Who made the shortcut for the donner party?

The shortcut for the Donner Party was proposed by Lansford Hastings. He was an ambitious young man who promoted the idea of a new, shorter route to California, which he believed would save time for westward travelers. Unfortunately, Hastings' shortcut, known as the Hastings Cutoff, proved to be extremely difficult and treacherous, contributing to the hardships faced by the Donner Party during their ill-fated journey in 1846.