Downieville Ca – April 5, 2023 – With the heavy snowpack in the sierra this year, many traditional spring and early summer events face questions on the ability to bring in guests. Yet, yesterday the sierra Buttes trail Association announced plans to move forward with two classic Sierra bike events the Downieville Classic and the Lost & Found Gravel Grinder to their email subscribers..
Both summer race festivals—each an important SBTS fundraiser—will continue as planned, despite The Winter That Won’t End continuing to serve up extra helpings of snow in the Lost Sierra. The Lost & Found Gravel Festival, presented by Cervélo, will remain June 3 in Portola. Our race permit covers 600 miles of dirt and pavement roads so we have plenty of alternative route options and can adjust quickly to re-route the course into the vast lower valleys around Portola if necessary. No matter what, each course distance and total elevation gain will stay nearly the same, and will continue to showcase the beauty of the Lost Sierra backcountry in a rugged adventure befitting of the high sierra (and with all this moisture, the wildflowers are going to be popping’!)
Riders choose from 35-, 60- and 100-mile courses that all pass through some of the most beautiful terrain in the Lost Sierra, as well as some of the best aid stations in the game, and are greeted at the finish with a rockin’ post-ride party. Spots are still open in all categories! Link to registration. If racing’s not your thing, but you really like good times with good people, we also have a bunch of volunteer opportunities.
Email from Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship regarding Downieville Classic and Lost & Found Mountain Bike races 2023
The Lost & Found Gravel Grinder – June 3rd, 2023
The Lost & Found course features a perfect blend of pavement, dirt road, gravel road and historic railroad grade. Racers must choose their bike wisely as you’re not in Kansas, this is the high Sierra.
The longest route is approximately 100 miles with 8,000′ of elevation gain and is 80% dirt. Also available are two shorter and still challenging course options; the 60 mile, with 5,000′ gain, and the 35 mile, with 4,000′ gain.
All routes start in Portola at the City Park and lead into the surrounding mountains through some of the most beautiful and vast alpine valleys California has to offer.
The Downieville Classic – July 13-16, 2023
Downieville is most famous for its races, and riders come to prove themselves hardened and unbreakable. The Downieville Classic Cross Country race is one of the last remaining point-to-point bicycle races in the United States. The 26.5-mile course follows a rugged “Gold Rush” era route from the mountain town of Sierra City (elevation 4,100′), to the crest of the Sierra Nevada (elevation 7,100′), and down 5,200 vertical feet into downtown Downieville. It’s considered a tribute to the mountains, the rivers, the big trees, the fresh mountain air and the hard men that carved trails through the river canyons in search of gold and prosperity. The Classic is followed by the Downieville Downhill, which drops 5000 vertical feet in 15 miles from Packer Saddle to Downieville. It’s the longest and most demanding downhill mountain bike race in the nation. Not a racer? Not to worry. Nearly as famous are the Ron’s House of Big Air River Jump, the log pull competition, and a soundtrack of live music.
About the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship
Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship is a non-profit organization that builds and maintains multiuse trails in the Sierra Buttes, Tahoe, Plumas and Lassen National Forests. They are one of the most active and visionary trail groups in the Sierra Nevada, working on creating a system called connected communities, that once finished will be an iconic mountain community bike and hike project in the United States for mountain communities.
Our mission is building sustainable recreation-based communities through stewardship, job creation and world-class events. Providing quality outdoor experiences through trail construction and maintenance in the Lost Sierra.