Dirt Magic: From Dying Mining Town to Mountain-Bike Mecca | Patagonia Films

Patagonia Films presents “Dirt Magic,” a @tetongravity and @freehubmag film documenting Downieville, CA’s journey from dying mining town to mountain-bike mecca. Inspired by a desire to save their home trails, shaped by a grassroot organization’s unintentional stewardship, and fueled by the sport’s rowdiest festival, Downieville’s newest dirt miners are using that reputation to create a model community for struggling mountain towns across the globe-and it all started with a van, a chainsaw, and a few maxed-out credit cards.
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About Patagonia:
At Patagonia, we appreciate that all life on earth is under threat of extinction. We’re using the resources we have-our business, our investments, our voice and our imaginations-to do something about it.

[@SundaysSkateboarding]

"...the business of life was to acquire as many friends and memories as you could..." This made my day. Great work.

[@joserafaelmena4152]

Downieville seems like a good example where conservation of the ecosystem and tourism (focused on mountain biking) can really coexist. Unlike other places, specially in Spain where authorities love prohibiting the use of mountain bikes in natural areas. Environmentalists many times go so far in protecting the environment that they basically want to leave nature as a museum and think that nature is just a place to look at it. However, if people don’t enjoy nature and are allowed to do certain regulated activities, such as outdoor sports, how are younger generations going to cultivate the love for nature if they have never enjoy it? Mountain biking is a great opportunity for people to really appreciate nature, and we as bikers are the first ones that want to conserve and protect natural areas.

[@finnianhadid1937]

When his toddler son face plants in the wall amd he just says "yep" 😆 massive dad vibes

[@themoodyteam]

To employ 37 locals full time and run a youth programme is awesome. Kudos!

[@GoodMorning-uz4xz]

“I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them.” Andy bernard. This video reminds us that happiness is simple and attainable. Only because it's about the people that you love and those that love you back. Cheers to a life full of friends, memories and lots of bike riding!

[@TrailPeek]

Long live Downieville! Thanks Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship!

[@YoshiPipez]

2 mins in and this is already one of the best MTB films I've watched

[@normadicn5700]

The best

[@the1muffinking]

Beautiful documentary, as a mountain biker who discovered Downieville on accident I can attest to the incredible community and trails that surround this town.

[@shredgnarshred]

This captures 10% of DV's actual magic, ASSman's facial expressions and drumming shots are my favorite part! Spencer's bladding shot is rad too!

[@SierraKiloBravo]

Patagonia, once again, comes out with a stonker of a video. Good vibes, great photography, music, everything. I want to go ride my bike!

[@mmapassionista8797]

Such a great film! The only bad part was that it ended. What a great hero tale. Cheers to you guys

[@johntaggart8787]

Finally made it back to race this year after an 18 year hiatus. Was just as memorable as it was in 2001! Way to capture the spirit of this amazing place.

[@MonkeyofAwesome]

Downville is a special place for sure. That whole area is so incredible and peaceful.

[@patagonia]

That it is!

[@Murphturf408]

Love to make a fishing video up there! Sponsor

[@rollinrat4850]

Downieville has been my mecca for over 20 years. I still have a tattered Coyote Adventures t shirt. My childhood friend, Tom Rose, is buried in the cemetery. Besides mountain biking theres so much great fun to be had in Downieville. So many cool beautiful places to see. Swimming, hiking, fishing , 4 wheeling, prospecting, motorcycles, camping, exploring, discovery,the list goes on and on. I love this place!!

[@Murphturf408]

Amen! Sierra City here

[@TrailDad]

I rode Downieville the first time this summer. It's magical! I plan to ride a few times every season now. Great ride, great town 🤙🏽

[@rossstevenson2986]

I got something in my eye! I'm not crying your crying. beautiful film on the lifestyle. all I'm chasing in life. thankyou!

[@NevadaSmith2]

Hell yes. This is so rad. And I love that Weir is rocking his TDS Enduro hoodie!

[@briancrumpacker]

Mixed feelings about such a great film covering a place that I've always loved. We want it to ourselves, but we need people to keep it alive.

[@Murphturf408]

As someone that has family property in Sierra City and has been making annual trips for 20 years I can understand completely. I would love to be a full time resident

[@scboom374]

Kinda what Crosby/Ironton MN is realizing now with the Cuyuna trails. Turning the area into a boom town from Mtn biking is epic!!

[@jgrefrath]

Wow. This film captured the spirit of Downieville so very well. It brought back so many memories from when I first rode a mountain bike there in 1996 and since. Great work!

[@colintracy9287]

Epic Cinematography. Powerful Story.

[@ChasinTrails]

16:12 lol his kid hitting the door had me dying for 5 hahaha. Just slammed that thing so good 😂

[@jq71]

Never even braked. Just Thelma and Louised right into the door.

[@dank3823]

Great great video. There's nothing like the Sierra's. Some of the most beautiful trails and landscapes anywhere.

[@budgreen100]

Beautiful take on Downieville, went to check it out for the first time this year... Patagonia really gives back to the community that supports it!

[@j.t.6700]

Outstanding! Brilliant! Real California! Awesome! Thank you!

[@JJBpilot]

This is so cool! I would hope there's an amazing Disc golf course there too. If not, there should be! Just like their passion for mountain biking, disc golfers have much the same in common.

[@arieerkkila]

I was hiking the PCT and wanted to check out Downieville. Started walking the highway from Sierra City. Eventually got hitch from an Ambulance. Only in small towns. Love it.

[@easyrider75]

Awesome film. What a great place to live. I think we are all searching for a place like that.

[@darylprice1]

2019 donation on the way! The spirit of Downieville is priceless!

[@alexjshank]

I was born there. This video is amazing. Thank you for producing it!

[@razmtb5028]

Awesome Town , hope to visit someday :)

[@LGguedo]

Thanks Greg and SBTS! A model for mixed use trail access and stewardship. Takes a lot of work, mutual respect and community to accomplish that.

[@olivermarsbarr]

One of my favourite films I’ve watched on KZbin

[@tedgraves6366]

The Bucket list just got upgraded.

[@TJonesMTB]

Such a great area! Downieville Classic is still the raddest race I've done!

[@tomasr64]

I miss dirt magic but will find it somewhere special one day soon.

[@brentvaneps7975]

I raced the very first Coyote Classic. 1995 I think. Still have the number plate.

[@Ranar14]

The Sierra Buttes and Downieville is such a hidden gem of the Sierra Nevadas. I really hope the continued popularity is able to grow and be managed in a way that benefits everyone, and I have faith that it will happen.

[@Murphturf408]

I want to move up there. Been to Sierra City for 20 years now myself.

[@greatwestadventure2389]

definitly going to be putting this one on repeat !!!

[@Mike-uz7qh]

legend has it that Greg still hasn't told us what or who really REALLY put Downieville on the map. xD Great film, great legacy building there.

[@ageng.raditya]

This is gold

[@adamarmstrong200]

Ye

[@Kee_Diddy]

Amazing! Just put Downieville on the map for me. See ya soon :)

[@MataGyula]

Beautiful cinematography. And what a story! I hope to come by one day and ride 🤙... and perhaps have a beer or two with these lovely people!

[@philippmuller9797]

What an amazing town! Gotta love these people

[@Samantha-us2tw]

This film was EPIC on the Ventura county store

[@bensun432]

I keep coming back to this film, such an inspiration to see the magic!

[@janetcrane59]

The first time I went to Downieville was 1962 to visit my grandpa who lived there. He was a gold miner who built his own cabin & used the creek for a fridge to keep his food cold. The bus stopped at his cabin to show his garden before continuing through to town. The last time I went to Downieville 5 years ago it wasn't the same. Very sad. Sure the market was there & the assayers office but its history has been irreversibly changed.

[@jameswatt4694]

Super film and community! Greg is a legend!!

[@jeffgee6319]

Outstanding film. Outstanding story. I want to go.

[@TheHman22]

RIP Yuba expeditions in Downieville! Long live the Quincy shop and Downieville DH energy! Shuttle Mt. Hough with them, does not disappoint!!

[@amritsankar360]

WOW!! What a beautiful place,... and such wonderful people...I keep watching this video over and over again.Downieville! Thanks!

[@seizethedirt4096]

Hanging out in downieville any other weekend when it’s not the race is pretty cool too. Locals are super nice and you’ll always get to meet people and make friends there. Awesome vibe there

[@NerdsonDirtMTB]

Great stuff, I've ridden here the last two years making a nine hour drive each time. So worth it!

[@paulbrandner1671]

Beautiful.

[@pat63247]

Downieville looks like truly beautiful place hope to make the trip out there one day and experience it in all its glory! great documentary happy trails to all!

[@OGMTB]

Great video, great trails, great community. Ridden there several times and always felt like I belonged. See you in October for the Wavey Davey ride.

[@TheChaybo]

Dirt Magic !! Yes. Great story.

[@BIGTIMBERFILMS]

Awesome story.

[@billmaulding4042]

Great film, even better people

[@godspeeq]

good story, good narrative. i can feel the emotions in the film.

[@JakeRawSon]

Definitely put this on my list. But first I had to look up where it was lol. Awesome Vid. Positive Vibes Flowing from that Place. All about it

[@solitaryflyangler1168]

Great Video

[@sophiehilsabeck5459]

Another great documentary!!nice

[@MrJoshyjosh]

This is amazing i am from Australia watching this and 100% one-day want to visit this for sure keep up the amazing work.

[@timothytopor4362]

Another great edit thanks for sharing

[@daviddillon6794]

Excellent video.

[@Cryton1]

Such a cool film. I need to come up here now!

[@kenny_utah]

Absolutely loved this short film! Can't wait to experience it myself, one day. Thank you

[@jonboyd9018]

Plumas County native, cut my eye teeth in that country. I love this. Best possible outcome.

[@nateisright]

All the best places have a mountain bike race.

[@dudeonbike800]

Wow, such incredible footage of a magical place. We Californians are so lucky to have these places of majesty and wonder. And then add mountain bikes to the picture? NIRVANA! I haven't been back to Downieville in WAY too long! Especially that I'm now riding the perfect rig for this beautiful terrain. Oh man have I been LAME! Better get up there to enjoy these trails ASAP!!! Moab, UT was a wasteland in the 80's. You could buy a large house on an acre of land for $3,500. Unfortunately, many or most of our small towns were born on boom & bust extraction economies, from logging & lumber mills to mining of all sorts, these paradigms spelled doom for residents and left a toxic legacy for every American to clean up and pay for, long after the profits have been absconded with. Oh how things have changed for this town and so many others across the land. Mountain biking (and all forms of cycling as well as other recreation) have played a large role in transforming many of these places. Let's hope it continues and can prove a sustainable form of economic prosperity. I heard a great Mark Wier story. He was at some downhill event where the course went through a rock garden. Pretty much all of the riders were either slowly picking their way through the boulders or even walking to survive this section. Then along comes Mark and he BLASTS straight through the gnar. His Chris King headset EXPLODED due to the insane forces. Didn't think you could just blow up a King headset! I think this may have been some or all of King's justification to make a steel cup version of their venerable headset. King: indestructible, except for Mark Wier!

[@TBCotter]

Loved this..

[@fitnest9389]

"Dont bring your little tires"

[@adammackenzie]

yup - nice ! lol

[@joejuan5022]

Syd and Macky!

[@dandemore8057]

yup just saw a glimpse of macky

[@jerryklutts8615]

A gold rush boom town to almost nothing to something great and special. Makes me want to visit and ride there. Hope to in the next year.

[@jasonbrown469]

Best thing I’ve watched in a whileee!

[@pedromnsg]

Great story great production

[@wattsjc1]

Amazing film and a great story.

[@Peuker89]

What a beautiful world in Downieville!

[@OakFlooringDirectCoUk]

Feels good to watch this

[@MartinAtanasu]

Beautiful. Town motto should be: We'll Lift You Up In Downieville.

[@mackymadness86]

Great film. Downieville looks amazing

[@dublude]

What a fantastic community you formed there!

[@eduardotirado839]

In the East, in Appalachia, all those defunct mining towns, that’s what they should be looking at! Outdoor sports! All of them should be heavily embraced. Not just hunting and killing animals, but really making it special by such sports as mountain biking and more...

[@joewiltjer5201]

Hunting is not "just killing animals" but overall I agree. Diversified recreation opportunities are good for the communities and they help develop stewards of the resources whether it is the water, land, or wildlife.

[@mtbkrdon]

Ever hear of Davis, West by God Virginia??

[@JuanBarberis]

Bravo! Thanks, Patagonia!

[@bensun432]

amazing film, inspiring thanks for this

[@northyubaguideservice5501]

Love this. Thank you Patagonia, Thank you Downieville, Thank you SBTS

[@danielshearer5016]

This place rocks and i am so fortunate to have the love of some family living the downieville life, and the live it for sure . Gotta bring your big boy tires that aint a joke!

[@markjvairy]

Not a bike rider myself but that vid was pretty special , well done 👌

[@bradsanders6954]

The other cool things about Downieville,is hiway 49 running tight through it,one of the funnest tight twist roads around,and lots of fly fishing goes on,lots of cabins to rent,lots of hiking,motorcycle singletrack,dualsport motorcycling,shuttles that go to other small mountain towns with more mt bike trails,and so on. Yes I live near Downieville,............The outdoor opportunities go on for ever up there!

[@jaythizzle1969]

Great movie.

[@shred1]

Nice to see him drinking the appropriate beer.

[@caitlynwatts5749]

Ayyy the director is my brother

[@stormferreira3010]

Good film. It kept me sitting ;)

[@basuramanya]

I need to make it up there. I am only 60 miles away.

[@dunbarfox652]

This made me cry.

[@JayGuz225]

Just starting my mountain biking at age 27. I only live 1.5 hours away so I will definitely have to come to Downieville this summer.

[@wyattivanoff1692]

There is not to many towns like we are in Alaska I hope your town make well🚴

[@thetalkingfly]

Good energy! Bicycles are magic. Cheers, Steve aka The Talking Fly

[@Rlaplante73]

Great documentary...Dirt Magic indeed!