Living History: Teens Trekking the Tracks of the Donner Party

David Vixie and his students share their period-correct experiences traversing the Huntington Creek Valley. Longtime OCTA member and junior high social studies teacher Dave Vixie of Paradise, California, takes his students on the trail every year. This year, his students tackled a portion of the Hastings Cutoff of the California Trail through the canyon of the South Fork of the Humboldt River near Elko, Nevada (which happens to be the 1846 route of the Donner Party). Listen as the kids describe their wild experiences!
Filmed on location at www.california...
Cinematography & Audio: Travis Boley
Editor: Chipthehistorian
The Oregon-California Trails Association is the pre-eminent guardian and promoter of the inspirational story of the 19th century westward migration, which is unique in world history. Our mission is to protect the Historic Emigrant Trails legacy by promoting research, education, preservation activities, and public awareness of the trails, and to work with others to promote these causes.
Copyright 20234 The Oregon-California Trails Association. All Rights Reserved

[@k.j.lindsey3048]

What a marvelous program! I am so pleased to see it, and I admire your dedication to it. Thank you!!

[@KCDakar]

Well done! Being from Kansas as a young troubled teenager, I got to experience a small slice of a project like this and it made a huge difference in how I looked at the world. Keep up the good work. Our youth need projects like this!

[@memathews]

It's great to see these youngsters on the trail with authentic equipment learning about the history and solving the same problems that dog's travelers on the trails. Doing this will undoubtedly give them a better understanding of today's lifestyle and how to navigate similar situations.

[@octatrails]

Experience is one of the better teachers.

[@robertvirtue]

Well done, good and faithful servant.

[@canteenadventures]

Phenomenal!!

[@anonymustly7818]

What a great experience for kids to have. Thank you for doing this.

[@timaugustine3856]

Nothing beats direct experience.

[@toddmorrison7342]

Love what you do, only wish all kids had such an opportunity. It looks like you took them through the Hastings Cutoff where it meets up with the California Trial - so cool! They got to experience a portion of the Donner Party experience, one of these days I'd like to do the same.

[@bryan565656]

What a great idea. I wish they had something cool like this when I was in school.

[@Sibes3]

I so wish I had you as a teacher in the late '70's! lol I love what you're teaching your students. So cool!