This is the Highway 4 side of the Sierra, in the pines above Arnold, rather than the Sonora Pass road itself, which crosses the range further south on Highway 108. It is the same Sierra Nevada, and the same Gold Rush country, and it is worth knowing which is which before you set out. Highway 4 climbs from the oak foothills into the conifers near Calaveras Big Trees State Park, a short run from here, where giant sequoias, some of them more than two thousand years old, stand in a grove first publicised in the 1850s. The trees are enormous, their bark thick and soft, reddish-brown, and the ground beneath them is quiet and springy with needles.
The state's old mining towns lie below. Angels Camp, where Mark Twain heard the story that became his first famous tale about a jumping frog, and Murphys, a pretty town of old stone buildings, wine tasting rooms and a long main street, are both a short ride away. Gold fever built these places in the late 1840s and 1850s, and many of the buildings have survived. Today, the area is better known for wine.
The mountain roads are the point. Highway 4 continues over Ebbetts Pass, at 8,730 feet, a narrow, twisting road with steep gradients and sections of single lane, only open in summer. Highway 108, over Sonora Pass at 9,624 feet, is one of the highest roads in California, with steep, winding sections and long views over the High Sierra. Both close in winter, usually from around November until late spring, and both can be hit by sudden storms at any time, so check conditions with Caltrans before you go. Drivers with trailers are warned off Sonora Pass, and for good reason.
At this height, the air smells of pine resin and warm dust, and the light through the trees is dappled. Black bears, mule deer and coyotes are common, and Steller's jays make a racket in the branches. Afternoon thunderstorms can build over the crest in summer, and temperatures drop quickly when the sun goes in.
Arnold is the little mountain town nearby, with a few shops, a gas station and places to eat, and it is the main supply point on this stretch of road. Do not rely on any services on the high passes themselves. Fill up here, carry layers, and start early in the day.