In 1911, a very confident Arthur Foote of Nevada City won the race in June- more than a month earlier before anyone else made it over- and here he is driving down a snow bank on Donner Summit.
Mr. Foote had purchased his first car in January 1908, and it was shipped in parts by train. After reading the instruction manual, he spent a couple of days assembling the machine. Once his new vehicle was put together and fueled with gasoline purchased at the drug store (there were no gas stations yet), Foote took a ride and immediately became an aficionado of the new horseless carriage. When he heard about the Tahoe Tavern contest a few years later, he decided to take on the challenge.
Snow drifts had blocked the trail, but the following morning Foote woke early and surveyed the road ahead until he came to a washed-out bridge on the Yuba River roaring with snowmelt. Foote was an accomplished engineer and rigged a metal cable over the raging torrent and slid the car to the other side.
When the other competitors for the trophy (for first through the Donner Summit) following him came to the washed out bridge on the Yuba, they were at a loss on how to cross. Foote had removed the cable and told no one of this technique. This gave him an insurmountable lead. Taking advantage of the clear road from Truckee to Tahoe City, he reached the Tahoe Tavern first and claimed the handsome trophy.
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https://www.sierrasun.com/news/weather-window-conquering-donner-pass-by-car-3/
This is what is so intriguing about early motoring, the guy buys a car, assembles it himself, teaches himself how to drive it, and then goes on a race with it. No 2 way radio, no support crew following him, just a spirit of adventure and smarts.
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