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Quiz about Californias Alps The Sierra Nevada

California's Alps: The Sierra Nevada Quiz

Among the many natural wonders of California, the Sierra Nevada mountain range ranks as one of the most spectacular. Many well-kown vacation destinations, such as Lake Tahoe and Yosemite, are located in these mountains.

A multiple-choice quiz by lompocjoe. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
lompocjoe

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
259,805

Updated
Jan 09 24

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
1923

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Which of these National Parks is NOT located in the Sierra Nevada ecosystem? Hint

Joshua Tree National Park

King's Canyon National Park

Sequoia National Park

Yosemite National Park

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Question 2 of 10

2. This man was born in Scotland in 1838 and moved with his family to Wisconsin as a teenager. In his later years, he became a fierce protector of the Sierra Nevadas and in 1892, founded the Sierra Club. What was his name? Hint

Claude Channa

Edward Mattson

Lorenzo Sawyer

John Muir

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. In the terrible winter of 1846/1847, a group of California immigrants became stranded on a Sierra mountain pass --- and became part of the lore of the state. What was this group known as? Hint

The Stephens-Potter Party

The Zenas Leonard Party

The Rev. Thomas Starr King Party

The Donner Party

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. 'Sierra Nevada' is Spanish for _____________
_______________. (Two words) Hint

High Plains

Heaven's Mountains

Snowy Range

Ancient Trees

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Question 5 of 10

5. Rivers flowing west from the Sierra Nevada eventually drain into the Pacific Ocean. Where do rivers flowing east end up? Hint

Death Valley National Park

The Colorado River

The Great Basin; this water does not end up in any ocean

The Great Salt Lake

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Question 6 of 10

6. During the California Gold Rush, 'La Veta Madre' became better known as _____
________________
____________ . (Three words) Hint

The Protective Mother

The Precious Mother

The Bountiful Mother

The Mother Lode

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Question 7 of 10

7. The Native American tribe that inhabited much of the Sierra Nevada is known as the _____________. Hint

Ohlone

Chumash

Miwok, or Mountain Miwok

Nenomine

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. It is generally believed that the first white man to see Lake Tahoe was __________________________. Hint

John Muir

William F. Brewer

John C. Fremont

Clarence King

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Question 9 of 10

9. During World War Two, thousands of Japanese-Americans were interned in a small Sierra Nevada town called _______________. Hint

Manzanar

Owens Valley

Whitneyville

Dusy Basin

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Along with its County Fair, Calaveras County presents another unusual event. Do you know what it is? Even though you may never have visited Calaveras County, you've probably heard of this special celebration. Hint

Lake Isabella Grand Old Opry Days

Taylorsville Solar Cook-Off

Jumping Frog Jubilee

Grass Valley Pioneer Days

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which of these National Parks is NOT located in the Sierra Nevada ecosystem?

Answer: Joshua Tree National Park

In 1994, Joshua Tree National Monument became a National Park, but its original size was reduced by several hundreds of thousands of acres. It is located at a junction of the Colorado and Mojave Deserts ecosystems.

Answer: John Muir

Few people did more to preserve California's wilderness areas than John Muir. His greatest 'gift' to the state was Yosemite National Park.

3. In the terrible winter of 1846/1847, a group of California immigrants became stranded on a Sierra mountain pass --- and became part of the lore of the state. What was this group known as?

Answer: The Donner Party

In October 1846, 87 people who had left a larger immigrant group to take a treacherous 'shorter route' to California found themselves unable to get through the heavy snow and decided to make camp on what is now known as Donner Pass. In February 1847, the first rescue party to reach the group found that 48 people had survived, some of them having turned to cannibalism in order to live.

4. 'Sierra Nevada' is Spanish for _____________ _______________. (Two words)

Answer: Snowy Range

In 1542, Juan Cabrillo saw some mountains near the entrance to San Francisco Bay and named them 'Sierra Nevada.' However, as exploration of California moved eastward, the interior mountains that we now know as Sierra Nevada were named. The coastal mountains discovered by Cabrillo are called the Coastal Sierra.

5. Rivers flowing west from the Sierra Nevada eventually drain into the Pacific Ocean. Where do rivers flowing east end up?

Answer: The Great Basin; this water does not end up in any ocean

The Great Basin covers parts of Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah, and California. It can be described (roughly) as the area between the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains. One section of it, in Nevada, was set aside as Great Basin National Park.

6. During the California Gold Rush, 'La Veta Madre' became better known as _____ ________________ ____________ . (Three words)

Answer: The Mother Lode

Any principal vein of gold or silver can be called 'the Mother Lode' and the term was first used in 1548 to describe a silver mine near Guanajuato, Mexico. However, most people associate the term with the Gold Rush of California.

7. The Native American tribe that inhabited much of the Sierra Nevada is known as the _____________.

Answer: Miwok, or Mountain Miwok

The Miwoks occupied a large section of California, ranging from the San Francisco Bay Area to the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada. The Paiute Indians resided on the eastern side of the Sierras and often fought territorial wars with the Miwoks.

8. It is generally believed that the first white man to see Lake Tahoe was __________________________.

Answer: John C. Fremont

In 1846, Fremont, along with Kit Carson, explored much of the Sierra Nevada, including the Lake Tahoe area. In later years, he was the first candidate of the newly-formed Republican Party to run for president (1856) but lost to James Buchanan.

9. During World War Two, thousands of Japanese-Americans were interned in a small Sierra Nevada town called _______________.

Answer: Manzanar

In 1942, the little town of Manzanar, located at an elevation of 4000-feet near Owens Lake, became the location of one of the largest Japanese-American internment camps. Today, it has been preserved as a National Historic Site.

Answer: Jumping Frog Jubilee

Made famous by the short story written by Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), this event is held in Angels Camp during the third week of May. Twain wrote about a gold miner named Jim Smiley and his 'celebrated' frog, Dan'l Webster.

Source: Author lompocjoe

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