A Year in Review, 2023, July — September

The Downieville Classic bike race’s staple Ron’s House of Big Air River Jump was canceled in 2023 due to dangerously high river flowJuly

Despite the 4th of July falling on a Tuesday, a large crowd gathered in Downieville to make lots of noise stomping on bubble wrap before watching the parade, foot races, and tug-of-war rope-pulling contests.

Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-California Congressional Dist. 3) was given a quick tour of Downieville before he and several other speakers spoke to a crowd of over 200 people and paid tribute to Tim Beals for his many, many years of service to the county and all of its communities.

The Forest City Historical Association held its 2nd annual Quilt show, and the Camptonville Community Center hosted a Wine-Shine benefit event.

After a three-year hiatus, the Downieville Classic bike races returned to host several hundred competitors coming here from around the world. Besides the main events - Saturday’s cross-country race from Sierra City to Downieville and Sunday’s downhill competition running from Packer Saddle to town - visitors were also treated to a Log Pull competition on Saturday afternoon, plus a dance party with live music and circus acts on Saturday evening. Unfortunately, the water coming down into the confluence of the North Yuba and Downie rivers was too high for the Big Air River Jump to be held this year.

The North Yuba Landscape Resilience Project (NYLRP) completed the final stage of its required environmental impact statement. Thus, Sierra County can now tap into $160 million of federal funds currently allocated for the implementation of fuel management projects over the 275,000 acres of national forest included in the NYLRP.

As organizers predicted, the 8th annual Downieville Mountain Brewfest took place on a hot day, filling Main Street with thirsty samplers of good beers who were also provided with live music and plenty of opportunities for delicious food.

The volume of water flowing in all the region’s streams and rivers continued to plummet but remained roughly 60 percent greater than the historic averages for July.

August

A CalFire Fire Prevention Grant of $2.2 million was awarded to Fire Safe Sierra County to help implement fuel reduction projects on approximately 400 acres of private land in and adjacent to Sierra City and Sattley.

Over 50 artisan shops, many food and beverage vendors, and several musicians, gathered in Graeagle Park for the PAC (Professional Artists and Crafters) Art and Craft Marketplace. Over a mid-month weekend, shoppers were given the opportunity to purchase fine art, photography, pottery, wood and metal crafts, gourmet foods, kitchen gadgets, textiles, soaps and lotions, clothing, leather goods, plus garden and patio trinkets.

The higher elevations in the Lakes Basin finally became mostly free of snow, and intrepid hikers were treated to a bounty of blooming wildflowers, including Sierra Primroses lingering on the edges of snowy patches on the mountainsides.

Besides announcing the installation of a new dance floor at the North Yuba River Hall (formerly owned by Native Daughters of the Golden West), the Sierra County Arts Council hosted the ever-popular annual Ice Cream Social at the historic building.

Lee Adams, Sierra County’s District 1 Supervisor, announced he is running for re-election in 2024.

The 24th annual Packer Lake Fish Day, sponsored by the Sierra County Fish and Wildlife Commission and supported by the USFS, CDFW, SYRCL, plus several local businesses and individuals, provided dozens of children with the chance to catch fish, make fish-print T-shirts and paper fishes, and to have their pictures taken with Smokey the Bear and Francis the Fish.

Downieville Gold Rush Days brought gold-mining-related vendors to Downieville and allowed attendees to prospect for gold at mining claims located along the town’s Downie River. Organizers are looking forward to returning in 2024 for another round of celebrating the area’s colorful history.

Lightning strikes caused several small fires to erupt in the Plumas National Forest. However, none of the blazes rose into the forest’s crown to become full-fledged wildfires,

Much to the delight of approximately 150 local, young cowboys and cowgirls, the mostly annual Sierra Valley Roping Club’s Junior Rodeo was held in Sierraville and attended by hundreds of spectators.

Nearly 400 Clampers, hailing from across California, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, flooded Main Street in Downieville for their annual Tin Cupp Doins.

September

The annual Ag and Arts Trail took place in Sierra Valley and, once again, the event was a huge success.

A black bear spent several evenings invading homes and automobiles on Pearl Street in Downieville before a trapper from the USDA’s Wildlife Services unit in Lassen County captured the brazen bear within a large “guillotine gate” enclosure baited with marshmallows, bread, and sardines.

The Sierra Valley Groundwater Management District was awarded a $5.45 million grant for implementation of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan they filed with the California Department of Water Resources in June of 2023. These funds will allow the entity to continue collecting data on the status of the Sierra Valley aquifer, pursue opportunities to increase the efficiency of groundwater utilization, ensure the sustainability of groundwater-dependent ecosystems, and administer the projects associated with the district’s efforts.

Perfect weather greeted the owners of all 51 cars registered for the 2023 Big City Rod Run in Sierra City. The Best of Show turned out to be a 1972 burnt orange Chevy C-10 pickup truck brought to the show from Grass Valley by Nancy Murray.

Over fifty Sierra County Historical Society members attended the group’s annual picnic held this year at the historic, nearly 1,500-acre Lemon Canyon Ranch a short distance east of Sierraville. Besides being treated to a tour of the two large barns built in the 1870s for the storage of unbaled hay and restored with traditional carpentry methods (no nails) at the beginning of the 21st century, the crowd enjoyed a hearty meal of tri-tip sandwiches, traditional salads, and baked goods, as well.