2024 Endurance Rides (2/5): Redwoods Ride

Nestled on California’s far northern coastline, Redwood National Park reminds me of the area where I grew up, but on steroids. These trees dwarfed those in my Bay Area hometown, giving me the dizzying perspective shift that I remember from hiking as a child, where the towering height of the foliage above my head left me feeling like an ant, slowly creeping along the forest floor. Driving up the 101, I couldn’t wait to saddle up and lose track of everything but my horse and the forest.

Organized by the Redwood Empire Endurance Riders, the aptly named Redwoods Ride is definitely a bucket list destination. Conveniently located at the Orick fairgrounds (complete with flush toilets and hot showers!) this was my favorite ride camp of the year. We arrived late in the afternoon on Thursday after a seven plus hour drive and claimed a great spot. Coming early made for easy parking, and my mare appreciated the flat grassy campsite, a definite improvement to the tight quarters and gravel from our last ride at the Cool staging area. I pitched my tent, met my trailer neighbors, and climbed into my sleeping bag for the night.

Coastal redwoods possess the ability to capture fog on their needles to create their own rain supply, so any place where they thrive is bound to be humid. I kept this in mind sleeping outside over the weekend, making sure not to leave anything out overnight that I didn’t want wet, and when I was riding, as even cool humidity can change the way a horse’s sweat evaporates. After some breakfast and a chat with my new friends on Friday morning, I set out for a short ride to get my lay of the land. Headed out, the trail follows a hard packed berm above camp into the woods. My mare quickly became accustomed to riders trotting above her at the trailer, but this could present a challenge for a particularly herd bound or anxious horse.

About a quarter mile in, the trail hit treeline and immediately started going up. Aside from a small section of service road with a wide, soft shoulder, the footing on the entire ride was great, with mostly soft packed dirt and a bit of clay. That being said, numerous roots across the trail present more of a technical challenge- this isn’t the sort of ride to engage autopilot mode! The elevation ungulates, climbing from sea level to about 1200ft, with my phone tracking a total of 4000ft total gain during the 30 mile LD ride. Out of my 2024 rides, the Redwoods Ride felt like the most physically challenging, but the immaculately groomed trail and stunning scenery made the time fly. Arriving back at camp after our Friday pre-ride, I checked in and presented Retta for the vet. She scored well and we did some socializing, meeting some more new friends and reuniting with others. The ride meeting was clear and concise, and I went to bed feeling ready to get on trail the next morning.

At 8:00am, Retta and I set off for a magical day in the deep, dark woods. Starting off with around six to seven miles of single track, the trail was a bit congested for the first 30 minutes as everyone found their pace. We ended up piggybacking off a couple groups of riders and I was continually impressed by Retta’s willingness to go with the flow, considering we ride alone at least 95% of the time. As the trail opened up onto fire road, we linked up with a duo of friends we had met the night before, finishing off the first loop and coming into the outcheck together. Once again, ride management had pulled out all the stops with lots of hay, mashes, and rice bran to refuel the ponies. Retta felt strong, and after our hold, we set off alone.

Another great pro to the Redwoods LD is that almost none of the trail backtracks on itself, aside from the last mile or so coming into camp. With such a beautiful area to explore, it was exciting to have new trail for the second loop of the ride. The weather stayed quite mild, with a steady flow of thick mist filtering beams of light between the groves of trees. Retta and I cruised alone for several miles before encountering a couple of other riders who we alternated leading and following behind. Soon, we started to descend and I hopped off to let her pick her own way down a steep hillside composed of thick mulch. A more physically talented horse likely could have trotted down, but I know mine well enough to know that risk wouldn’t have been worth taking. After descending for around three quarters of a mile, the most challenging section of the ride began, with a series of incredibly tight and narrow switchbacks climbing back up the hillside. I had been prepared to leave some metaphoric “gas in the tank” for this section which was only a few miles from the finish, and Retta plodded up them alone, slow yet steady.

We emerged from the trees around 2pm, walking into the finish line to complete our final vet exam and learn that we had come in 12th place out of the 40 horses who would successfully complete. After taking some time to unwind and graze, I headed to the awards dinner and reunited with my friends to recount our adventures of the day. The motto of the AERC (US endurance governing body) is “To finish is to win,” a slogan which really sums up my experience at the Redwoods Ride, where racing was less of an objective than covering some pretty spectacular ground. I have so much love for the energy at rides, a blend of excitement, camaraderie, and passion for horses and the journeys they carry us on. 

To anyone considering attending the Redwoods Ride: First off, do it! This ride should be on every West Coast rider’s list, even if it’s a bit out of the way. The ride camp is great and accommodates longer stays, I also heard from people who planned day rides to the beach after the ride itself. The LD and 50 are rated moderate to difficult, so definitely be prepared with a fit horse, a solid electrolyte game plan, and a fleece cooler and sheet for damp nights. I’m hoping to get out to the other REER organized rides myself!