Arnold is a mountain town strung out along Highway 4 in the Sierra Nevada foothills, a place of log cabins, pine trees and holiday homes at about four thousand feet. It is the first real settlement on the way up the Ebbetts Pass road, and many people use it as a base for the summer, thanks to its cool air and the lakes nearby. The town has cafes, a supermarket and gas stations, and is a sensible place to prepare for the mountain road.
Not far away, in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, stands one of the great groves of giant sequoias, the largest trees on Earth by volume. Their existence was reported by a hunter, Augustus Dowd, in 1852, and within a year, one tree had been cut down and its bark shipped to exhibitions in New York and London, where many people thought it was a hoax. The trees can live for over three thousand years, and the cinnamon-coloured trunks, soft and fibrous, glow in the morning light. A walk among them is worth the detour.
From Arnold, Highway 4 climbs steadily through forest, then crosses granite country and finally reaches Ebbetts Pass, at over eight thousand seven hundred feet. This is not a speedy road. The upper section is narrow, with steep grades and tight bends, and in places the road is barely a lane and a half wide. The advice is to go slowly, use low gears, and use the pull-outs to let others pass. Long vehicles are discouraged. The reward is a very quiet road, thick with pines, with granite domes, meadows and the gleam of small lakes.
Winter closes the pass, usually from November to May, and the snow can arrive early. Summer thunderstorms bring hail and lightning, so start early. Take fuel in Arnold, since there is none on the pass. Black bears are common in the area, and so are deer, so be careful at dawn and dusk. The best time to ride is from June to October, with wildflowers in July and aspen colour in late September. Pack a warm layer, because the temperature at the top can be freezing even in summer.