LOCATION: FREMONT'S 1844 WINTER
CAMP MAPS: Map 27, Fremont's Winter Camp, Page
56 LOCALITY: South of Red Lake, east of the
Forestdale Divide Road, slightly north of the Forestdale
Creek Bridge FOREST: Toiyabe National Forest UTM: 11 242954E,4285605N NFS Map(s): Mokelumne Wilderness (best);
Toiyabe National Forest, Carson
Ranger District
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This is the route I always take. And a somewhat more detailed map of my own making--see it |
COMMENTS:
On February 20, 1844, "The Pathfinder," John C. Fremont, and
his
party of explorers crossed the Sierra Nevada on their way to the
Sacramento Valley.
While being only the third group of Euro-Americans to cross over
the Sierra Nevada, Fremont's party was the first to cross over
what we now call Carson Pass. In addition, Fremont and/or members
of his party were the first Euro-Americans to climb Red Lake Peak,
and either Elephants Back or Round Top Mountain. In doing so, they
made the first reported sighting of Lake Tahoe.
Starting near Bridgeport on January 25, 1844, Fremont and his party traveled past Topaz Lake and up Charity Valley Creek into Grover Hot Springs Valley. They then continued up the valley reaching the western end of Charity Valley on February 4, 1844. The camp (Long Camp) in Faith Valley where the party stayed while preparing to cross over Carson Pass was reached on February 10, 1844. Ten days later, on the 20', Freinonf and his party crossed over what we now call "Carson Pass" and dropped down to the American River east of present day Sciots Camp and the Fortytwo Mile Picnic Area near Strawberry. From there, the party continued west down the American River. They reached Sutter's Fort on March 6, 1844.
Thanks to a local amateur historian, the location of Fremont's winter camp near Faith Valley has been located. To visit this site, drive 1 .5 miles down the Forestdale Divide Road from Red Lake. Turn left onto a dirt road (FS Road 01 3A), go 0.3 miles passing FS Road 093 on the right to a jeep road on the left. Turn left and go up the hill to the end of the road [4WD drive, high clearance only]. Park and walk about 80 feet west (compass bearing 330') to a large tree in a large open area. Look for a small, homemade metal plate that identifies the location. It is located on the west side of the free. Parking at the end of the road is limited and turning around can be difficult, especially for long wheel base vehicles.
George Karl Ludwig "Charles" Preuss, expedition cartographer, made several drawings of views from Long Camp. The vantage point which Preuss used for his drawings is located at UTM: 11 242858E, 4285639N
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Note: coordinates in DMS:
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Frémont's
Long Camp is now also a Geocache site. Click the
Geocaching icon to visit the page.Further information may be obtained from the book The Crossing of the Sierra Nevada in the winter of 7843-1844 by Bob Graham. A copy of this book may be obfair~ecl from the author. Contact him directly at http://www.longcamp.com.
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