Festival Events Update
Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship continues to work closely with public health officials to identify when it will be safe for bike race festival events to get rolling again. After many conversations with local officials and permitting authorities, we have come to the realization that no large gathering events can occur in the region for 2021. We all love the excitement and fun of heading out into the Lost Sierra for these memorable experiences with thousands of trail revelers. Yet for the safety of our team, the event attendees, and most importantly our townsfolk, the Lost and Found, the Downieville Classic and the Mountains to Meadows inaugural event will not happen this year.
In 2020, SBTS refocused all resources on COVID-safe trail work protocols while adapting to smaller volunteer trail days, no Yuba Expeditions shuttles and other changes that challenged continued operations. Keeping the SBTS Professional Trail Crew working is our #1 Priority, and even with a smaller staff, we kept the trails logged out, maintained and open for all to enjoy. And many people were out there enjoying them! Keeping those ribbons of dirt winding through the woods would not have been possible without all of you and our valued partners at the U.S. Forest Service. Thank you for making the dirt magic happen during the craziness of 2020.
Beyond the trail work, SBTS has pivoted most of our current focus on planning and gaining support for the Connected Communities project, the Lost Sierra Trails Master Plan and the proposed, 300-mile Lost Sierra Route for all trail users to enjoy. Many of you have been following our historical town stories profiling the 15 communities where the Route is headed. And we plan to give you the blueprints in 2021 on how to find these magical places in a new, fun way to explore the Lost Sierra with your friends and family.
It's impossible to predict the future, and we remain optimistic that the memorable experiences of our events will return in 2022. In the meantime, let 2021 be the year of celebrating new adventures in the outdoors! Check out the Connected Communities project and our progress in creating the Lost Sierra Route.