Terrifying & True | The Donner Party: Cannibalism and Survival in the Sierra Nevada
Podcast: Weekly Spooky | Scary Stories for HalloweenPublished On: Mon Nov 03 2025
Description: A shortcut costs the Donner Party precious weeks, and heavy snow closes the Sierra Nevada passes before they can reach California. Terrifying & True follows the winter of 1846–1847 from the Hastings Cutoff to starvation, cannibalism, the Forlorn Hope snowshoe escape, and rescue attempts. Families wait at Truckee Lake and Alder Creek while rescuers struggle through the mountains. The episode also examines Lewis Keseberg's lasting notoriety and Virginia Reed's warning about the route. Discover the decisions and human losses behind a survival story often reduced to its darkest detail.Bonus episodes & support: https://weeklyspooky.com/joinMore scary stories: https://weeklyspooky.com/Story submissions: WeeklySpooky@gmail.com
The note was deleted
The note was saved
Your message was sent