▁early ▁as ▁ 1 8 1 7 , ▁Father ▁Nar cis o ▁Dur án , ▁on ▁an ▁expedition ▁sight ed ▁a ▁snow ▁c apped ▁mountain ▁( Mount ▁Sh asta ), ▁that ▁he ▁called ▁Jesus ▁Maria , ▁from ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁the ▁Mary sv ille ▁pla ins . ▁ ▁Three ▁years ▁later , ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 7 , ▁an ▁expedition ▁to ▁the ▁K lam math ▁Mountains ▁from ▁the ▁Coast al ▁Range , ▁by ▁expl orer ▁Luis ▁Arg ü ello ▁and ▁company , ▁sight ed ▁two ▁" t win " ▁mountains , ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁Mount ▁Sh asta ▁and ▁Mount ▁L assen . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 6 , ▁Mount ▁Sh asta ▁was ▁seen ▁by ▁Hudson ▁Bay ▁fur ▁tr ader ▁Peter ▁Sk ene ▁Od gen . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 8 , ▁M t . ▁Sh asta ▁was ▁seen ▁by ▁United ▁States ▁fur ▁tra pper ▁Jed edia h ▁Smith , ▁whom ▁he ▁named ▁M t . ▁Sim pson . ▁On ▁April ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 8 2 8 ▁Smith ▁and ▁his ▁party ▁tra ve led ▁north ▁and ▁entered ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁called ▁Sh asta ▁County , ▁and ▁proceeded ▁to ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁called ▁Bur nt ▁R anch ▁in ▁Tr inity ▁County . ▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁European ▁American ▁history ▁of ▁Pal o ▁C ed ro ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁expl oration ▁of ▁Hudson ' s ▁Bay ▁Company ▁tra pper ▁Alexander ▁Mc Le od ▁( c . ▁ 1 7 8 2   – ▁ 1 1 ▁June ▁ 1 8 4