Women’s Pro Podium:

Men’s Pro Podium:

Unpredictable downpours, insanely highspeed singletrack, and smiles for miles- the 2015 Ashland Mountain Challenge. Racers arrived in southern Oregon midweek to practice the 4 stages on Mount Ashland.Early morning riders saw great conditions on the smooth, flowy tracks, but by the afternoon each day thunderclouds descended on the mountaintop and heavy rain pounded the trails. Riders reached town drenched and muddy, not having been able to see much of the course at all. Ashland Mountain Adventures shuttled riders and provided a basecamp for racers. Although people were soaked with rain, big smiles showed through their muddy faces as they enjoyed the company of other riders and the relaxing Ashland atmosphere.Everyone held their breaths to see if the weather would hold out on race day, with a 50% predicted chance of another epic downpour. The race-day morning saw clear skies as the Beginner/Sport riders began their pedal to the top and Expert/Pros were shuttled to the other side of the mountain. After an almost 15 minute first stage filled with tight singletrack, highspeed straightaways and an epic fire road section, Pro/Experts raced down their second stage- BTI, a loose gravelly trail that saw many crashes on race day.After completing BTI, they started the long arduous climb to the top of Mt. Ashland for the final stages. Rain started to fall as riders dropped into their third and fourth stages, but for the most part the weather held and trail conditions were all-time. The day was challenging, but the party at the finish line resonated with laughter as riders celebrated having raced some of the fastest trails on the West Coast.1. Adele Mery2. Carolynn Romaine3. Amy Morrison4. Andrea Napoli5. Kim Russell1. Nathan Riddle2. Mark Weir3. Kyle Warner4. Cory Sullivan5. Ryan GardnerCalifornia Enduro Series 2015 – Round– Ashland Mountain ChallengeWords by Lauren Gregg, Photos by Scott McClain, Called To CreationMENTIONS: @calienduro