Greg Williams of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and the Downieville Classic – The Power of Trails AKA Dirt Magic #114

2023-02-14

Trail EAffect with Greg Williams of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and the Downieville Classic – The Power of Trails AKA Dirt Magic Greg leads the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and is a descendant of the Deer Creek Band of Northern Sierra Miwok. Greg has spent his life in the Sierra Nevada Mountains living by the examples of his elders — developing a passion for community, clean streams, big mountains, and long trails. Greg is a trailblazer and pioneer of backcountry mountain biking in Downieville, establishing Yuba Expeditions guide service in 1991 and the Downieville Cla...

Trail EAffect with Greg Williams of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and the Downieville Classic – The Power of Trails AKA Dirt Magic

Greg leads the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and is a descendant of the Deer Creek Band of Northern Sierra Miwok. Greg has spent his life in the Sierra Nevada Mountains living by the examples of his elders — developing a passion for community, clean streams, big mountains, and long trails.

Greg is a trailblazer and pioneer of backcountry mountain biking in Downieville, establishing Yuba Expeditions guide service in 1991 and the Downieville Classic mountain bike festival in 1995. In 2003 Greg founded the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship in order to maintain and enhance the trail system, create local jobs, and grow the recreation economy in the Lost Sierra region.

Early Years with Greg Williams
- Miwok Heritage
- Being Shaped by Downieville
The realization that people might pay for Downieville Shuttles and Guide Services
Santa Cruz Bikes and their support of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship
The resistance of mountain bikers coming into Downieville in the early years
Bringing an economy to Downieville
The growth of trail work days and need to organize
Stepping up to take care of the trails for the U.S. Forest Service in 2001
Creating the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship in 2003
- The value of naming the organization a “Trail Stewardship”
- 20 years of Seriousness
- Building the model backwards
The Power of Trails
How the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship has become a sizable employer in the region
Student internships and giving them legit life skills
Connected Communities
- 15 Communities
- 600 miles of trail
- 6 counties
- 2 states
- 4 national forests
- Bipartisan support
- How broad this goal is
- Pivoting the public feedback plan during Covid
- How this plan will be a document for other communities to follow – A recipe book for Dirt Magic
- Multiuse Trail
- I.D.E.A. – Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access
Great Ideas that maybe weren’t so great… around the Downieville Classic
- The Yuba Invitational
Ron’s House of Big Air Ramp jump
- Midnight Test Session
25th Year of the Downieville Classic
Mark Weir
Raising the bar for competition at the Downieville Classic – Talent
Digging out the course one year
Rules for the All Mountain World Championships
The Downieville Classic – the All-Mountain World Championships
- Racing Both days for an overall title
- Trails are in great shape for 2023
Getting to The Lost Sierra – Hint, Reno, NV is close
On track to build the 200th mile of trail in 2023 (actually closer to 220)
Closing Comments and how to contribute