Eric Porter Explores Forgotten Sierra Singletrack by Bike

There’s something about exploring the unknown that feeds the human desire to go out and see the world. In the ever-changing landscape of trailbuilding, singletrack comes and goes, with trails going out of favor and forgotten for many different reasons. Trails that were built for one purpose often get modified for another, or simply fall off the map.

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Pro mountain biker Eric Porter and Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship’s Kurt Gensheimer set out on a weeklong mission to hunt down some of those forgotten trails. Between Downieville and Sierra City lie a vast network of trails originally built to support gold mining operations that faded once the Gold Rush died. These days, the trails are re-emerging as a premiere mountain bike destination, offering riding everywhere from the high alpine to luscious Northern California forests.