On Sunday I hiked down to shoot an interesting, technical section of the downhill known as, “The Gorge.” It was impressive to see the top riders drop into and climb out of this challenging feature without hesitating or slowing down. It is an unusual piece of trail with a steep rocky drop in transitioning abruptly to flat terrain, followed by a short rocky climb back up and out. After shooting here for a while, I then decided mix things up and get more variety by hiking a bit further to capture a fairly open rocky area which was wide enough to offer riders various lines to pick from. From this location I felt like I had a lot to choose from in terms of framing options, which kept things exciting all day.

Athlete Gallery: https://event.meridianmilephoto.com/galleries/downieville-classic-2025-sunday