Digging In: Behind the Scenes with Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship
- Gary Herbert
- Aug 26
- 10 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Tucked away in Northern California's Lost Sierra is one of the most pristine mountain regions in the country. If you're a mountain biker or an outdoor enthusiast, you've probably heard of the incredible work being done here by the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship (SBTS) and its executive director, Greg Williams. A descendant of the Deer Creek Band of Northern Sierra Miwok, Greg and the SBTS are doing something incredible: preserving the land while unlocking access to it for future generations.
But what about the folks on the ground, making it all happen? The unsung heroes who turn forgotten fire roads and historic mining paths into some of the best trails in the world? We're talking about the trail crew, and we'll be introducing you to some of them, like Josh Kluger, Taylor Eigenhuis and Evan Olson, later in this series. Without their hard work, there would be no SBTS. Stay tuned to meet the faces behind the dirt, sweat, and shovels, but first, let's talk about their mission.
Through incredible vision and community-driven action, the SBTS is transforming landscapes and creating lifelines. These trails are more than just dirt ribbons, they connect small towns, create jobs, heal landscapes, and inspire a deeper love for the outdoors.
The Mission: Trails With Purpose
The Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship is a nonprofit founded with a clear and powerful goal: to build sustainable recreation infrastructure that revitalizes communities while preserving the natural beauty of the Sierra. Their motto, “Trails for Everyone, forever,” means creating access not just for hikers or bikers but for families, locals, visitors, and entire generations who depend on these wild places for adventure, healing, and connection.
What makes the SBTS unique is their commitment to doing it all with and for the community. Their work doesn’t just benefit the outdoors, it uplifts rural economies, creates career paths in conservation, and brings people together through a shared purpose.
What They Do: From Trail Dreams to Dirty Boots
SBTS operates across multiple levels from planning large-scale trail networks to organizing gritty on-the-groundwork days. Here’s how they turn vision into reality:
🛠️ Trail Building & Maintenance
With over 1,000 miles of multi-use trails built and maintained so far, SBTS is actively shaping the outdoor landscape of the Lost Sierra. Their team constructs trails that are sustainable, safe, and accessible for hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, and adaptive users alike ensuring that everyone can experience the backcountry, regardless of ability.
🏞️ Community Development
SBTS is committed to turning trail building into economic fuel. Through job creation, tourism promotion, and partnerships with local businesses, they help ensure that towns like Downieville, Quincy, and Loyalton aren’t just surviving they’re thriving as destination communities.
🤝 Volunteer Engagement
From local trail days to massive fundraising events, SBTS provides countless ways for the public to give back. Volunteers clear brush, fix erosion, dig new routes, and leave with muddy boots, full hearts, and a real connection to the land.
🚵 Signature Events
The Downieville Classic, Lost and Found Gravel Grinder, and Trails for All aren’t just epic adventures they’re crucial fundraisers and awareness campaigns that celebrate the soul of mountain life while helping fuel the mission.
Why It Matters: Trails Are More Than Recreation
It’s easy to think of trails as simply places to ride, run, or hike but they represent much more.
🌿 Environmental Stewardship
By building sustainable trail systems, SBTS helps protect fragile ecosystems from overuse, erosion, and wildfire threats. Good trail design means less off-trail damage, better runoff control, and safer access for all.
🏘️ Rural Resilience
In post-industrial mountain towns, trails have replaced timber and mining as the economic backbone. Outdoor recreation brings in tourism dollars, supports local cafes and inns, and keeps young people in the community by offering meaningful, place-based careers.
🤲 Social Connection
Trails foster a community where strangers become friends, families unplug, and volunteers bond through shared purpose. Every step and pedal stroke is an investment in mental health, physical wellness, and community spirit.
Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship Trail Crew: A Q&A with Josh Kluger, Taylor Eigenhuis and Evan Olson
The Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship (SBTS) crew works to build and maintain trails in the Lost Sierra region of Northern California. We spoke with three Downieville-based crew members Josh, Taylor, and Evan to get an inside look at their lives as trail builders.
Q: What does a typical day look like for you out there?
Josh: A typical day is my dream job. I wake up early and have a daily safety brief. Then, I load up my work pack, hand tools, and dirt bikes into the company truck. We drive anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour to the trailhead, waving to locals on the way. We unload, stretch, and ride up to 40 minutes to the work site. After working hard all day, we ride back to the truck, load up, and drive back to the shop to unload. Finally, we fill out a daily field log and sharpen, clean, and repair our tools before heading to our campsite to make dinner.
Evan: An average day usually involves getting our tools together and loading up our moto's in the morning. We get everything prepared and ready for the work ahead.
Q: Where do you sleep when you’re out working on remote trails?
Josh: We sleep wherever we can, which is usually in the truck bed, a rooftop tent, on the ground at a friend's property, or at mining claims near a creek. We also have secret spots off Highway 49. I recently bought a 12-foot camp trailer, which has been "plush accommodations".
Evan: We just "wing it" when it comes to our camping situation. We know all the best spots close to town and rotate based on logging activity or the weather. I keep it simple with a bed platform in my camper shell.
Taylor: Trail work is definitely a bit nomadic. We don't go on a "hitch" where we backpack into a backcountry camp for eight days, nor do we have provided housing. We take advantage of the many free camping options on BLM and Forest Service land around Downieville. I personally have a Ford Escape that I've built out for living in, but sometimes I prefer a tent and sleeping bag to enjoy the "river's lullaby and the night sky's gaze".
Q: Do you ride mountain bikes? How does building trails change how you see or ride them?
Josh: I started riding mountain bikes in high school on the Berkeley High mountain bike team and also rode dirt bikes at the time. Riding both is great for cross-training, as they balance each other out. Riding two wheels is crucial for building and maintaining OHV single-track trails. It makes the difference between a fun trail and one that isn't. It also helps a lot to be able to test what we build, as it's all about user experience, and if we aren't having fun, we aren't doing our jobs right.
Evan: I got into trails at an early age because I didn't like what was available to ride. I would spend most of my time after school digging and riding, wanting to ride the things I saw in video parts.
Taylor: I've only ridden a mountain bike a few times, but we ride dirt bikes for work every day. I had little experience before joining the crew, but riding the single-track here has helped me improve quickly. Many of the trails in our system are old mining trails that people started riding, and they are narrow, exposed, and technical. Our job is to preserve the "rawness" of these trails that riders from around the world love. I have learned how to understand the flow of single-track and use the environment to build features like wall rides, berms, and "booters" to make the trails more thrilling.
Q: What’s the most memorable wildlife encounter you’ve had so far?
Josh: We saw a lone coyote one day, and the next day, in the same spot, we saw the biggest mountain lion of my life. It took up the whole road, head to tail, with a six-inch diameter tail, and it made me realize that "we have African lion-sized cats in our woods". The next day, in the same spot, we only came across the "disfigured face of the lone coyote" we had seen days before, which was "very chilling".
Evan: We definitely get to be in a "cool zone" with a lot of wildlife. I've seen mountain lions, rattlesnakes, and a ton of bears, but my personal favorite is the elusive ringtail.
Taylor: We see a lot of wildlife, including bears, bobcats, and rattlesnakes, and the mosquitoes are "pretty torturous". The most memorable encounter wasn't a direct one. One morning, the operator of a water truck showed us a video he had taken of a mountain lion dragging a deer it had just killed, less than 100 feet from where we had been sleeping. It was a reminder that we are guests in these predators' homes and that we are never alone out there.
Q: Taylor, what’s it like being a woman on the trail crew?
Taylor: Being the only woman on all of the SBTS trail crews can sometimes feel intimidating and isolating, but I am honored to represent women in a male-dominated work environment. There are days when I don't feel heard or understood, and I wonder if it's because I'm a woman. I feel like I have to work twice as hard to earn respect from the SBTS team and on the trail. Once, men on dirt bikes thanked my male crew members but completely disregarded me. I've also had men tell me that "girls don't know how to use a rock bar" or even sexualize me. However, I've also received an overwhelming amount of appreciation from the SBTS team, volunteers, and riders. My crew members see me as an equal and push me to be my best. I want to inspire young girls so they don't feel discouraged from a career or hobby just because they don't see many women doing it. I also love having the opportunity to cheer on other "badass female riders".
Q: Was working in the outdoors something you always dreamed of doing or did this path find you?
Josh: I grew up outdoors and enjoy working with my hands and in the woods. I found trail work through the Backcountry Trails Program with the California Conservation Corps. I heard about SBTS from a friend and the job appealed to me because it combined everything I enjoy: "riding moto, trail work, and nature".
Evan: I have always spent most of my time outside and could never see myself working in an indoor setting.
Taylor: I've always been a lover of the outdoors, growing up surfing, wakeboarding, camping, and hiking. I spent more time outside than indoors and felt alienated from my "internet-loving peers". Before I knew what I wanted to do for a career, I got the chance to work and live in the backcountry for 6-7 months through the Backcountry Trails Program. At 18, I was the youngest on the crew with no work experience. I dropped out of high school, got my GED, and went for it. The program warned that it was not a summer camp, but hard work with long hours and little pay. Despite this, I "absolutely fell in love" and it was the happiest I had ever been. I learned more in six months than I would have in four years of college, including useful things like conservation, trail work, and survival skills. I learned to live in a diverse community and found myself. I was more scared to return to civilization than to take the job in the first place, and I've been doing trails ever since.
Q: What’s something most people don’t realize about trail work?
Taylor: Most people don't realize the impact our work has on individuals. They may see it as a physical labor, blue-collar job, but there's a lot more depth to it. What we do helps to "literally save lives," including my own, as someone who struggles with mental health. I value and rely on my time in the wilderness, which can be the only escape for many people dealing with struggles or pain. Building trails provides this resource, and people have stopped us to share how being outdoors has saved their lives. It reminds me that building trails is a service to those who find peace, sanctuary, or strength through recreation.
Evan: When it comes to trail work, a lot of things must be considered, such as trail specifications, soil reports, and wildlife preservation restrictions. Additionally, there are many "hoops to jump through" to secure funding and get started on a new project.
Q: Would you ever consider going on the show Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe?
Josh: "Hell yes!". Mike Rowe is a childhood hero of mine, and I would be "over the moon" for that opportunity. Our work often feels like a TV show. I picture taking Mike out on a dirt bike on the technical Downieville trails, loaded with a pick, double jack, and all the water needed for the day. Making him "swing all day and riding out" would make for entertaining TV.
Evan: I grew up watching that show, and it would be hilarious to get him out here.
Taylor: Yes, I think that would be "so much fun!".
How You Can Get Involved: Be Part of the Movement
You don’t have to swing a pickaxe to support SBTS but if you want to, they’d love to have you. Here are a few ways you can help:
🧤 Volunteer
Join a trail workday! It’s hands-on, dirty, and incredibly rewarding. No experience needed just bring a good attitude and a water bottle.
💰 Donate
Every dollar you give supports new trail miles, local jobs, and stewardship programs. You’re not just giving to the outdoors you’re investing in the future of rural California.
🚴 Ride & Respect
Get out and enjoy the trails! But ride responsibly, practice Leave No Trace and always give back more than you take.
👕 Rock the Gear
Snag some SBTS merch and rep the cause wherever you go. Every hat, shirt, or hoodie helps fund trail building and spreads the message.
Final Thoughts: A Trail System Built to Last
Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship isn’t just cutting paths through forests they’re carving out a future where outdoor access is a right, not a privilege. Every trail they build, every mile they maintain, and every event they host is part of something far bigger than recreation. It’s a legacy rooted in equity, access, sustainability, and a deep, generational love for the land.
In an era when wild spaces are shrinking and rural communities are struggling to reinvent themselves, SBTS offers a model of what’s possible when stewardship meets strategy. They’re not just saving trails they’re revitalizing entire regions by investing in people, ecosystems, and experiences that last.
These trails connect more than places they connect people to each other, to history, and to something wild within themselves. They’re built not just with tools, but with intention. With every volunteer workday and every donor dollar, Sierra Buttes is proving that recreation and restoration can go hand in hand and that the best way to preserve a place is to love it loudly and publicly.
By engaging local economies, creating trail-based careers, and welcoming all types of users, SBTS is helping shape a more inclusive and sustainable future for outdoor adventure. This isn’t a temporary project it’s a movement. One that ensures the Lost Sierra stays found, free, and flourishing for generations to come.
So, whether you're digging dirt, riding single track, or simply cheering them on your part of this story, too.
🔗 Learn more or join the movement at sierratrails.org
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