California National Historic Trail Traditional Cache
California National Historic Trail
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
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California National Historic
Trail
Hastings Cutoff
The California National Historic Trail is one of 30 National
Historic or National Scenic trails across this great country. Those
who followed the California National Historic Trail were first in
search of farmland but after gold was discovered in January of
1848, most travelers on the California National Historic Trail
headed to California trying to get rich.
The Hastings Cutoff is one segment of the California National
Historic Trail. It was first traveled by wagon in 1846 by parties
including the Donner Party. They passed by this area in the fall of
1846 on their way to California. Unfortunately, they were caught up
in the Sierra Nevada after snow struck them on October 31,
1846.
One group who passed by this area in 1846 was led by a man named
Heinrich Lienhard. Lienhard was a Swiss emigrant who led a wagon
party over the Hastings Cutoff. As he passed by the location of
this cache, he had this to say.
"The seventeenth of August dawned, and our cattle were lying
contentedly in the grass chewing their cud. After breakfast we
busied ourselves packing into our wagons the bundles of grass and
the utensils that had just been filled with water (small barrels,
cans, etc.). And we did this with the greatest care, so that we
would not lose anything. We led the oxen to the water once more in
order that they might have another drink, but most of them did not
want any. It must have been about none o'clock when we started out.
Before us lay a broad salt plain or valley, in which there are many
salt crusts on the surface but only very little thorny, miserable
vegetation. We went toward the northwest in a straight line toward
the mountain opposite us."
As you come to this cache location, please take a moment to reflect
on the hardships the pioneer groups must have faced when crossing
this desolate country. The spring located north of this cache
location was the last good water these people had for 80 miles! The
next good water was located at Donner Spring, which is at the base
of Pilot Peak on the Utah-Nevada border and about 30 miles north of
present day Wendover, Nevada.
This cache has been placed by members of the Oregon-California
Trails Association. The mission of this organization 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." For more
information on the Oregon-California Trails Association, please
visit our website at http://www.octa-trails.org
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