A Day Hike In The Crystal Range - July 2019

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Local History

As we live upcountry from the heart of the Mother Lode - the birth of the epic gold rush to California in 1849 - we are surrounded with history. The World Rushed In to this region when gold was discovered in the tailrace of Sutter's sawmill along the American River in Coloma. Nothing would ever be the same. Along with the gold seekers several Italian Swiss families settled in the area and took up farming and ranching in the Coloma Valley. In later years they established high country camps from which to graze cattle in the summer. The Wright and Tell families ran dairy farms. The Tell family produced cheese that they sold in Coloma and we enjoy visiting what we call "Milk House Meadow" and the ruins of the old cheese cellar with massive walls of stacked pieces of columnar basalt. 

On a Saturday in July we hiked up to the site of another  upper ranch tucked away in a high meadow beneath Pyramid Peak that dates back well into the 1800's. We had skied by  years ago as part of a long ski tour and descent from Pyramid's summit. The Lady had mountain biked in with a friend. This was my first visit to the upper ranch without snow.

As the road in was private, it was never open to public vehicles. In places the road now is almost gone.

The road climbs a gentle ridge line and in places offers fantastic views.

Slick Rock is one of our area's granite domes.

There are a few large red firs across what remains of the road.

Forget Me Nots were in their prime.

Are you curious where we were?

The first meadow gives nice views of the Crystal Range in the heart of Desolation Wilderness.

The Lady is always happiest in the mountains.

At around five miles we entered the high meadow and the site of the upper ranch.

We passed an old sign related to an old trail, now long forgotten.

Could you imagine spending summers up here at the upper ranch?

It has been many years since cattle grazed the meadows.

After generations in the family, the USFS acquired this property less than a year ago and it is now public land. The area will remain primitive and the history preserved. It is one of our many treasured historic sites.