Hiking the Donner Tunnels, Truckee, CA

The Donner Tunnels above Donner Lake, California were built by Chinese laborers and completed in 1867. The tunnels were constructed by hand drilling and explosions, leading to an uncounted number of deaths. They were used until 1993, when a new route was opened. Today the tunnels are filled with graffiti and are a popular hiking destination. I took this image during a winter hike, when the tunnels are filled with snow and ice. I leaned against a tunnel wall to steady my camera in the low light and took three exposures to capture the full range of light.