Why Did The Donner Party Get Stuck In The Sierra Nevada Mountains

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Why did the Donner Party get stuck in the Sierra Nevada Mountains? In April of 1846 90 emigrants led by Jacob and George Donner left Springfield Illinois in hopes of using a quicker, shorter route to Oregon. The party took the regular trail up to Ft. Bridger, Wyoming. There they were supposed to meet a trail guide, Lansford Hastings, to take them but he was gone, leading another party along the mountains. There was a note for the Donner’s to follow a trail to Weber Canyon, Hasting claimed it was an easier route to Oregon. So the 89 emigrants and 20 wagons left Ft. Bridger for Weber Canyon. They found a note on at the mouth of Weber Canyon saying the trail was harder than expected and they were told to wait because the trail was harder than