And the Oh, Imagine yourself cross-country skiing under the moonlight through the backcountry of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

The air is crisp and clear. There's a blanket of white beneath you and the only sound you hear is that of your breathing and your skis as they slide through the snow

You are well insulated and carry a hot coffee and a thermus in your backpack. You probably have a friend with you and certainly a cell phone in your pocket in case of an emergency.

Now roll back the time to about 130 years ago. You are alone wearing handmade clothes, skiing

cross country through the rugged high sierras in a storm with a pack of mail strapped

to your back and you're the only communication linking the East Coast to the West.

There are no trains and there are no telegraph wires here and certainly no cell phone

service. You are now looking through the eyes of Snowshoe Thompson, one of the most

intriguing heroes in California's history. From 1856 to 1876, he made legendary 90-mile treks over snow drifts up to 50 feet high and

through blizzards with up to 80 mile per hour winds to deliver mail to those living in isolation. He was the sole

link between California and the Atlantic States during those long winter

months. Welcome to another episode of 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories, and Mysteries.

This episode titled Snowshoe Thompson, Legend of the High Sierras,

is from our Legends series and tells the incredible story of a Norwegian immigrant that became a Western legend.

You can catch all our episodes at iTunes and all podcatcher sites like Stitcher and podbay.

F.m. or visit our website at www.1,001 stories podcast

dot com.

1001 heroes is listened to and enjoyed in over 120 countries.

We are proudly g-rated and our stories according to our fans are fast-paced, compelling, and fun

without the distraction of heavy audio production.

Most of the time, unless I really like the sound effects, it's just you, the listener, and me.

This is your host, John Horn and this is our story.

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