In 1846, travelers heading for California became trapped high in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. Snowdrifts surrounded their shelters, and food supplies dwindled. How they stayed alive remains one of the most gruesome stories in US history. However, some facts that have come to light recently through archaeological digs will surprise even those who think they know the story. This gripping book, including maps and images of the era, tells the true account of the doomed Donner party.