Interstate 80 West Over Donner Summit in California

[@CrystalClearWith8BE]

10 years ago in 2013, FWJ drove this route heading westbound and filmed it. He drove westbound in that route again in 2019, but didn't film it. Kyle, I'm glad you filmed this last month for an update to see what changes we see here near Donner Summit.

[@InterstateKyle]

Nothings really changed that much in 10 years honestly. I think the summit rest area got updated but that's about it.

[@IAGrl55]

My Dad and I got stranded in Reno for a couple days back in 1976. It was early April and the only way to get over the Pass was with chains, which didn't fit on my Chevy Nova. And when we did get to drive over it, OMG, the snow. Was good to get over it and then look down at Sacramento, with the green grass etc.

[@InterstateKyle]

The snow that falls over Donner Pass is commonly called "Sierra Cement" and it really lives up to the name sometimes!

[@kennypalermo9071]

@@InterstateKyle Can you do the Sacramento area freeways please?

[@tinapalermo3768]

@@kennypalermo9071Maybe in the immediate future however.

[@robvance4414]

Nostalgic for sure. I made this drive probably hundreds of times in my life on my cross country road trips. This was almost as fun. Loved it!

[@GreatAussieDrives]

Absolutely stunning! It's pretty crazy how diverse California actually is.

[@InterstateKyle]

Thank you!

[@guillyfreeways2007]

@@InterstateKyle Where is your 2016 episode of I-5 over the Siskiyou Summit in California and Oregon?

[@hauntedandAloneFB]

Getting ready to drive my Diesel Pusher pulling a car. First time for me. 🙏🏼 thanks for the video

[@orhansaimdemirturk]

Beautiful video...As always from InterstateKyle.. Thank you very much for the beautiful and relaxing scenery...

[@eljeffe8806]

Great to see all the leftover snow from the 2023 winter in June. Caltrans has good camera coverage of I-80 and US 50 and you can watch the trucks/cars push their way through the snow on I-80. Kyle is correct, Caltrans burns a lot of fuel plowing that highway in the winter. Check out the Kingvale cameras when it is snowing.

[@InterstateKyle]

Thanks for point out the traffic cameras, yes some people actually tune into those to watch the snow clearing process!

[@kennypalermo9071]

@@InterstateKyle Should you do Reno?

[@aarondonner7817]

Im am only a decendant of this tragedy. By chance , my fathet was transferred to fallpn nevada. We visited the sight often. Thank you.

[@VitoAnthonyD.-ow7oo]

Great drive with nice music. Could not imagine having to plow through that on foot and horsewagon.

[@georgevavoulis4758]

Very nice video ,both visually and music wise . Thank you for sharing . What a beautiful country in California/Nevada

[@InterstateKyle]

Thanks George!

[@dwood78part23]

I was going ask if you was going to do a video on former us route 40 going through Donner Pass. Many of road warriors drove on I-80 though the Sierra Nevada & never considered driving the road. Can't wait to see it. Ps, given the large amount of snow it got over the winter months, I'm not surprised there's still snow present in the higher parts of the mountain range!

[@InterstateKyle]

Thanks for tuning in! Hope to have the other video released here within the next week or so.

[@ralphaverill2001]

I made the trip in both directions several times in the 1970's traveling between San Francisco and Reno. I did it once in a snow storm. I don't recommend that at all. Thank for the trip down Memory Lane.

[@jasonhsu4711]

Wow, the high country still has patches of snow!

[@InterstateKyle]

Yes sir!

[@mattwiser8406]

Great ride! The view from the vista point is well worth the video. As for snow? I can verify that the high country in Fresno County still has quite a bit of snow. As in a LOT.

[@InterstateKyle]

Thanks Matt!

[@ahbenjamin2889]

The last few times that I have entered California on I5 through Oregon . The Agricultural Stations have not been manned . Most recently 2 weeks ago on a Monday morning.

[@lynnamarsh6384]

in 2021 they were just waving everyone thru them on I-80. but on 395 east of the mtns they were stopping everyone

[@aaronholcomb237]

The one on US 50 west of Lake Tahoe was also unmanned.

[@lynnamarsh6384]

@@aaronholcomb237 actual conversation with inspector in 2020. "do you have any live plants or produce/" "YES, Apples" "where are they from Washington?" "IDK I can go into the back of the truck and look" "Thats, ok they are probably from Washington, just go ahead"

[@aaronholcomb237]

California and Nevada both have county mile markers on their highways. California hasn't always had statewide mile markers, not even on their interstates. The sign style on the interstates suggests that mileposts were added later.

[@InterstateKyle]

California is always slow to catch up with these kinds of things.

[@grizzfan08]

Donner Pass is fun, yet I get the willies in the Truckee River Canyon because of how steep it is at times. I've always been stopped at the border checkpoints, but it's for a good reason to keep unwanted pests out of CA. Stopping at the Donner Party Memorial State Park is a must for those that want to know the full story, and the monument there is very respectful too.

[@25scigirl]

Stunning video! I have been across Donner Summit before and one time in the Spring of 1997, we had to stay overnight at a motel because there had been an unexpected snowstorm. Only people who had chains on their tires could continue driving, so a lot of people turned around and went back the other way. It was cold and we did not have too many warm clothes with us, so we were glad to get home again. Have you been through a town called Miramont in one of your videos yet? I'm just curious and I would like to see what the town looks like someday. Safe travels!

[@TomMcHugh-l4v]

What's the grade there at 05:47 ? Looks like 45° :) Thinking of this road with the snow of a few months ago....

[@jollyjohnthepirate3168]

Your channel is criminally under subscribed.

[@mdavid1955]

Beautiful ride!

[@InterstateKyle]

Thank you!

[@elli6220]

Got to do this drive for the first time just a few days before you did (eastbound, though). So pretty! Love how there is plenty of snow, even in the summer.

[@TicklerDude]

Cannibals once roamed these parts.....

[@biglos9d]

730 inches of snow is 60 ft, 10 inches

[@InterstateKyle]

That's taller than a telephone pole I think lol

[@biglos9d]

@InterstateKyle at Donner state park they have a monument of the settlers set atop a tall pedestal, and the height of that pedestal represents the depth of the snowpack during that winter

[@biglos9d]

The height of the Pioneer Monument's pedestal is only 22 feet, so this past winter had nearly 3 times the snowpack that stopped the Donners

[@aarondonner7817]

Im a dececdant of this tragedy of this tragedy. Please tell the complete truth about this very sad story.

[@CrystalClearWith8BE]

True or false? Donner Summit is part of the Pacific Ocean-Great Basin Divide. My guess is true.

[@InterstateKyle]

It's true. Water flowing east runs into the Truckee River and eventually Pyramid Lake.

[@CrystalClearWith8BE]

@@InterstateKyle, and water flowing west runs into the Sacramento River and ends at the San Francisco Bay.

[@정복희-h5o]

Sixth month snow stave 😮😮😢😢

[@midoryan9789]

جميل جدا ❤

[@ASunnyAdventure]

Hi Kyle. You sure get around. You are always putting out good, consistent videos from all over the place. As a fellow traveler, I have a question. For the most part, your videos seem relatively bug-free. I am currently on a trip. The content I'm getting is generally good, but the bugs on the windshield are definitely distracting from the footage. I try to keep the windshield clean, but I can't stop every 5 minutes to wash it. Do you have any secrets to a bug free windshield? Thanks in advance, and keep up the great work!

[@InterstateKyle]

Having a clean windshield is always a challenge with these types of videos. Stopping every 5-10 minutes is very time consuming and believe me sometimes I just have to bite the bullet and let it happen. I've learned over the years that bugs are most active during the morning and late afternoon hours. Generally between 10AM-3PM in the summer is prime time to film without the bugs being out and about as much. There are also other factors to consider. Are you driving near water such as a river or pond? Bugs love water. If you're driving through a grassy area, again bugs love that. Generally mountains and deserts are mostly bug free until you come across a meadow or marsh, then again, that's where bugs like to hangout. Deserts and urban areas seem to have the least amount of bugs, because barely anything can survive in the desert. Becoming familiar with the environment where your driving can help you limit your chances of running into bugs. I hope this helps.

[@ASunnyAdventure]

@@InterstateKyle Thanks for the good information, Kyle. Keep on truckin', and I'll see you on the road. Take care.

[@kevinfestner6126]

The music is wonderful and one of the best stretches' of highway. This stretch in NV needs to be raised to 75 or at least 70, and we need to expand the 80 mph on I-80 and introduce it on I-15. When I run for the legislature this session, I plan to introduce speed limit reform laws in Nevada. I plan on raising the urban interstate to 70 mph, the rural interstate to at least 75 to 85, and try out some no speed limit areas, like NV had back before 1974. As part of the reform is codifying the German Rechtsfahrgebot into the NV road rules.

[@InterstateKyle]

That sounds pretty ambitious! If there's one state that can have the fastest speed limits in the country, Nevada is at the top of my list!

[@kevinfestner6126]

@@InterstateKyle Utah has 80 mph rural and 70 urban. Their accident rate dropped.

[@lvglen]

Kyle, I enjoy your videos, but you really need to get your directions right. At 15:52, you say "especially if you're driving cross-country along Interstate 80 coming from the west..." Umm, dude, you're HEADING west, coming from the east... Sorry, just a pet peeve of mine...