2024 Endurance Rides (4/5): Hat Creek Hustle

When I decided to try my hand at endurance riding in autumn of 2023, I had no ambitions of riding to win. I’ve never been particularly competitive, perhaps due to growing up without siblings, the only person I’ve sought to outperform has always been my past self. Given this mindset, I felt a vaguely foreign sense of pride at the Hat Creek Hustle ride when my horse’s name was called for Best Condition (the award granted to the horse who finishes an endurance ride in the best physical shape, determined by their placing and scores on veterinarian exams). Reflecting back on this ride, I wanted to share more of my thoughts regarding goal setting and the way many of us come to downplay our past accomplishments as we set our sights on more miles and higher mountains to climb.

Regarding the ride itself, the Hat Creek Hustle was mainly set on sections of the PCT that had historically been used for endurance and had been revamped by new ride management in October of 2024 after a several year hiatus. Located in Lassen National Forest around 12 miles northwest of the park entrance, Hat Creek offers a spacious campground with views of Lassen Peak peeking through spindly groves of pines. Lassen has remained dormant since 1921, but the peak is still classified as an active volcano. Swaths of lava rocks and other evidence of past eruptions sets the landscape apart from any of the previous country I had covered on horseback that summer. The trails were nearly all single track with footing to die for and much less elevation gain than my previous endurance rides. Looking at the forecast before I hit the road, I correctly guessed that the biggest obstacle I would face on the 30 mile LD would be the weather.

As I swung open the truck door after making it to ride camp around 2pm, I was met with a breath of fall briskness in the air that had not yet made it to my home in the foothills, where high temperatures would still be soaring into the upper 80s and 90s for another week. Luckily I had come prepared with horse blankets and nearly all the layers I owned, as it hit 22 degrees that night after the sun had gone down, the lowest temperatures I have ever tent camped in. Miraculously I managed to sleep quite warm, swaddled up with hand warmers and an extra down blanket over my sleeping bag. The ride meeting was brief on account of the chilliness, but went over everything we needed to know, reminding riders to be mindful of the affect cold weather can have on horses’ hydration and propensity for muscle cramping, and informing us that the required mid-ride holds would be kept short to keep the horses from getting chilled and to maximize daylight for those competing in the 50.

I began conditioning my horse for distance riding a few months after I had started my first full time teaching job out of college. I had moved back in with my parents and my life consisted of a cycle of work, late night drives to the barn, and weekends spent riding solo for hours on end, building up my mare’s fitness and our mutual confidence on trail. I liked my job, but I was tired, struggling to distance myself from the constant overstimulation that accompanies teaching and caring for preschoolers for 8 hours a day. The peace that came from covering ground with my horse was what gave me the mental clarity I needed to set goals outside of my busy routine. When school got out for the summer, my life changed rapidly. I moved onto a horse property with Retta to work as a caretaker and suddenly found myself with an excess of daylight hours after months of minimal free time. Bigger goals felt more within reach, but I also began to lose sight of all the progress I had already made towards creating the adult life I desired.

As I saddled up on ride morning with my numb fingers crammed into two pairs of gloves, I vowed to myself that I would remain as present as possible for the day, putting aside all the other trails I was scheming about and committing myself to the ride, which would be Retta’s last of the season. Keeping the advice from the previous night in mind, I started the first loop at the back of the pack, convincing my somewhat displeased horse to stick to a walk for another 10 minutes on top of our 30 minute warmup in camp. When I finally let her start moving out, we found ourselves keeping pace with another rider for the remainder of the loop and we began overtaking others. Retta felt fantastic, extending her stride and soaring along the trail, filling my body with the sense of exhilaration I only seem to feel when my horse and I are moving in tandem, chasing down the same finish line.

The mid-ride check came fast and Retta scored well. The pair we had paced with from the first loop had already set off but we quickly caught up with them, riding around a mile before Retta let me know she wanted to speed up and part ways. We finished the second loop alone, basking in the sun that had finally risen to shake off the persistent chill from the night before. Mostly wooded, the singletrack wove past rocky hillsides and turned tight corners, making for a fun ride for horse and human, particularly compared to the monotonous fire road from our last LD. I hadn’t seen another horse for at least 12 miles as I came into camp and I knew I had to be towards the front of the back. I dismounted early and walked alongside Retta a good ways before the finish to ensure her pulse would be back to resting rate by the time the vet examined her. I was shocked to hear we were only the second pair to make it back! 

After a good examination, the lead veterinarian highly recommended coming back in an hour for the more detailed Best Condition (BC) exam, which top ten finishers are eligible for. I had already gotten to experience a BC exam at the Lost Sierra ride which had gone a bit awry after Retta scared herself crossing a muddy bog to be examined, resulting in a higher pulse. Especially as a new endurance rider, it can feel quite vulnerable to present your horse to the vet for BC, as unlike a completion exam, they are looking for the small details that make one horse stand out from others as being more or less physically fit. Despite some trepidation, I came back and presented her to the vet, more as an exercise to myself to not let doubt stand in my way than because I expected Retta to receive the highest score. When I learned that she had won that evening, I was truly shocked. The little horse who has always stuck by my side couldn’t be more perfect in my eyes, but having our success validated was something I never anticipated. 

I like to imagine that even if I had known that getting BC was a possibility for Retta and I in our first endurance season, I still would’ve set my sights on just getting to the starting line, rather than racing to the finish line. It’s so easy to get drawn into the metrics in the outdoor world; miles ran, feet gained, pitches climbed, the list goes on. The stronger we get, the less meaningful our accomplishments feel. I couldn't stop grinning the morning after the Hat Creek ride. I texted my mom about our success on my InReach before packing up camp and hitting the road, giddy to be in my heated vehicle. I still look back on this weekend with pride, but the satisfaction I felt afterwards was fleeting. Had I made getting BC a personal goal, not only would I have been tempted to unnecessarily push my horse’s physical limits, I would have just as quickly moved past the achievement in pursuit of greater one. I’m not knocking anyone whose outdoor ambitions are tied to measurable success, but for myself, I hope to leave room for enjoying the process by setting goals rooted in adventure rather than accomplishment, and reflecting back on the progress I’ve made instead of only hyperfocusing on what’s yet to be done.

For anyone considering going to the Hat Creek Hustle: Of my 2024 rides, this is the one I’d most like to ride again. The location is a bit out of the way, but worth it for the perfect combination of mountain views and great endurance trails as well as a nice camp spot. It was impeccably organized despite some last minute trail re-routing and I’ve heard 2025 will include a second day of riding.