In 1863 Theodore Judah, founder of the first transcontinental railroad, has a major disagreement the Big Four investors in his Central Pacific Railroad. Before sailing from California to New York to find new investors he entrusts a fortune in gold, intended to buy out the Big Four, to Doc Strong and Jim Smiley. Pursued by Pinkerton detectives Strong and Smiley hide the gold somewhere near Donner Pass in the High Sierra Mountains. Nearly a century after the building of the first transcontinental railroad, archeologist Dan Strong and his partner Kate Kelly search for Judah's Gold that was hidden along the original route of the Central Pacific Railroad. Their search takes them on a coast to coast adventure matching wits with a black market treasure hunter and a relentless millionaire art collector.