondythesuperdog8825 Must be sad to be you.
And you don’t even know it. 😂
@@blondythesuperdog8825 Satire, but if true what storm was that? Show a link to pictures or video, What route did you take? What weather systems travel across the country that you could follow? Or why? I'll take the authentic hunkering down in a vehicle during a blizzard experience any day. Storm system circulate, hardly ever travel across latitudes, if ever. Oneupsman failed.
@@blondythesuperdog8825 Sure ya did
The authorities have been telling people for days to not go anywhere near the pass during this storm. Do you think people listened? Well, obviously not. I grew up in all this kind of weather and people knew to stay the hell out of those conditions. If you did go out, you had blankets, water and food and you told people where you were going and what route and timing.
You should have seen idiots asking on Reddit if driving from SF to Reno was ok. Everyone was angry. I bet those idiots still tried it are in this video.
The road should have been closed earlier.
How many times in our lives do we keep hearing not to drive when even 6" of water floods our streets, strands drivers all the time...and what do ppl continue to do??
@@t.k3025🎯!! There's always idiot drivers who think they are just too exceptional to ever get stuck.
I lived in S Lake Tahoe in the early 70's. Locals never left in winter. We were snowbound & not unhappy about it. One winter it started snowing Friday. Snowed straight thru Sunday night. 6' snow. You literally had to dig your car out if you could find it & had somewhere to put the snow. My all time favorite place l lived.☃️⛄
Everyone I have met who lived up here during that era seemed like it was basically paradise.
so, a regular 2015 winter weekend in northeast.
If I want to visit Donner Pass, and it is a pass, through huge mountains, so an important east-west route, I would not choose the time a blizzard was predicted for at least a week in advance. This is kind of ridiculous. The road should be closed to avoid the risks.
I live near here. Everyone is free to decide which risks they accept. The most harmful force in the world is people waiting for government permission to live their lives. Every road leading to this place has multiple huge lightboards telling people to turn around. That's more than enough.
NorCal resident and imo they should have shut 80 / Donner Pass long before they actually did.
People need fuel and food. It doesn't just magically appear on store shelves
@@Jeff-sp7bg If these transported items can't be rerouted, then the state has to provide safe passage to the few actually essential vehicles. Having vast numbers of vehicles stalled under dangerous conditions is simply ridiculous.
@Jeff-sp7bg ...problem is that you aren't getting fuel and food if there are people already stuck on the road. It doesn't matter if a truck can get up there if there are other vehicles stuck ahead of them and they can't get around them.
Work outside in Idaho check the weather everyday in the winter. I recorded a -89 degree wind chill in Montana. The entire State was in a state of emergency don't ever give up a wood stove you never know.
Frigid!!!!
They’re banning them...the cli mate bs n all now...
Whenever, I lived in a cold climate I always felt safer knowing I had a wood stove.
@@sonneversets3530not where I live . MAGA...
@@sonneversets3530today woodstoves are more efficient. I bought a new one few years back and enviro. It's great. Wood burner.
This is one of the worst storms I've seen. Never doubt the intensity of mother nature.
Donner Pass has high elevation, steep climb, steep descent, and narrow roads. Exits are even more treacherous
This happens every year. It's called a snow storm in the high sierra
WOW - this was fricken-BRILLIANT!!! Well done to you for helping ALL those people and for making a truly epic piece of film!!! I loved it!!!! 💗💗💗
I appreciate that! Hope you enjoy the channel too! :)
Why, oh why, oh why do people even think, for a moment, that it was a good idea to drive here during this blizzard. I live in Maine and was following the weather forecast about this area. This is nuts to be driving on this road during this weather.
Spot on. I agree; specially when a lot of people in California are not used to driving in the snow, it makes no sense. This is a bit off topic, but how is the weather in central Maine during winter? I enjoyed Maine last summer. I was in New Hampshire doing some work with people which was my first time in the east coast, and I liked it. I got to visit Maine (it was on my bucket list of top two states to visit in the east coast) for a few hours to make time for my flight back home and I really liked it; it was my favorite out of the three New England states I visited.
@@michaelmosquera4709 I am so happy you got to spend time on the Maine coast. I grew up in VT, raised my kids and worked in corporate in CT and retired to Searsport, ME. It was the first place I ever felt at home. I love the coast of Maine. 11 years ago, I landed in Florida but I am returning to Maine, starting my trek on May 1. I am excited to go back, even though it will take some reacclimating to the cold weather. I like the Florida weather, but not too much more. I live in the Ocala National Forest, which is truly awesome. I am so happy about going back.
@@lynnefletcher7152 Thank you for sharing Lynne; I’m glad you found a place, and the slogan “the way life should be” must be really accurate. I was born and raised in Southern California and out of all states(4) I’ve been too, Maine has been my favorite and I think it’s really underrated in my opinion. I I hope you are able to trek and have a great journey. Never been to Florida at all, but I can see why you chose Maine.
Im a trucker.
Last time I wanted to go up to Donner Pass, troopers wouldn't even let chained Truckers up because foreigners didnt know Snow and they went up before but it turns into a rescue operation.
"Donner Pass" should have been their first clue.
And the second clue was the weather forecast saying possible 150 mph winds and 12 feet of snow, but, meh sounds like a nice drive to go visit friends.
@@schrempskynate8944 Or go snowshoeing w/the dog left on his own...w/o even a coat!
I grew up in that area, and snowshoeing out into the wilderness in those conditions is a remarkably stupid idea. It would be so amazingly easy to get fully disoriented in the blizzard, or not see the signs that you're about to cross over a thin crust of snow and get dropped into a river.
I lived in Sacramento for forty years and watching the weather forecast was and is one of the most important things if you are planning on going over Donner Pass. I drove truck and it never ceases to amaze me how stupid people can be.
Exactly. They need to charge everyone blocking traffic with a ticket
Definitely important
Natural Selection is action.
Right? Coming down the west side in I80 in the rain can be insane. We had a cabin in Truckee to use in the 80s,90s and made quite a few trips up there ahead of big winter storms to bo boarding. We would watch the forcasts and head out before the storm. Had an old cj5 with chains and full winter backpacking gear etc. just in case. What a blast.
Lotta media outlets are restricting comments on the blizzard.
Thank you for allowing people to communicate on the post.
Because the media IS part of the problem.
Just a heads-up: UA-cam also employs stupid algorithms that censor comments. It's not always the channel doing it.
Our country is getting more and more like China.
Shheeesh that howling wind you can see it barrel by just howling by
It’s vicious
Taking your body heat with it, yep.
I love how he referenced "Sierra Cement". Now that I live in upper Michigan, I can attest. The snow in California is very cementy. Even harder to drive on. I will never understand why people drive up the pass during storms.
Are you a Yooper now?
@@johnhutchison9782 I was not born in the UP so I'm not a true yooper, but I married one and that's why I'm here!
@@tundrabee119 I was a troll who did the same 😉 St. Ignace was my home for six years. Experienced one winter when Sault Sainte Marie got five feet of snow in two days. 😳 City Dump Trucks were dropping it in the St Mary's River LOL to get rid of it. Crazy times. Now I live full-time in Florida with my current wife. Snow no more. Summer Tires on all the vehicles 😛
Great footage!! It's amazing how many people go out unprepared. They could die!
People are lucky that CalTrans and CHP are so good at their jobs.
Oh man...stay out of blizzards is all I can say. There was always one blizzard day every year when I lived in Nebraska. You drive down the highway at 15 miles an hour, unable to see the taillights on the truck five feet ahead of your car, and you pray you make it home unscathed.
Ground blizzards there are terrible!
The good news is you'll never go hungry. You can always find something to eat up there.
hahaha
Lol 😅
Especially with all the trapped people around! (I mean because they have food with them😁)
I wonder how many people truly get this joke 😂
I see what you did there
the reporting you do is so important. thank you for braving these conditions to show us the extreme weather we need to get used to as these weather events will be our new norm.
Thank you for the kind words. Glad you enjoy the stories.
I bet these same folks hear a tornado siren, and head for a trailer park.
8:41
see that square hole with a cover on it built into the bumper? inside your trunk is a tow-eye that screws into the hole behind that cover. it's made literally exactly for this and most every vehicle has it front and rear if there are no attachment points underneath or the vehicle has cowled valences front/rear. ♥
Living in Michigan, and I kept a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol for frozen doors on vehicle and for where you unlocked and insert your key to gain entrance. Works very well also kitty litter kept in trunk as well for getting stuck in snow /icey roads for traction under tires!
What about the frozen radiator fluid?
@@RentFreeInYourHed
Antifreeze?
@@RentFreeInYourHedit should already have antifreeze in it.
Thanks for the nice tip!
I've been over Donner hundreds of times. I was a transcon driver for 38 years. Only idiots are stuck on Donner and CDOT is currently run by idiots. They closed Donner many times when I was truckin and the weather wasn't even close to this. I'm glad I retired 12 years ago. It was 70° today.
And it’s only getting worse in the good ole USA!
Some Western states are run by Darwin Candidates.
Re-route or stay home folks. Simple as that but nooooo... Keep ignoring..💁
@@72CrossingRS Californian Darwin Candidates do that.
This what happens when you have a media and goverment agency’s that can’t be trusted or believed especially California. This was the most shut down state during COVID and the gov was at the French. Laundry and Pelosi was getting her hair done.
As a survivor of the Blizzard of '66 here in Upstate NY...I can surely identify with this! We got 8' in a couple of days. My Dad was snowed in Oswego for 3 days and they brought him home on a snowmobile. I can only imagine Calipornia and their electric cars!!
I don't think that those semis were electric.
Probably not, but they would have been fine if stuck dinky little cars unequipped for driving up a mountain in winter wouldn't have made them stop going uphill. It was the loss of momentum that killed them.
@@amyrudolph1090 I live in rural Upstate and when I was working, I had to drive a stretch that looked a lot like Donner pass. Ours is called Perry Hill and is a steep uphill climb. I used to be to work by 5:30 in the morning and they rarely plowed at that time. I had a Subaru wagon with studded snows and really loved that car in the snow. One time about 4:30 in the morning I'm trying to make it to the major highway and am pushing snow over Hank and it packed under his hood so bad I had to stop. Thank God I got going again up the small knoll...got to the highway, brushed off the car as I could barely see. Punched a hole in the snowbank and was able to get out on 104 (cleared off) and into work..another 15 miles of whiteouts.
What's your problem with electric cars? 80% of new cars in Norway are electric.
We have state mandated electric snow mobiles comrade
Such an interesting video. I haven’t thought about these kinds of conditions since the early to mid 1970s Rochester, NY, and before that Vienna, Austria. At 71, I live in south Florida!
If I didn’t do this for a living, I would avoid it lol
I'm a trucker, I was supposed to be running through there either Sunday night or Monday morning, but I turned the load down. Always keep an eye on the weather.
Good call
Live in California,work as a pet sitter. Had clients that were going to go on vacation for a birthday, but they canceled because of the blizzard forecast. Scary that people took that chance anyways.
As a heads up to any subaru owners out there. Your spare tire kit comes with a bolt. And you have 2 small access ports on the front and back of the vehicle. The eye bolt just screws in and then you can pull yourself out. I bought a 2nd and just have them in always.
Been there. Done that. I'm a retired truck driver & had a dedicated run to Reno for a couple of years. Don't miss it ! However, I never seen it this intense!!!
The winds like this aren’t normal snow storms there.
You are soooo patient with these people. I'm getting frustrated verbally for you.
In serious situations I find calm, cool and comfortable helps bc they are panicking usually.
I can't count how many times I've heard the news telling people to NOT travel on that stretch or highway, because of the blizzard. I remember when I first became a FF/EMT. My captain told me "As long as there are stupid people, you will always have a job".
Seeing chains on the trucks and some cars brought back memories of past blizzards and snowy conditions here in the northeast. I remember driving my mom's 64 Ford Galaxy in the late 60's on local roads in northeast New Jersey and needing to stop and put chains on. Just a few years ago I was driving through a narrow gorge in southwest New Hampshire, with a steep mountainside on one side, and a drop-off to a river on the other side. I had just driven through this gorge 10 minutes earlier and the road was clear and snow free. Coming back from the stores the conditions drastically changed; a tremendous gust of wind created a white-out from powder snow on the hillside, blanketing the road with a very slippery coat of snow. I spun out on this narrow 2-lane road, but somehow managed to straighten out, avoiding a plunge to the river, or a head on collision with another vehicle coming the other direction. Never again did I go for some snack food in uncertain whether conditions.
White outs are intimidating
I lived in Roseville, CA from 2008 to 2010....These kinds of storms didn't happen during those 2 years, but even a regular storm....I was not interested in going past Auburn...Haha.
Good luck and stay safe all on the road!!
Thank you!
News reporter: This snow is dangerous!
Dog: This snow is the greatest fun ever! Keep it coming!
There were so many warnings about this. Californians (and out of state visitors) often don’t take our winter storms seriously enough.
There's a fair amount of bad thinking involving: "Yeah, but it's OK because the SUV I bought last week has all-wheel drive!"
The little kid was so sweet was so excited and was definitely raised right. You two are amazing 🙏🏼
you cannot see your hand in front of your face but yet we can see the trees in the distance
Oh, really? Tell us more! I'm always interested in hearing success stories.
It's Renee Marie Harrison doing, she's changed my life.
After I raised up to 325k trading with her I bought a new House and a car here in the states 🇺🇸🇺🇸 also paid for my son's surgery (Oscar). Glory to God.shalom.
Absolutely! I've heard stories of people who started with little to no knowledge but made it out victoriously thanks to Renee Marie Harrison.
@Elizabeth8.1 I'm so happy for you dear, please can you elaborate more about this 🙏
I'm having a lot of family crisis lately. I definitely believe you're God sent🙏🙏🙏
What part of "don't go out in this blizzard" did these people not understand? Mind bogglingly stupid.
My family & I always used to stop at the rest stop at the summit of Donner Pass on our way to Reno. Was always really beautiful.
That may open back up in May lol
The guy at the beginning... When he thinks everyone else is an asshole... He's the asshole lol
I hope they all had good supplies and how unreal the force of the wind and divine intervention that truck driver walked away! Thanks for this first hand coverage!
Thank you 🙏
Oh my word! I totally love your videos!!
Glad you like them! I hope you keep enjoying the channel!
My ancestors were related to the Donners. Have a history book with their names in it. Just seeing this makes me wonder what they went through. I couldn’t even imagine the freezing and hunger and pain in trying to keep their children warm.
What I find the most interesting is where they were trapped was much lower elevation than the summit…and the amount of snow historians estimate that were at that low of elevation is mind boggling.
Sooo happy to be watching this from my nice, warm bed, with my heating pad!
Looks like a blast man! Been there! Great work in documenting this one! 😎
I appreciate it!
@@JonathanPetramala As someone who has captured few of our own natural disasters here in CO .. I appreciate your very professional high quality work, it was a joy to watch from the warmth of our own home! 😎
@@JonathanPetramala I just subbed to your channel too, one quick question if it's not too invasive .. What camera and lens are you using? Footage looks awesome even in the poor lighting and visibility
@@NightwatchN8 I appreciate you subbing! Hope you enjoy the channel! Sony camera…not 100% on model
@@JonathanPetramala Yeah I gotta get me one of them pricey Sonys someday .. Still working with the classic Canon M50
Wow. Well I guess Old Man Winter hasn't forgotten this part of the World while the rest seems to be enjoying an early Spring. GREAT footage...TY
Thank you! Yes, two years in a row California has stolen the Midwest and East coasts snow
Waving from Eastern Plumas (50 miles straight north of Truckee). We got slammed like mad, no power for 54+ hrs, it came back on early this morning. Lots of digging out today for everyone.
Great job helping everyone! Thank you!
You bet! I don’t want anyone to get hurt if we can help it
I’m so stunned how much snow falls out there I’m from Chicago and I have followed & studies the Donner party story since High school, seeing all that makes me imagine those settlers had it without electricity vehicles and limited supplies and food, great job documenting this storm ⛈ ❤
It’s really unlike any other place in the country. I appreciate it!
I stay off the road during bad weather, just saying...... Great vid, thanks for sharing!
Thank you for watching!
Best part is at 8:26 with the guy with the tow rope wrapped around his muffler 🤣🤣🤣
Yo why's my car so loud 😂😂
@@butchjohnson3953 That you? 😃
Subarus Asents have a built in rear tow point under a plastic cap in the left side of the rear bumper.
Thanks for helping these folks out, God Bless You!
Anytime I can help, I try
This is nuts!! Anyone from around that area would never go out in that!!
Dang. Live and learn….the hard way.
Happy to see people helping. ❤ Keep posting these videos (they are great!) and hopefully people will wake up.
I still remember riding a motorcycle east over Donner Pass on I-80 way back in May 1975 and it was snowing!
In 1990 I was headed over Donner Pass on the old road, in March, it was a beautiful sunny day. I noticed clouds rolling in fast around noon, and five minutes later, it started snowing like crazy. Everyone kept tooling along.
I grew up in Northern California in the mountains. Needless to say, I immediately turned my vehicle around, and the people in my vehicle were asking me what the H was wrong with me.
I said this is Donner Pass, known for sudden snow storms. I’m not getting stuck on the top of the mountain.
They kept making fun of me until they found out the next day that 40 people were stranded.
Good call
@@JonathanPetramala Thank you.
I subscribed yesterday when I watched your video.
You and your friend’s News video has to be the most interesting, INFORMATIVE, and compassionate human news report I’ve ever experienced.
I do not know how to even put it in words. I wish every bit of news out there was like yours. You are so much appreciated, not just by me but other viewers, and mainly by those you helped out on the road.
You pointed out things that people should have considered, yet never once gave the impression that people were stupid.
We’re human, and lack knowledge or experience. And yes, sometimes we humans make stupid mistakes. But we still care for others. It’s what makes us human.
God bless all your endeavors and keep you safe. Enjoy the journey.
@@GodsSparrowSpeaks That is very kind of you and perceptive...in situations of high stress and danger, poking fun and pointing fingers doesn't do any good, that isn't solution oriented problem solving...and we need to solve a problem quickly. I am really trying to provide an alternative to corporate media...I think they are vapid, unserious and unsubstantial. I am glad you found the channel and I hope you enjoy it!
I FREAKIN LOVE THIS ! YES.....love it all....what a beautiful STORM! This makes me so happy....look at the dog and the people...nothing but SMILES....SNOW ROCKS!
Crazy blizzard, great video
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for helping these people. What I saw was a lot of people not wearing chains. Over Donner pass it’s a must in these conditions. Scary at nighttime.
I went over Donner pass as a trucker from Sacramento few winters ago by sheer weird timing. No warnings from DOT, no troopers at all. Once I climbed bout 1o miles into it, the flakes came white out down fast and blizzard conditions thicker with the temperatures staggering drops , defrost heat on blast, wipers freezing up, windows cracked open enough for fresh cool air….and no traffic at all in both directions, contemplated in making a turn around, but the depth of snow was too severe to see exactly where the edge drop offs were so I pushed on at a steady slow creeping along speed in keeping my control and traction, staying in center of both lanes, trailer fish tailing just slightly enough wanting to go into the mountain side or drop cliff drop edge side following slop angle grade, but I kept her behind me. No chains, I managed in what seemed like forever, in completely making to the other side safely.
It can be a white knuckle type of drive no doubt
I drove that pass for 9 yrs back and forth from "the furniture" to "the shaky" LMAO. Like Nascar drivers with a bigger track. I'll say this, been over that pass more times than I can count, went barefoot a few times directly after chain law went up too. That pass is nothing to mess around with in the summmer.
USUALLY the bad weather weeds out most four-wheelers which solves the momentum issue for us big fellas (gals in my case) as well as all the new Johnny-big riggers making the pass passable for anyone with the EXPERIENCE, EQUIPMENT and SKILLS to get her done, (example - folks with supplies and history since 1978 going to same cabin on same date) that being said traffic was always LIGHT.
I can see by todays standard that we have gross overconfidence in our EXPERIENCE, EQUIPMENT and SKILL. This brings me much JOY knowing that CPS in all their glory was the recipient of this glorious MESS. My only hope is that the Truckee Scale on the West side was able to get a little action too......probably not high enough though......how sad.