Sonora is a gold-rush town, and it was founded by people from the Mexican state it is named for. In 1848, miners from Sonora arrived in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and found gold in the creek beds, and the camp they made grew into one of the richest in the Mother Lode. The mix of cultures was rough, with Mexican, Chilean, Chinese, European and American miners in close quarters, and conflicts over claims led to rules that pushed foreign miners out. Today the town has about five thousand people, and a main street of brick buildings and Victorian houses, cafes and antique stores.
The old gold country around Sonora is dotted with sites from that time. Columbia State Historic Park, a few miles away, preserves a gold-rush town with working stagecoaches and a blacksmith, and the hills around the town are riddled with old workings. Many of the oaks and pines in the surrounding hills hide shafts and tailings. It is a gentle landscape of rolling golden grass, black oaks and quiet lanes, though in summer it is very hot and dry.
From Sonora, Highway 108 climbs steadily into the Sierra, passing through pine forest, then crossing granite country as it approaches Sonora Pass, at about nine thousand six hundred feet one of the highest highway passes in the range. The road narrows, and the steep sections on the east side have grades of up to twenty-six percent, with tight turns and sheer drop-offs, which is the reputation of the road. It is a spectacular and demanding ride, with high alpine views, meadows and peaks, and it is best taken slowly in low gear. Long vehicles are not recommended.
The pass is usually closed in winter, often from November until May or June, and can see snow in any month. Summer storms can bring lightning and hail. Fuel is easy in Sonora, so fill up before leaving, since services in the mountains are few and far between. Summer weekends bring cyclists and motorcyclists, and the road is shared. Cold air and thin atmosphere at the top mean warm clothes are needed, and autumn is a good time to ride, with golden aspen along the streams.