For many generations Northern Sierra Miwok lived, traded and traversed the foothills and mountains of the Sierra Nevada. In 1844, non-Indians first crossed the high Sierra when Fremont’s Expedition, in deep snow, surmounted the range, thanks to several mountain-man immortals- Kit Carson, Alex Godey, Thomas Fitzpatrick.
The search for gold spread east and into the mountains. Miners and gold-panners could be found all over the Upcountry; in Pine Grove, along the Mokelumne River, in Buckhorn, or in long gone places called Tom & Dick or Pick and Drill.
For almost two centuries, people have been attracted to Upcountry; the sparkling mountain lakes; grassy meadows with glassy smooth ponds; profuse wildflowers; deep river canyons; dramatic mountain passes; and the rich diversity of recreation and history to be found.