High Sierra History and Historical Monuments

Sierra History

Note that the recent names of topographic features represent the character of our interaction with the terrain. We can make out a trajectory of naming trends over our time in the Sierra.

For example, Silver Creek, Silver Peak, and the Silver Trailhead in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness all harken back to the great Silver Boom of the late 1850s that followed on the coattails of the Gold Rush.

The Western foothill communities along Highway "49" make a living off of their Gold Rush history, and revel in their history. I think of "Hangtown," otherwise known as Placerville...

These mountains were overrun first by gold prospectors during the early 1850s, and then by seekers of silver in the late 1850s through the 1860s.

Prior to the frenzy of the Gold Rush and Silver Boom early explorers and settlers probed the Sierra for a path to the Pacific, and many met hard ends.

As we head South from Lake Tahoe towards Yosemite we will encounter Disaster Peak, Relief Peak, along with a series of terrain features that broke many wagons while testing the fortitude of hikers and riders. The Sierra was the forum for demonstrating the apparent lack of common-sense of many of the people who attempted to cross with a wagon before the main roads were established. The Clamper's Historical monument at Sonora Pass attests to these attempts. And the Donner Party.

If you have hiked or driven the length of Highways 88, 4, and 108 across the Sierra crest and its approaches, you know what I mean. Those are a couple of mean hikes as well as mean roads!

I have crossed significant sections of the Sierra without aid of trail or road, so I can see early Western explorers crossing the Sierra without road or trail by hiking, or with a well-equipped and well-provisioned horse and mule team. But not with a wagon. I can say one thing about the early attempts to cross the Sierra with a wagon: they did not scout the route beforehand, or they would not have attempted it with wagons.

Later in time we find remnants of Civil War loyalties in Jeff Davis Peak and Border Ruffian Flat along the NE side of the Molkeulmne Wilderness. And even later we encounter the naturalists and explorers of the late 19th century who left their names and interpretations on the terrain. I'm thinking of Muir Pass and Evolution Basin.

These later explorers brought legal protection to the mountains, and we can still see the first marks left by the men who first patrolled these mountains. In North Yosemite we still sometimes follow the "T" for trail blazes that the US Calvary carved into trees to mark their patrol routes through the Northern Yosemite Backcountry. In the Southern Sierra we trace the footsteps of John Muir between Yosemite and Mount Whitney.

I'm always looking out for people with historical knowledge about the Sierra to contribute and share their knowledge with us backpackers. I have a collection of images of historical locations that this page will document. When I finally finish building the website I will have the time to stock it up with more detailed Sierra histories to compliment the age and dignity of the range.

In the meantime I hope this page stimulates you to search out the history of the areas you are hiking through.

The more you know the better the trip.

History Forum

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Carson Pass Information

Location: Sierra Crest, Highway 88

Elevation: 8600 feet

National Forest: Toiyabe NF - El Dorado NF

Trail Guide Information

Carson Pass Backpacker

Carson Pass Backpacker's History Forum Page

USGS Backpacking Topo Maps

Carson Pass Region topo map

Carson Pass to Ebbetts Pass topo map

Carson Pass to Echo Pass topo map

Ebbetts Pass Information

Location: Sierra Crest, Highway 4

Elevation: 8732 feet

National Forest: Stanislaus

Trail Guide Information

Ebbetts Pass Backpacker

Ebbetts Backpacker's History Forum Page

USGS Backpacking Topo Maps

Ebbetts Pass North

Ebbetts Pass South

Golden Gate Information

Location: Flank of the Eastern Sierra, off of Highway 395 North of Walker and South of Coleville.

Elevation:

Trail Guide Page: None

Backpacker's Forum Backpacking Article

Backpackpacker's History Forum Topic

USGS Backpacking Topo Maps: None specifically for this challenging route...yet

But this map does locate parts of the route:

Ebbetts Pass to PCT junction with the East Carson River. (This is where I join the PCT when entering the Sierras from the East at Little Antelope Pack Station.)

Sonora Pass Information

Location: Sierra Crest, Highway 108

Elevation: 9643 feet

Trail Guide Page

East Carson River to Sonora Pass

USGS Map:

Sonora Pass Region

Sonora Pass to Ebbetts Pass

Sonora Pass to Tuolumne Meadows