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Castle Peak at Donner Summit
The history of Donner Summit is about much more than the horrible struggle of one party of California bound travelers that gave the area it’s name. Donner Summit is a center of California history because unbelievably it was one of the easiest ways to get over the Sierra, but as we all know, it can be an incredibly challenging passage, especially if you try to do it in a snowstorm.
The first wagon train to reach California was the Stephens Murphy Townshend Party in 1844, which traveled over Donner Pass two years before the ill-fated Donner Party. They stopped on their journey at Big Bend long enough for the first European baby to be born in California, Elizabeth Yuba Murphy. One member of the party was Moses Schallenberger who spent the winter at Donner Lake, and later had the ridge above the lake named after him. Other party members went on to start the cities of Sunnyvale, Murphy’s and Stockton.
The Railroad was completed in 1869, but to get over Donner Summit required fifteen massive tunnels, including Tunnel 6, which was over 1500 feet long and blasted through solid granite by crews of Chinese workers. Some of the rock removed from the tunnels was used to construct the still visible China wall, which was built without the use of mortar.
Serene Lakes
Without refrigeration, ice was a necessary commodity in the west in the mid 1800s, but it was transported all the way from Boston or Alaska at great expense. So when the railroad opened, entrepreneurs saw opportunity in our cold climes. The Summit Ice Company began operation in 1868 at what were then known as the Ice Lakes, later the Serene Lakes. But the operation only lasted four years before Donner Summit’s heavy snows made nearby Prosser Lake, which had even colder temperatures, but little snow, a more attractive alternative.
The three Serene Lakes, were turned into present day Serena and Dulzura with the raising of the water behind a dam in 1941. The construction of a new road into the lakes in 1959, issued a development opportunity, leading to the creation of eight separate subdivisions at the lakes, and over 600 homes as well as Royal Gorge Cross-Country, and the Ice Lakes Lodge.
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The community of Tahoe Donner is located on over 7000 acres of land, with 6500 homes and 25,000 members. It has a downhill and cross-country ski area, golf course, several restaurants, fitness center, swimming pool, tennis courts, sledding hill, and thousands of acres of open space for hiking and mountain biking, including a connection to the Donner Lake Rim Trail. How did this immense development, one of the largest in the country, come to be just a few miles outside of little old Truckee, California? It all started with Jack Kirby.
In his 2006 book, “Jack Kirby: Autobiography of a California entrepreneur,” Kirby talks about selling newspapers as a kid before becoming a pilot for the Navy during World War II. After the war he became a football star for USC before going on to play in the National Football League. After his career in the NFL, Kirby purchased 4000 acres of land north of Truckee in 1968.
Although the land which would become Tahoe Donner had recently been the victim of a major forest fire, Kirby was impressed by it’s potential for development. He thought it was rare to find this large a parcel of land in the middle of the beauty of the Sierra that had gentle enough contours to create a development. Kirby also purchased a five acre parcel on the shore of Donner Lake, which could be used to provide access to the lake for Tahoe Donner homeowners. He hired a ski development expert to determine if a ski area could be built on the burned out slopes of the current ski hill, and by 1971 people began buying Tahoe Donner lots for $8000. Kirby said, “I figured if I could develop a resort that was completely different-that offered something to homebuyers, second homeowners and retired people-it would be saleable.”
Looking towards Tahoe Donner ski hill
After developing Tahoe Donner, Kirby went on to develop the Alta Sierra community near Grass Valley, before turning his entrepreneurial mind to the manufacture of golf clubs. In 2006, he told the Sierra Sun about Tahoe Donner that he was “very proud of what we’ve done here. I think it’s turned out to be a great community development.”
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It’s the off season at Tahoe /Truckee, and that means dining deals all around the lake. Pick up the currant issue of ‘The Weekly’ (free all around town) for coupon deals to some of the areas finest restaurants.
Happy Hour at the Lone Eagle Grill. The Hyatt, Incline Village
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Here are some of the advertised specials and coupons:
CB’s Pizza and Grill – Carnelian Bay
$1 off Medium Pizza, $2 off Large Pizza plus a daily 3-7pm Happy hour.
Lone Eagle Grill- Hyatt, Incline Village
Tahoe Tuesdays – $5 appetizers and 50% off all wines by the glass – 5:30-8pm
Old Range Steakhouse – Tahoe Vista
3 course dinner specials – $26
La Fondue – Incline Village
Spring Special: $55 fondue experience for two.
The Soule Domain – Crystal Bay
Spring special – 2 for 1 entrees, excluding Saturdays.
Las Panchitas – Kings Beach
Early Bird Drink Specials 4-6pm
Dinner Special- 25% off Mexican Combo Dinners- 4-10pm
FredRicks- Incline Village
1/2 price sushi Thursday nights at the Bar
Lakeside – Tahoe City
Check out their daily calendar for Specials all through April.
Dragonfly – Truckee
1/2 price on all food and sushi bar during the month of May. Dinner only.
Also pick up the local newspapers for more coupons or call the local restaurants for unadvertised specials. There are usually quite a few this time of year.
And don’t forget to peruse the rest of the magazine for special deals on next year’s ski passes and what is going on in the area during the off season.
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The current issue of The Weekly through April 24th.
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Link to The Weekly website: http://theweeklymagazineonline.com/
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