Bob Crowley With History Expeditions Group

P R E S E N T S

CROSSING THE SIERRA NEVADA

John C. Frémont’s Perilous 1844 Winter Expedition

Frémont Sierra Expedition

A presentation by members of the History Expedition Team

History Expeditions will present The Frémont Sierra Expedition 2026: a five‑day, 100‑mile mountain journey that honors John C. Frémont’s audacious 1844 winter crossing of the Sierra Nevada and its deep connection to westward expansion. 

The team of five veteran endurance athletes and researchers will retrace his documented route from Bridgeport through Charity Valley, Red Lake Peak, Carson Pass, and down the South Fork of the American River to Strawberry, tying a year of historical research to boots‑on‑the‑ground field verification. They will have just completed their 100-mile reprise hours before, so audience member will get a fresh first-hand account of their journey, encounters and reactions.

In 1844, Frémont, guided by Kit Carson and others, rejected Chief Truckee’s  recommended Truckee River–Donner Pass corridor and instead forced a desperate mid‑winter line over Carson Pass, enduring deep snow, starvation, and psychological strain but losing no men. It was a remarkable feat of navigation, determination and bravery.

History Expedition’s mission is to stand in that same high country to understand his decisions better, investigate unresolved mysteries such as the missing howitzer barrel and possible scientific instrument caches, document Indigenous guides’ roles, and use GPS, film, and daily journals to create a fully digitized, field‑verified route map and rich storytelling that allows visitors and the public to experience this survival epic and its legacy with us.

Come join us for a hour of regaling stories, new discoveries and inspiring protagonists.

Suggested $8.00 Donation at the door