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They wanted a shortcut to California. Instead, they found themselves trapped in the Sierra Nevada during the winter of 1846 — snowed in, starving, and running out of time.

This week, Jamie and Leo unpack one of the most infamous disasters in American history: the Donner Party tragedy. What began as a hopeful wagon train on the California Trail quickly turned into a brutal fight for survival after the group chose to bypass the safer Oregon Trail and forge their own path west.

When early snowstorms sealed the mountain passes, rescue became nearly impossible. Supplies dwindled. Morale col ...