Surrounded by horrors as they were, it seemed they could endure the thought of yet an additional horror....

There were the dead, the victims who already had perished!...
Seven of the fifteen got through to the Sacramento Valley, among these the young girl, Mary Graves, described as "a very beautiful girl, of tall and slender build, and, exceptionally graceful character." The story brought out by these survivors of the first party to cross the Sierras from the starving camp set all California aflame.

There were no less than three relief expeditions formed, which at varying dates crossed the mountains to the east.

Some men crossed the snow belt five times in all.

The rescuers were often in as much danger as the victims they sought to save.
And they could not save them.