The ride begins by traversing the spine of the Sierras range along the Gold Valley Rim Trail. This trail alone is worth the price of admission. While the Downieville Classic drops straight down the mountain from the top of the pass, Gold Valley Rim offers up unbelievably gorgeous ridgetop singletrack. From this flowy trail, you’ll enjoy stunning views of the Sierra Buttes formation high above and the Lakes Basin area far below you.

From here, the route follows as series of OHV trails to work its way over to Spencer Creek. Expect a few steep climbs on the way.

Spencer Creek itself is "a barely cut-in singletrack that is overgrown in spots and too rocky and steep in spots to ride down, but utterly beautiful and primitive,” according to Kurt Gensheimer on MTBR.com.

If you make it through Spencer Creek, you’ll get to absolutely rip down the Lavezzola Creek Trail! This 10-mile descent drops all the way down the mountain, connecting to a series of roads and eventually delivering you back to downtown Downieville.

Sources: MTBR.com.