Sonora Peak, Stanislaus National Forest: Sweeping Views on Sonora Pass

What came first: Sonora Pass, Sonora Peak, or the City of Sonora? Apparently the mining town of Sonora was the first place to obtain the name of ‘Sonora’ in the area. It was named after the Sonora Desert by early Mexican pioneers. I can see how the two may seem similar during the hot dry summer. Latter the Bartleson-Bidwell Party was the first settler party credited to have crossed Sonora Pass, although…