Friar Tuck’s Historical Series

Forlorn Hope: The 100-Mile Gamble Across the Sierra

An Evening with History Expeditions

📅 Wednesday, February 18, 2026
📍 Friar Tuck’s Restaurant & Bar
111 North Pine Street, Nevada City, CA

🕔 Schedule:
5:00–5:30 PM | Cocktails in the bar
5:30–5:45 PM | Seating
5:45–6:00 PM | Light food
6:00 PM | Presentation

🎟 Tickets: $35

American West History Comes Alive in 2026

This February marks the launch of a powerful four-part series at Friar Tuck’s in partnership with History Expeditions where deeply researched history meets raw expedition footage and masterful storytelling.

Across four evenings in 2026 (February 18, May 20, August 19, November 18), ultra-endurance athletes retrace lost trails of the American West to honor the people who first crossed them, then bring those stories to life on stage.

February 18: Forlorn Hope Expedition

Step into the blizzard.

In the winter of the mid-1800s, seventeen members of the trapped Donner camps strapped on makeshift snowshoes and began a desperate 100-mile crossing of the high Sierra- a final, freezing gamble that would become one of the most haunting feats of endurance in American history.

Now, Bob Crowley, Hal Hall, and Tim Twietmeyer of History Expeditions have retraced that very route, uncovering new details, lost paths, and forgotten truths along the way.

Through powerful storytelling, historical research, and gripping expedition footage, they will transport you into the storm, onto the snow, and into the minds of those who made the decision to walk into the white wilderness.

What Makes This Series Different

Each year, History Expeditions selects a mid-1800s American West story whose trail has been lost to time.
They research the people.
They rediscover the route.
They physically reprise the journey.
Then they share both the history and their own experience walking in those footsteps.

This is history you can feel.

🍸 Enjoy cocktails.
🕯 Settle in for light bites (Please note: We cannot make any adjustments to our food for any dietary restrictions).
❄ Step into one of the most defining chapters of California’s pioneer story.

Seats are limited for this first event in the 2026 series.

🎟 Reserve your ticket today and step into the storm.

Friar Society members receive 15% off.