China Peak. Have you heard of it? Me Neither. This hidden gem of a resort is tucked away in the Sierras on there southern outskirts of Yosemite . The views at this high elevation are outstanding, the terrain is Expert only, and the weather can get a bit gnarly.

Friday practice was a real eye opener to the Army athletes. Unfamiliar terrain meant lots of learning to be done. GoPro Cams helped the riders big time on this one to study this Rocky mess of a Downhill track.

Saturday, Practice day 2 as well as Pro Men/Women Seeding day. The pressure was on to get that top spot in seeding. Time to put that track study to the test. 2 of the top 3 spots in Pro Men AND Pro Women seeding were Monster Army athletes Nathan Kitchen and Ryder Lawrence, as well as Addison Buckenberger and Samantha Porras. The vibes were all time in the crowd seeing Nate back up to speed after multiple injuries earlier this season.

Forgot to mention, the storm that rolled in Saturday just minutes after seeding runs. Abnormally dry conditions, Wind, rain, and hail made for a Micro burst we will all remember with damage to many areas of the race venue including the finish line arch, podium, and countless issues with course tape due to fallen trees and wind.

Sunday. Race Day. After a long night of clean up, the Southwest Downhill Crew had the track and venue back in tip top shape for racing. As the riders became faster and faster we watched Junior Cat1 15-16 Army athletes step in to podium positions. P1 Sully Notarro, P2 Connor Clifford, and P3 Zack Harper with the sweep.

Let’s talk about Pro Men and Women. The women dropped first with results of Addison Buckenberger P1 and Samantha Porras P3 on the day.

Pro Men. The “Grand Finale” . Excitement in the crowd as the final class of the weekend was on track. Chainsaws, air horns, and epic weather conditions . Army athletes Filled the podium! P1 Nathan Kitchen P3 Ryder Lawrence P4 Gavin Tomlinson.

A race weekend the Monster Army can walk away from feeling darn good about.