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    Pioneers BS 6COVID Mountains

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    Ruth Eller
    The document summarizes the challenges faced by pioneers crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains on their way to California in the mid-19th century. It describes how crossing the desert proved deadly, so pioneers opted to take the mountain route instead. However, traversing the steep slopes and cliffs of the Sierra Nevada range required pioneers to disassemble their wagons at times. Going down was also dangerous since wagons lacked brakes and could crash into cliffs. Finally, unpredictable winter weather like snow, high winds, and avalanches further complicated the already difficult mountain crossing.

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    Pioneers BS 6COVID Mountains

    Uploaded by

    Ruth Eller
    324 views1 page
    The document summarizes the challenges faced by pioneers crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains on their way to California in the mid-19th century. It describes how crossing the desert proved deadly, so pioneers opted to take the mountain route instead. However, traversing the steep slopes and cliffs of the Sierra Nevada range required pioneers to disassemble their wagons at times. Going down was also dangerous since wagons lacked brakes and could crash into cliffs. Finally, unpredictable winter weather like snow, high winds, and avalanches further complicated the already difficult mountain crossing.

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    Pioneers crossed the deadly Sierra Nevada Mountains

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    The document summarizes the challenges faced by pioneers crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains on their way to California in the mid-19th century. It describes how crossing the desert proved deadly, so pioneers opted to take the mountain route instead. However, traversing the steep slopes and cliffs of the Sierra Nevada range required pioneers to disassemble their wagons at times. Going down was also dangerous since wagons lacked brakes and could crash into cliffs. Finally, unpredictable winter weather like snow, high winds, and avalanches further complicated the already difficult mountain crossing.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    324 views1 page

    Pioneers BS 6COVID Mountains

    Uploaded by

    Ruth Eller
    The document summarizes the challenges faced by pioneers crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains on their way to California in the mid-19th century. It describes how crossing the desert proved deadly, so pioneers opted to take the mountain route instead. However, traversing the steep slopes and cliffs of the Sierra Nevada range required pioneers to disassemble their wagons at times. Going down was also dangerous since wagons lacked brakes and could crash into cliffs. Finally, unpredictable winter weather like snow, high winds, and avalanches further complicated the already difficult mountain crossing.

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    BACKGROUND SHEET 6

    THE DAUNTING SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS

    WHY DID THEY RISK GOING OVER THE MOUNTAINS?


    At first, pioneers believed that crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains was impossible. So they opted to cross
    into California via the desert. This proved to be more dangerous than they imagined. There was no food for
    the animals to eat, and they grew weak and died. There was almost no water and pioneers survived drinking
    water from dirty puddles. The deserts eventually became littered with animal skeletons, abandoned supplies,
    and pioneer graves. Death Valley actually got its name from a group of pioneers who tried to cross it and
    experienced 13 deaths. Soon it became clear that the deserts were full of danger and not an easy or safe way
    to get to California.
    The alternative way was to cross the mighty Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. This was also a route full of
    danger. Marcus Whitman actually crossed them mountains successfully and wrote a guidebook with
    information and advice. Many wagon trains decided to follow his advice.

    GOING UP THE MOUNTAINS


    There were no roads or tunnels to help pioneers cross the mountains. The Sierra Nevada
    Mountains were full of steep slopes and sheer, rocky cliffs. Pioneers were faced with pushing
    their way up, often needing to cut down trees and steer around impassible boulders. When the
    path became too steep, pioneers had to lighten the load for the oxen by emptying the wagons and
    carrying up their belongings themselves while the oxen pulled the wagons up the slopes.
    Sometimes the way became so steep that they had to tie ropes to the wagons, climb up the steep
    slopes or cliffs, and the men and oxen pulled up the wagons. Sometimes the oxen would die from
    the strain as they were already weak from lack of food. When the gap was too wide and steep to
    cross, pioneers actually disassembled their wagons and took the pieces across, and then put them
    back together on the other side!

    GOING DOWN THE MOUNTAINS


    It was a definite victory to reach the peak of the mountains! It seemed like traveling down the mountain
    would be so much easier and safer. However, the pioneers soon realized that going down a steep slope posed
    its own unique dangers. The oxen were pulling about 2000 pounds and there were no brakes to slow the
    wagons down. Once heading down the oxen were pushed to go faster and faster and they didn’t have the
    strength to stop the heavy wagon. When this happened, the oxen and wagon could topple straight over high,
    dangerous cliffs! Sometimes they actually crashed into the sides of mountains or immense boulders, injuring
    or killing anyone on board and smashing and breaking the wagons. Pioneers figured out that if they put poles
    through the wheels it would keep them from rolling too fast. They also used rope to tie the wagon to a tree
    and then let the rope go very slowly so the wagons couldn’t build up too much speed. The rope acted like
    brakes.

    UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER
    Crossing the mountain troubles was not just about going up and down steep slopes or cliffs. The weather was
    also severe and unpredictable. By the time pioneers reached the mountains, it was getting close to winter. In
    addition to the possible snow problems, they had to deal with high winds, landslides, and even avalanches.
    Rocky, muddy, and slippery slopes made it almost impossible to travel. It could also get so cold that pioneers
    got frostbite in their fingers or toes and even lose them. Freezing to death actually happened also.

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