Vital Takes on the Lost Sierra 1

Downieville is a name familiar to mountain bikers all over the world. Best known as home to the Downieville Classic,  it is also a tourist destination for those wanting to experience the famous Downieville Downhill, a 15-mile-long 5,000-foot vertical drop through some wild terrain. Mountain bikers come from far and wide to the small town, grab a shuttle to the top and ride the most famous and trafficked trails on tap.

However, Downieville is just one town in the Lost Sierra, located in Northern California, and even this lone spot has much more to offer than its most beloved run. When each of the communities in the Lost Sierra is taken into account, you have a concentration of trails not easily matched.

Much of the terrain found in the Lost Sierra and specifically, Downieville, can be a challenge to access. Hearty souls can load packs and take it on the chin for hours on end in the name of striking it rich with lesser-known and ridden trails. Even those rugged individuals consider it a pilgrimage and view these rides as an accomplishment more than an act of fun. Shuttle services in the area can get you to a number of spots, but straying off the beaten path is still arduous.

It was to this end that Santa Cruz Bicycles made the calculated launch of its first e-bike, the Heckler, in this very region. Its message and branding were clear - use this e-bike to access trails not otherwise ridden. Vital staffers have often made the trip to the Lost Sierra and hold a deep affinity for the region. With our long-term test Heckler still in the garage, we hatched a plan in conjunction with Santa Cruz and Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship (SBTS). The idea was straightforward - let's explore the trails in the Downieville and Quincy area on e-bikes. Let's see what kind of adventure we can unearth, and let's share that information with our readership in the hopes they are inspired to come here and make the most of what is on tap.

Our crew started with Greg Williams and Henry O'Donnell of SBTS, Garen Becker of Santa Cruz Bicycles, and Vital's Brad Howell. The crew went through a variety of plans and eventually landed on the following flight path: Day 1 would be a large ride that started and ended in Downieville. Day 2 would have us riding from the SBTS headquarters in Quincy and into the lesser traveled trails in the Mt Hough network. Day 3 would be a mellower ride where we would just pedal the traditional Mt Hough loop that is so often shuttled.

Our initial ride was by far the most ambitious. Look up the legend that is Henry O’Donnell, or better yet, listen to the Inside Line that delves into this man’s history. TL;DR? Henry is one part Bo Jackson, one part Paul Bunyan and a hell of a bike rider. We left our route in his enormous hands and he devised a route that would be approximately 60 miles with 7,000 feet of climbing.

We would start in downtown Downieville and pedal our way up First and Second Divide on our way to the larger climb up Empire. From there we would ride the ridge over to the new Calida trail with a final descent back into town.

With a big day lined out, we knew we would have to take advantage of Downieville Outfitters' Mountain Mule program with battery and food support. This support plan would meet us at the halfway point with a battery swap and snacks.

Our summit of Empire Trail brought the mixed feeling that we had accomplished a large task while being otherwise humbled by the enormity of our surroundings. Our ridgeline experience was truly something special. With expansive ranges in all directions and striking rock formations, we had to soak it all in for fear of it evaporating from memory. Equally as humbling were the origins of this portion of our route - it was originally created by the first humans in this area, we were riding on the footpaths of ancient peoples. It is something special to lay tracks on a prehistoric trail. For the Trail Stewardship, e-bikes are changing access and granting more users these unique experiences.

E-Bikes and trail access can be a contentious subject. There are certainly issues coming from various users around the US. It was interesting to hear about how e-bikes are being used to open more trails in the Lost Sierra. Greg Williams explained that with the increase in user groups and SBTS’s experience in building multi-use trails (motorized) that e-bikes are bringing in new funding sources and helping to open more of the remote terrain to recreation. Greg was careful to point out that not every trail should allow e-bikes but in those use cases where it makes sense, they’re a valuable tool.

The Downieville downhill is heavily trafficked and for many visitors to the region, the only trail they do. However, there are many more trails that can be accessed and enjoyed. With e-bikes, SBTS is seeing more users make use of these farther-out trails, dispersing traffic throughout the region.

As we headed back into the forest, we were greeted by much newer trails produced by the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship. It was here that we met up with our support vehicle for a battery swap and some snacks. Next up was the Cal-Ida trail. As we watched time disappear, we realized that we would run out of daylight before we completed our goal. We knew that we would have to make use of one of the bail-out lines that we had worked into our master plan. Were we too ambitious? In hindsight, no, not really.

Both Greg and Henry stated that our route would have been easily done had we not been filming. Our Hecklers managed their power well in both Eco and Trail modes, and with the battery swap, there was no concern. The only real hangup was time. Filming isn’t quick but we knew it was important to document these routes. All of us are of the intention to head back and complete this route.

Regardless, we were fulfilled by what we did accomplish and where we were able to ride. The Heckler opened some new doors for us. Just because we had to pull the plug early did not mean we were without some taste of serious adventure.

Not every e-bike outing in the Lost Sierra has to be an endeavor though, as Greg and the Sierra Buttes crew have seen. There are customers that will catch a shuttle to the top of Downieville or Mt Hough and then use e-bikes to hit their favorite trails. It was to that end that Vital aimed to pick some of the lower-hanging fruit in the Lost Sierra.

Downieville has long been considered the gem of the Sierra Buttes, at least from a mountain biking perspective. Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship have done well by this town but now their sights are set on something much larger. To get a taste of that, we headed over to Quincy to take in the expanding trail network on Mt Hough.

Our ride out to Indian Falls was once again, an adventure all its own. Working our way out to this unique zone, we took in new terrain and vistas. A typical trip to Hough means catching a shuttle to the top and dropping in on the main trail, something that is largely considered 14 miles of flow. Our ride today was quite a departure. Though not complete, this route is part of Sierra Buttes' larger vision for Mt Hough.

SBTS will be expanding and building new trail networks all about this mountain. Additionally, this will serve as one of the jump-off points for the Connected Communities plan. Trail users will be able to go from Quincy to Taylorsville via the new networks being built on Hough. It’s all part of the plan to bring new revenue and life to these small, dispersed communities. One of the Lost Sierra’s most valuable resources is the impressive land upon which it sits. Trails help people explore it and support the towns in it.

Last year, the Dixie Fire ravaged California, destroying entire communities and laying waste to a million acres. As it encroached upon the town of Quincy, the trails on Mt Hough proved useful in providing fire breaks and access for firefighters. This land is hearty, and so are its people.

This spring, it was time to get the trails back in shape. What Greg saw at dig days was the return of those wanting to be involved. Using trail work to get back to life as normal. If you have the chance, we highly encourage you to attend an SBTS dig day. The mood is fun, the food is provided, and it’s a fantastic opportunity to connect with other riders.

Our final day was to be spent less on exploration and more on simple fun. Rather than cram in a van for a 12-mile shuttle up the road, we'd take e-bikes instead to enjoy our rip down the new classic, Mt Hough main trail. This masterful work delivered us nothing but high speeds and ripping times. After being awestruck for the last several days, we were ready to let our inner kid run loose. 14 miles and 4,000 feet of descending was just the ticket.

Fires. Pandemics, Economic hardships. Certainly, there have been hurdles for the Lost Sierra. Ask Greg Williams about what's next and the only talk is that of moving forward.

A trail for everyone. That is the mission of SBTS. They don't care how you do it, Sierra Buttes just wants to see you get out on the trails and enjoy their dirt magic. Greg first started guiding people in 1991. He's 50 years young and absolutely rips on a bike. When e-bikes landed in his lap, it seems he saw an opportunity to open more doors to more people.

In 72 hours we rode an unbelievable amount of trails and found our way into regions of the Lost Sierra that few people do. Our intent with this feature was to show more riders the potential of this region and how we used an e-bike to access it. No matter the tool (or toy) you use, we hope you find the time and inspiration to get out and ride.

There would not have been a video without the impressive efforts of our three filmers - Brian, Caleb, and Logan. Each filmer rode every mile that we did and lugged along their 50-pound camera bags to boot.

To learn more about the Lost Sierra and the great work that Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship are doing, head to their site. Stay up to date with Connected Communities and better still, get out there and ride!