I’ve lived in Tahoe for most of my life, yet I only recently discovered the Lost Sierra, which is surprising because at an hour's drive, it’s really not that far away. I suppose I was too distracted by that big, beautiful lake.
But there are some days when I have to keep my distance from Tahoe, and lately those days seem to be growing in number. Everybody loves Tahoe. Everybody knows about Tahoe. We’re not kidding when we say that every weekend feels like it's as busy as the Fourth of July.
On those days when Tahoe’s beaches are packed, when the road around Emerald Bay is a traffic jam, when I just don’t have the energy or the patience to deal with all the other people — that’s when I follow Highway 89 north towards the Lost Sierra.
The Lost Sierra is a region that spans the northern part of the Sierra Nevada crest. It’s hard to say where it stops and where it ends. I feel the shift as soon as I reach Sierra Valley, a vast and gorgeous landscape studded by red barns and grazing cows. The farther north you drive, the more remote it feels. But the sweet spot, the heart of the Lost Sierra, is really between Lassen National Park in the north and a charming town called Graeagle in the south.
The geography is full of rolling hills, craggy peaks and more lakes than you can count.
Julie Brown / SFGATEWhen I go to the Lost Sierra, it’s like I’ve escaped California altogether. This corner of the state feels so far away from the six-lane highways of Sacramento or the Bay Area. It’s much quieter than Tahoe and it’s bigger, so people spread out more. The geography is full of rolling hills, craggy peaks and more lakes than you can count. The beauty and the charm make it obvious why word is spreading about the Lost Sierra.
If you haven’t guessed, part of the reason why I love this place is because it’s so easy to get away from other people. So before I disclose anything more about this beautiful, lesser-known place where I go when you go to Tahoe, and where you will now probably want to go as well, let’s establish some boundaries.
I’m not going to tell you the exact spot where I found waterfalls spilling into emerald green pools. I’m not going to give you directions to the idyllic picnic table that appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the woods. I won’t tell you which freshwater lakes are the best for swimming. I refuse to give you a step-by-step to the many, many places that you can and should find on your own. Giving you all of that information would ruin the experience for both of us.
But I gotta say, the Lost Sierra is getting easier and easier to find.
The Lost Sierra is full of swimming holes to discover, shown at left in this combination image. The Pacific Crest Trail, right, is another way to experience the Lost Sierra's beauty.
Julie Brown / SFGATEThe Lost Sierra first popped up on my radar when I started mountain biking. My friends hinted about how good the riding is on the trails built by the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, a grassroots nonprofit organization that has built dozens of miles of singletrack north of Truckee in the Sierra Buttes, Tahoe, Plumas and Lassen national forests.
The Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship also hosts the Downieville Downhill in the Lost Sierra, one of the longest downhill mountain bike races in the country. The race takes place on a course that drops 5,000 feet and leaves riders, from amateurs to pros, covered in dirt and sometimes blood from scraped knees and the like. At the finish line, the entire town transforms into a giant festival.
The race is intended to reflect the spirit of the region, if that gives you any idea of the area’s charm. The Lost Sierra is equal parts grit and good times.
The geography is full of rolling hills, craggy peaks and more lakes than you can count.
Julie Brown / SFGATEI have no desire to ride the Downieville Downhill, but on a brisk fall day, I met up with some friends in Quincy, and we shuttled cars and bikes to the top of Mount Hough where another stewardship-built trail weaves down the mountain. From a shady pine-covered peak, I could see the valley floor thousands of feet below me. I hardly had to pedal down the trail. Gravity pulled me all the way there.
Afterward, we stopped by the Brewing Lair, a popular brewery in a tiny town called Blairsden that serves really good beer and has a hangout perfect for golden afternoons when the light spills through the trees. There was no line at the bar. There were plenty of places to sit and relax. This was the moment I knew I had to make the Lost Sierra part of my regular weekend rotation.
Since then, I’ve just barely scratched the surface of the region’s access to the outdoors, local restaurants, as well as its nostalgia and history.
Not only is the Lost Sierra historic gold mining country, it’s also ski country. Ski historian William Berry is actually credited with reviving the nickname and calling this region the Lost Sierra. While it doesn’t have the ski resorts like Tahoe, skiers still hike up the mountains and make turns in the backcountry, just as gold miners did more than 150 years ago.
The lodge at the Johnsville Historic Ski Bowl. Every year, skiers gather to race on huge, 12-foot-long skis.
Julie Brown / SFGATEAccording to local legend, some of the fastest miners were clocking 88 mph on 12-foot-long skis. Skiing was the pastime miners created while they were waiting out long winters in the Sierras.
I have no doubt that the miners were reckless and fast on skis. You can see it for yourself. The Plumas Ski Club has revived the Gold Rush tradition with the Historic Longboard Revival Series that takes place every winter, if conditions allow. The ski races are at the Johnsville Historic Ski Bowl, an abandoned ski resort, and racers come dressed to ski like the miners did, with trousers, hats, mustaches and 12-foot-long boards. The women even ski in long, billowing skirts.
Johnsville feels like a sleepy mining town — full of ghosts, I might add — located in the shadow of Eureka Peak. I’d venture to say it’s the true heart of the Lost Sierra. You’d never find Johnsville unless you were looking for it. But it’s well worth going out of your way to visit. Plumas-Eureka State Park, located in Johnsville, mixes camping and hiking with historic mining bunks and artifacts. The names you’ll see in the museum on mining history you might also find in the graveyard on the other side of town.
The Nakoma Resort's clubhouse was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Julie Brown / SFGATEThe Lakes Basin area is another spot, just a few miles outside of Graeagle. Trails intertwine about 20 lakes huddled in a basin carved by glaciers. I could wander around in the Lakes Basin for a long time. The views are both long and small — if you look down and notice the wildflowers.
Now, I’m excited and I want to tell you everything I’ve found in the Lost Sierra: about the swimming holes in the North Yuba River, the Lost Sierra Hoedown and of course, High Sierra Music Festival. How you can climb to the Sierra Buttes fire lookout, built in 1915. And how good the soft serve ice cream tastes at the shop in Graeagle after a long day outdoors. You really shouldn’t miss the Nakoma Resort’s clubhouse, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. There’s so much to see and do.
Oh, and on your way home, you might as well stop by Lake Tahoe.
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Welcome to the Lost Sierra: An hour away from Tahoe is a corner of California history - SF Gate
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