There's a saying that goes, "Downieville: a drinking town with a mountain biking problem." So when the first annual Downieville Mountain Brewfest was held last weekend on Main Street, it only seemed fitting. In fact, many people were asking themselves what took so long. Much like the Downieville Classic, the Brewfest sold out early, proving the town's appetite for alcohol consumption. Seeing Main Street packed with people was an encouraging sign that this little town of less than 300 can make awesome happen when it wants to.

The First Annual Downieville Mountain Brewfest was a sellout success.

The First Annual Downieville Mountain Brewfest was a sellout success (click to enlarge).​

The awesome got even awesomer later that evening when I walked into St. Charles Place, the local - and only - watering hole in town, and was greeted to the neck-snapping odor of vomit. Turns out a couple out-of-town patrons were having such a good time drinking all afternoon in the sun that they didn't heed the event organizer's advice of, "You don't have to try all the beers."

Aside from the smashing success of the Brewfest, Downieville also played host to the Santa Cruz Bicycles company party and the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship (SBTS) Epic weekend, making for a trifecta of debauchery. I never made it over to the Santa Cruz compound, but I heard reports of 100 people all camped by the Downie River shooting pellet guns at stacks of silvery dead soldiers, and a podium awards ceremony for the top marksmen.


Instead of shooting guns, I spent the evenings with the SBTS crew at Yuba Expeditions shooting a cue ball at an eight ball in an addictive game called Crud that has become a rite of passage for anyone involved with the Stewardship. It's hard to explain all the nuances of the game, for there are many. But the three basic rules are: you can only shoot from behind the ends of the table, don't let the eight ball stop rolling and you can only shoot in a forward direction. Oh, and the more you drink, the better you get.

When I wasn't playing Crud, I was reveling in tales about the legend of Stinky Larry, a ghost who allegedly haunts part of the old Craycroft Building where the Yuba Expeditions shop used to be. The old shop manager, Wayno, swears that the ghost of Stinky Larry dumped a bucket of piss on him when he was sleeping one night. How did a bucket of piss end up in Wayno's room? Instead of pissing out the window like most normal humans, Wanyo pissed into a bucket. The next morning when he woke, the bucket was empty and Wayno was covered in his own whiz.

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[IMG alt="The SBTS volunteer crew reopening the final section of North Yuba Trail. Photo by "The Metal" Mike Haire"]https://reviews.mtbr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/trailwork.jpg[/IMG]

The SBTS volunteer crew reopening the final section of North Yuba Trail (click to enlarge). Photo by "The Metal" Mike Haire​

Aside from alcohol, firearms and piss buckets, there were some other notable milestones achieved last weekend. A solid crew of volunteers showed up for Sunday's SBTS Trail Daze, working to re-open a 200-yard section of North Yuba Trail west of Goodyear's Bar that's been closed for two years after a massive wind storm brought down dozens of huge trees. Thanks to the hard work of SBTS volunteers, North Yuba is now open the entire length from Downieville to Rocky Rest Campground.

[IMG alt="Greg "Willie" Williams and Dr. Rob Bixler were proud fathers of their daughters who conquered the Downieville Downhill."]https://reviews.mtbr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/girls.jpg[/IMG]

Greg "Willie" Williams and Dr. Rob Bixler were proud fathers of their daughters who conquered the Downieville Downhill (click to enlarge).​

An even bigger milestone was reached last weekend when the 10- and 11-year-old daughters of Dr. Rob Bixler and Greg "Willie" Williams successfully tackled the entire Downieville Downhill for the first time. Admittedly there was some blood, sweat and tears, but these two rippers made it to the bottom with huge smiles and an enormous sense of accomplishment. By the looks on their faces, they didn't even seem phased. Instead of collapsing on the ground like most adult first-timers, they shed their riding gear, put on their swimsuits and bolted straight for the river. Later that night Dr. Rob's daughter toed the line in a game of Crud, schooling guys 40 years her senior in only her second game.

This type of indoctrination is what makes the Stewardship and Yuba Expeditions so special; it's one big family that gathers in the name of trails, outdoor recreation, building a local economy and teaching the next generation useful skills to enrich their lives and carry on the Stewardship's legacy.

O'Donnell in his natural habitat.

A perfect example of this is Henry O'Donnell (featured in the video above), a Downieville native from one of the last genuine mining families, who at only 15 years old won the Downieville Classic Downhill, beating the legendary Mark Weir in a massive upset victory that stunned everyone except those who knew Henry. Today, Henry has a family of his own and is the project supervisor for the SBTS, working full-time as a trail builder. His work and the help of volunteers shapes the incredible trails we all get to enjoy. And because the Stewardship is an autodidactic (self-taught) organization, the trails built by Henry and the Stewardship have a unique and rugged feel unlike anywhere else. One look at the rockwork Henry and the Stewardship does in the Lakes Basin is all you need to see.

In only a week, the 20th Anniversary of the Downieville Classic will be firing up. There have been many ups and downs for the town, the Stewardship and Yuba over those two decades, but through it all the Classic has endured as a celebration of community and the rugged magic of the mountains that envelop Downieville. Even if you don't plan on racing, you should make the trip up. But a word to the wise - leave the piss bucket at home.

Editor's Note: The Angry Singlespeeder is a collection of mercurial musings from contributing editor Kurt Gensheimer. In no way do his maniacal diatribes about all things bike oriented represent the opinions of Mtbr, RoadBikeReview, or any of their employees, contractors, janitorial staff, family members, household pets, or any other creature, living or dead. You can submit questions or comments to Kurt at singlespeeder@consumerreview.com. And make sure to check out Kurt's previous columns.