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I cant believe this is not up here yet, 17 MILES OF DOWNHILL AND 5000 VERT. DROP!!! Its been in the MTB magazines. There is about 2 miles of climbing in the middle and end of the ride. Singletrack for 85% of ride. steep technical on top with creek crossings, faster high speed on lower area called 2nd divide, waterfalls, swimming holes, long suspension style bridges, and getting rockier each year, go soon! MTB magazines said possibly the best singletrack in the West! Check it out before it gets too tore up. (Its maintained 2 times a year-Thanks Coyote!)When you hit the dirt road, you can take it all the way to town, but 1-2 miles on the dirt road and look for the newly constructed 1st. devide singletrack whick takes you all the way to town.
from Downieville go Hwy 49 North East past Sierra City to Bassetts, turn left go 1 mile turn left over bridge take first right turn follow signs to Packer Saddle-Start. This about 20 or more miles from town, and during the summer season, Coyote Adventures offers shuttles a few times a day right to the start-call them. Do this because the loop is about 35 miles and the road is flat out dangerous to ride on! The views up on top of Packer Saddle are sweeeeeeet! Go down pavement, stay right turns to dirt quickly then look for drop in on left side of dirt road called Butcher Ranch, This trail needs GOOD working brakes and bring lots of the nessessary tools and extra tube, you are out in the boonies here. Lots of awesome camping everywhere!
Summary: While the shuttle is more sane (if indeed there is any sanity in any of this), it is possible to ride the downhill as a loop from town, and it doesn't take a super-human effort, as you may have been lead to believe. Any reasonably fit cyclist who climbs can do it. We last did the full loop in 6 hours, but we climbed at a pace slow enough to have a conversation, and must have stopped at least 6 times. Climbing time was 4 hours, and the downhill was 2 (we stopped frequently on the downhill, as well). You climb on a forest service road, the condition of which is good enough to drive a car on, and isn't steep. It's an easy cruise, really, though it takes awhile.
For sustenance I'd recommend carrying a 3 liter hydration pack, a bunch of energy bars, a couple of bottles of energy drink, and a foot long sandwich for lunch.
Recommended Route: First of all, parking: drive into town, take your first right over the one-lane bridge, then take your second right following the "P" parking sign. Drive to the very end of the road, where it dead ends into a really nice parking lot, with tables, restrooms, and an outdoor faucet to rinse your dusty self.
Ride back into town center, and continue east on 49. 6 miles from town center you'll see a camping area called Union Flat on your right. Directly across the road, on your left, is the road up to Packer Saddle. Follow this road up 12 miles -- you'll encounter side roads with steep climbs along the way, but stay on the main route -- it'll be obvious. Once at the top, do Sunrise, Butcher, 3rd then 1st Divides, as others have said.
The downhill is absolutely fantastic, and a suitable reward for all that climbing. If you're a glutton for punishment, you'll want to ride Butcher over and over again! Total loop is 30 miles. There's a good pizza place in town, for afterwards.
Other recommended trails in the same area: I've done the Chimney Rock and South Yuba. Chimney Rock is a similar 5 hour loop with a long descent, and though you link 3 peaks at the top, the descent is not that interesting. South Yuba is much more interesting, though there's no significant sustained downhill. It includes a ghost town (North Bloomfield) and a hydraulic mining site (Malakoff Diggins), and makes a really fun day trip.
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Summary: The trail is okay, it's not really as what everyone claims it to be as this almighty king of downhill trails. Frankly, all the trails there are easy. If you have a bike with 8" of travel, you are way over suspended. The hype of a promising advanced riding is a slap in the face because it's really just easy flow that you can sit down from start to finish (minus the first few jumps that give you the false impression that you're in for some advanced stuff. The beginning is decent, with the semi technical creek crossings, but nothing that would require you to get off your bike. The high speed 3rd divide truly is high speed. Best enjoyed if you never touch your front brakes and just rail through. Supposedly there is a record time run there, in which case I'm sure my group of riders topped it riding with no front brakes. 1st divide is wasted energy, especially on downhill bikes. The trail is decent mainly because it's located in a beautiful area away from the city. The Downieville people are usually friendly, but the area is very isolated so there is nothing else to do but bbq, ride, and bring your girl so you can have sex. She will give it to you good if you stay at the Sierra Shangra-La resort.
Other recommended trails in the same area: There is only one other decent trail which is a hike a bike for a long time to get too. Ask the bike store owner(s) to guide you properly.
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Summary: Without a doubt the best legal stuff in Norcal and probably more. Awesome terrain, rippin fast sections, technical rocky sections, its just indescribably good.
Recommended Route: Sunrise trail to butcher to 3rd divide to 1st divide. Dont take 2nd divide, i did the first time i went and its nothing special, skinny little trail next to a big ass cliff.
Other recommended trails in the same area: There are countless, ride em all
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Summary: All I can say is WOW. Downieville has some of the best trails I have ever ridden. Everything has flow to it, but there is plenty of technical stuff on the way down. Stunning views, great waterholes, everything is just awesome about it.
Recommended Route: If you have never been, just do the "Downieville Downhill" which is used as the downhill course at the Downieville Classic. It starts off on Sunrise (a new trail that is very flowy and smooth.) then Butcher Ranch (Super fast, you can go 40+ mph down, but has some techy sections so be careful) then 3rd divide (probably the fastest section of trail overall. Not very technical, but very flowy and the steepest section of trail) and finally 1st divide (my least favorite section. A very exposed singletrack trail that is cut into the hillside. A lot of pedaling as it goes up as much as it goes down. Some great views and swimholes if you do a little hiking).
Other recommended trails in the same area: Everything there. You really can't go wrong.
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Summary: This is the trail that is going to make me finally give up on my beloved 9 year old Rockhopper. Let me say this...I would not recommend this trail to anyone riding with the combination of poorly adjusted cantilever brakes, a chronic seatpost slipping problem and worn out tires on a hardtail bike. After my 5th flat, I could no longer accept accept free tubes from passing riders in good conscience. I walked the last several miles out.
I was able to adress the issues of the brakes and seatpost with the use of my buddies multitool and a couple of large rocks. I found that I was much more confident once I could slow down without the use of my feet (duh), and stopping the rotisserie effect of my seatpost paid big dividends too.
Our wives dropped us off at the top of packer saddle and spent their time waiting for us back in town, which had enough small town charm to keep them happily occupied.
The ride was just the most incredible experience I've ever had on a mountain bike. I'm coming back as soon as I can with a more appropriate bike.
One word of advice...If you are planning to bring an inexperienced buddy with you on this trail, you might want to inspect his his rig before you go...I'm sure I saw my friend mouthing "Jackass" disdainfully, a couple miles into the ride.
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