Jon Palmer breaks out the skis as winter is fast approaching.

Jon Palmer breaks out the skis as winter is fast approaching (click to enlarge).​

Although there's more than a foot of snow up on Packer Saddle where the shuttle drop-off point is, Yuba Expeditions stayed open until last weekend. And after the Yuba crew sells the remaining 15 Santa Cruz and Ibis demo bikes at the San Francisco Bike Expo this coming weekend, the season will officially be over. It was a record year, opening on April 1, nearly two months ahead of normal. And with three consecutive early winter storms dumping a foot of snow each over the last few weeks, the hopes of returning to at least a normal Sierra Nevada winter are high.

Photo documentation of the last Packer Saddle shuttle of the season - November 1, 2015.

Photo documentation of the last Packer Saddle shuttle of the season: November 1, 2015 (click to enlarge).​

Over the past seven months I spent every other weekend in Downieville working for Yuba Expeditions. A few of you have followed the exploits of the summer on Mtbr, and a few of you have made the journey to Downieville and met me in person. The last seven months have been some of the most memorable in my life thanks to all the new friends I've made, both customers of Yuba and members of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship. And it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun without my co-workers Jon Palmer, Billy Epps (and his two daughters), Kevin Marshall, Mason Werner and Jake Helm. Everyone will be back next year with the exception of Jake, who will be taking on the envious role of demo van driver for Santa Cruz Bicycles.

The core Yuba Expeditions crew - Jon Palmer, Mason Werner and Jake Helm.

The core Yuba Expeditions crew - Jon Palmer, Mason Werner and Jake Helm (click to enlarge).​

Right now, above 6,000 feet elevation the trails are already snowed in, especially on north facing slopes where the sun's rays almost never reach. The leaves are falling and the mornings in Downieville are extremely cold; the deep, narrow canyon that town sits in doesn't see direct sunlight until at least 11 a.m., keeping the frost on buildings and the ground all through the morning hours.

Jonathan Rayner enjoying nature's colors on North Yuba Trail.

Jonathan Rayner enjoying nature's colors on North Yuba Trail (click to enlarge).​

Like the hundreds of black bears that roam just outside (and sometimes inside) town, the people of Downieville go into hibernation in winter. Some don't come out of their homes for days, giving Downieville an eerie, ghost town feel. Several people who spent winters in Downieville have warned me not to stay; the lack of sun has a depressing effect that does permanent damage to the psyche. I doubted it could be so bad, but after last weekend, I began to understand. Depending on what part of town you're in, you might not see direct sunlight the entire day.

Last weekend was the final trail workday of the season, and in typical Stewardship fashion, a devoted crew of volunteers came out to dial in Big Boulder and Third Divide trails. Unlike most parts of California, thanks to the historic mining routes that predate classification, the Downieville region is rich with true multi-use trail, open to horses, hikers, mountain bikers and motos. In fact, the moto might be the best means of transportation in this vast, steep, rocky and remote region.

Continue to page 2 for more from Downieville and a photo gallery »

Members of the Nevada County Woods Riders joined the Stewardship for the final workday of the season on Third Divide and Big Boulder trails.

Members of the Nevada County Woods Riders joined the Stewardship for the final workday of the season on Third Divide and Big Boulder trails (click to enlarge).​

On Sunday I worked alongside a hardy and capable crew of moto guys from the Nevada County Woods Riders, helping reshape four switchbacks on the lower section of Big Boulder. While many parts of the state ostracize moto riders, the Downieville region continues to attract this important and passionate group of trail users. Without motos, the Stewardship couldn't achieve half the trail and event magic that they do. Motos are an essential tool in both transporting equipment and providing quick emergency access. And by working with moto riders, I learned a few things about how to make the trail more accommodating for both motorized and non-motorized users.

This much-needed trail work is a harbinger of things to come in the Downieville region. The Stewardship just signed a pivotal agreement with the Tahoe National Forest to hire a full-time trail crew based out of Downieville to build and maintain existing and new trail in the area. And to help raise funds for extensive repairs to trails like Pauley Creek, as well as an exciting new development that will make the existing Pacific Crest Trail from Packer Saddle to Gold Lake OHV entirely mountain bike and moto legal. (A new trail will be built for hikers that closely follows the old alignment.) Next week Santa Cruz Bicycles and the Stewardship will be launching a new 5-Bucks-a-Foot campaign (details coming soon to Mtbr) giving the winner their choice of any new Santa Cruz bicycle of up to $10,000 in value.

Views like this of the Sierra Buttes will be moto and mountain bike legal once a four-mile section of Pacific Crest Trail between Packer Saddle and Gold Lake OHV is converted.

Views like this of the Sierra Buttes will be moto and mountain bike legal once a four-mile section of Pacific Crest Trail between Packer Saddle and Gold Lake OHV is converted (click to enlarge).​

This partnership between Tahoe National Forest, Santa Cruz and the Stewardship can't be understated, as it's the first agreement in more than a decade that will have a significant positive impact on Downieville, both from a trails perspective and local employment. There are even plans of new trails connecting Chimney Rock from Halls Ranch, the "A Tree" at the top of Lavezzola from Gold Lake OHV and realigning trails like Rattlesnake Creek to be all singletrack from top to bottom. For those familiar with the area, this is a big, big deal. These connections will open up so many new incredible backcountry options for trail users. Good times ahead in the Lost Sierra for sure.

Last Friday, I had the distinct honor of speaking with the kids at Downieville High School about finding a career they're passionate about and my path to becoming a writer. With only 20 kids in grades 8-12, Downieville High School is incredibly small and isolated from the rest of the modern world. These kids don't have the same experiences most kids in bigger cities have. In my view, the experiences these kids have are far better. All of them have seen a bear with their own eyes. Some have even seen a mountain lion. Some are related to heirs of the most productive gold mines in the history of our country and some know how to hunt, clean and cook a wild animal.

Downieville Middle and High School class of 2015-2016.

Downieville Middle and High School class of 2015-2016 (click to enlarge).​

A few of the kids ride mountain bikes, but a majority of them don't. However, they all have an understanding and appreciation of nature. They are far more in balance with their environment than most kids and have a much higher probability of surviving in the wild. They might not realize it now, but when they become adults and look back on their lives, they'll fondly remember their childhood growing up in the Lost Sierra.

[IMG alt=""Downieville, Gold Town on the Yuba" by James J. Sinnott (left). The ASS (right) descending one of Downieville's best kept secrets - Herkimer Mine Trail."]https://reviews.mtbr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Book-and-Herkimer.jpg[/IMG]

"Downieville, Gold Town on the Yuba" by James J. Sinnott (left). The ASS (right) descending one of Downieville's best kept secrets - Herkimer Mine Trail (click to enlarge).​

After the talk, Robin, the teacher (who also happens to be the bartender at St. Charles Place I wrote about here) gave me an incredible book titled "Downieville, Gold Town on the Yuba" by James J. Sinnott. Featuring more than 400 pages of remarkable Sierra County history, unbelievable tales of massive gold nuggets, murder and revenge, survival in epic winter storms and floods that have wiped out the town numerous times, the book has consumed me; especially the historic photos and maps showing how the town has morphed over the last 165 years. The amount of history in the mountains surrounding Downieville is astonishing.

Although the snow is just getting started, I already look forward to 2016 with more long days in the saddle, shooting the **** outside Yuba HQ with good beer, sleeping by the North Yuba in the hammock, and running five shuttles in a day under the shadow of the majestic Sierra Buttes. I've only scratched the surface of this remarkably rich and historic place. Next year I plan to sit down with more locals and hear their stories. Thanks for hearing mine this past summer.

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.