Ogden Group Camp Horse Camp
Location: Ogden Group Camp, La Pine, OR, no address available
Facilities: Vault toilets, picnic tables spread throughout area Camp Site Amenities: picnic tables, no designated sites Site Type: flexible parking Water: Water Spigots with hand pumps, water not turned on during our visit Footing: Rocky, hoof boots recommended Cell Signal: Att 1-2 bars periodically Dogs: Dogs allowed Other: Weed-free hay required Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recarea/?recid=38432 Reservations: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232900?q=Ogden%20Group |
Getting There
This was a longer haul from SE Portland. If you have a few days or a large group it is worth holding your next horse event at Ogden Group Camp. You can even make reservations online for the group camp. It currently runs about $152/night so if you have a large party it could be fairly reasonable. Google maps shows you trekking cross country to reach the campground. This is not accurate. The turn is well signed from the road and you followed the gravel road until you saw a turn off for the group camp on the left. The google location marker is not correct and should be on the left side of the gravel road.
Must Brings
1) Satellite phone or downloaded maps
2) Water - If the camp water is not turned on
3) Horse Containment - There are no horse corrals here. Endurance riders bring their own horse containment and it is very freeing. Having a portable corral, hi-tie or electric fence is life-changing!
2) Water - If the camp water is not turned on
3) Horse Containment - There are no horse corrals here. Endurance riders bring their own horse containment and it is very freeing. Having a portable corral, hi-tie or electric fence is life-changing!
Horse Campsites
Both areas A and B are huge. I visited during a busy endurance ride and all of us got to spread out and have our own space plus room for ride meetings and a vetting area. Area B was closer to the river if you are interested in setting up your camp chair in the middle of the river on a lovely 80 degree day. The B loop had an additional smaller loop off of its apex that is not pictured on the site schematic.
Group Site A
Sam and I scored a nice shady area on a hill in area A. We had 3 picnic tables which warms Jon's heart as he is the master of campsite sprawl. You can see that even though we attended a large event, there is plenty of space for everyone to have their own area.
Group Area B
Group Area B Video Link
Group Area B Video 2
There were vault toilets and water spigots spread throughout camp. Water was not turned on during our visit.
Group Area B Video 2
There were vault toilets and water spigots spread throughout camp. Water was not turned on during our visit.
Trail Map
Most of the trails were on forest roads or the Peter Skene Odgen Trail. I used Gaia to see the forest roads and the single-track trail. However, if you want to follow a predetermined trail the best way to see routes is to download GPS tracks. Some of the forest roads are more horse friendly than others. Some have deep ruts and are hard to find an even surface to walk on. The best way to ride this area is to join an endurance ride and do an intro trail ride to learn the main routes in the area.
Riding
Peter Skene Odgen Trail
The Peter Skene Ogden Trail is amazing. Please read about it on my Chief Paulina Horse Camp page.
You can ride the Peter Skene Ogden Trail all the way to the Lake Paulina Lodge. It is 8.3 miles one way to the Lodge.
If you are an endurance rider this could be a really nice 16.3 mile out and back with a break at the lodge for some ice-cream.
It is 9.8 miles from the Peter Skene Ogden Trailhead to Chief Paulina horse camp. This equals a roughly 20 mile out and back if you camp at either end.
The great thing about this longer route is that it is right by the creek so there are lots of opportunities to cool off and drink fresh water and eat green grass. In the map below The Prairie Campground is the location of Ogden Group Camp.
You can ride the Peter Skene Ogden Trail all the way to the Lake Paulina Lodge. It is 8.3 miles one way to the Lodge.
If you are an endurance rider this could be a really nice 16.3 mile out and back with a break at the lodge for some ice-cream.
It is 9.8 miles from the Peter Skene Ogden Trailhead to Chief Paulina horse camp. This equals a roughly 20 mile out and back if you camp at either end.
The great thing about this longer route is that it is right by the creek so there are lots of opportunities to cool off and drink fresh water and eat green grass. In the map below The Prairie Campground is the location of Ogden Group Camp.
8 Mile Trail Ride - Peter Skene to Forest Roads Loop
We rode this route the day before our 30 mile race. I am so glad I got to do a slow ride along the creek and really enjoy the scenery. It was much faster going fast along the trail the next day since we had seen the beginning the day before.
|
We started out with a water crossing!! Sam loves water so this was so much fun for us!
We got to ride through the forest and along the creek. There were a few trees close to the single-track you had to watch your knees when passing.
There were lots of places to get a drink from the creek and you could practice bridge or water crossing!
After going around McKay campground the trail became forest roads. Great footing for moving out. Sam is usually a long-trotter but we had a good gallop here.
10 Mile Powerline Loop
We rode this loop fast. It was the 2nd loop of our first 30 mile endurance race. It was hot and dusty and I was so impressed Sam had more long-trotting left in his heart after a tough 19 mile first loop.
We were lagging until we met up with an amazing Arab that was just the competition Sam needed. Our 14.4 mph long-trot was the same speed as this Arabian's gallop! Sam wanted to go faster but I was holding onto him. Luckily the Arabian's owner had a heart-rate monitor. We were able to keep both of our horses in the aerobic zone and enjoyed talking while we raced. As we got closer to camp, I waved her on and urged Sam to walk the last mile into camp. With endurance races it is not about how fast you finish, it is how fast your horse recovers that really matters. You enjoy your ride and have horse left for another day, another season or another decade of amazing adventures with your horse! |
12 Mile Peter Ogden to Forest Road Loop
This was another option as a trail ride at the Lava Cast Endurance Ride. I rode this route plus some in the 20 mile loop I describe. This route hits all the highlights of the 20 mile loop. You start with a great single-track by the creek and get to ride some forest roads where you can have wonderful long-trots.
|
15 Mile Peter Ogden Trail to Forest Road Loop
This is another variation of forest roads you could follow. I did not personally ride the east section of this route but rode the south and west section during my 20 mile loop ride. The most scenic part of the trail is the section that is along the creek. The forest roads that are level without ruts are wonderful for a good gallop!
|
20 Mile Peter Ogden Trail to Forest Road Loop
I rode this route during the Lava Cast Endurance Ride. I had an amazing time but I rode during an organized ride with a clearly flagged trail. The section of trail by the creek was easy and beautiful but the dirt roads had sections of ruts. These sections were perfect for walking but tough to trot. If you ride this route on your own you could come across campers, atvs, cars or other trail users. If you attempt this on your own you would do best following a GPS track with a navigation tool like Ride with GPS.
|
We started out on the Peter Skene Ogden trail on the same route as the 8/12 mile trail riders. We rode this first section fast. I am still learning how to pace Sam and we started out behind an amazing gaited Morgan that blew our socks off! As we traveled north from McKay Crossing Sam finally wanted to walk and I was able to take some pictures. The rest of the trail was on forest roads. You can see the deep ruts on the road in the picture in the lower left. We had to walk this carefully. On the footing in the lower right we picked up speed. I finally managed to long trot with loose reins and take pictures while posting an 8mph trot.
We encountered some gravel footing and needed to slow down.
We followed the powerlines south back to camp and had amazing footing to move out.
Endurance Lessons
It is now 9/2023 and I have come a long way on my endurance riding learning journey. I rode my first 30 mile ride here and it was my 2nd limited distance ride. I ride a race-horse, just not the track type of race-horse. It's even better than your most vivid Black Stallion dream because we get to ride for 5 hours in the most beautiful parts of Oregon.
With any equine sport we have to remember that this is something our horses do for us. Sam would be ok hanging out with Bailey, eating hay and relaxing all weekend. I struggle with the conflict between seeing the world from my horse's point of view and having human desires, goals and a schedule of rides that make me happy. Sam loads up in a steel box, has no idea where he is going, unloads and willingly carries me whatever distance I have chosen for us. He is a willing partner. He does make his own demands about begging for alfalfa and grain and carrots and apples. Sam will let me know if going out on a 2nd or 3rd loop is not acceptable.
We have a constant conversation out on the trail. He pricks his ears, eats the ground in an amazing long-trot, passes horses or lets them pass and seems to know I have his back. I try to let him know I have his back. I point out objects or things that could scare him. I notice things and let him know that I know that he notices things. We are both not perfect and our goal is not to be. Our goal is to enjoy every minute of every ride. Some endurance riders think we ride to "endure" something. I totally disagree. Every minute, you are sharing the trail with your horse, you are building a partnership. You rely on each other. You are never alone, it is a dream to be with your horse. The winner of the 2023 Tevis rode with a saddle and a neck-rope. That display may have been for show, but the partnership was there before he even took the bridle off. There is nothing better than 100 miles to be alone with your best friend - your horse!
Horses are fragile. You never know their lifespan or if some injury or accident will leave them unrideable. We take it day by day. This was probably our last endurance ride for 2023. I make plans for rides for 2024. I will be so lucky if Sam and I both survive to 2024 to follow the next trail.
Important Practical Details:
1) Layer clothing - I wore a long sleeve over my t-shirt and this worked perfectly. We started at 7:30am with the temperature in the 40s and rode until 1pm with temperatures in the mid 70s. This worked and I stayed comfortable. Being too hot later in the day is much worse than being too cold at the beginning.
2) Electrolytes are important - This is the first ride I tried out the magical electrolytes. Sam is a black horse and sweats profusely. Some riders say to electrolyte your horse every 10 miles. Some riders never do this. Sam did much better with the oral commercially prepared sweetened electrolyte paste. He loves anything in his mouth and thought it was tasty. I am confident that it increased his water intake immediately after I pasted him. I pasted him before the race, during the hold and after the race. I think he would have felt better if I had given him another dose half-way through our first loop.
3) Learn about aerobic vs anaerobic thresholds - I started to geek out with the AERC webinars. After this ride I learned all about how horses switch from aerobic exercise where they burn fat to anerobic exercise when they burn glycogen. Horses can use up all their stored glycogen in 3 hours. The average horse has 90 pounds of fat which could fuel them at 6 mph for 3 days!! I could feel Sam reach this anerobic threshold after our fast start. After about an hour he hit a wall where he needed to walk and catch his breath and cool down. Many riders have heart-rate monitors so they can keep their horse's heart rate under 160 beats per minute. This piece of tech seems incredibly useful to prevent hitting walls and to keep your horse aerobically exercising and burning fat.
4) Cooling Dark Horses - I have to figure out how to cool Sam more efficiently. Some riders carry sponges or dipping scoops. I have realized that the pretty braided manes also keep hair off the neck and help cooling. I will have to spend some time braiding Sam's mane. I should also sponge him to cool him during our loops. The wonderful pulse taker helped me sponge down Sam during the hold. She also told me that if I lowered his head, this change in position would help slow his heart-rate. I need to avoid really hot rides. Early season or late season riding is much better for us in the Pacific Northwest.
5) Feed Fat - Sam loses weight during our rides. It could be from dehydration, but it is also from burning fat for fuel. In between our rides he needs to rest long enough to gain back some fat. The most calorie-dense feed is fat and horses in race-condition can tolerate up to 1-2 cups of oil/fat in their feed each day. Sam is 18 yrs old and we will never ride longer than a 30 mile race. Sam did incredibly well even considering all of the above factors. There are many ways I can make this easier on him so we will keep striving to improve.
6) Get Good at Camping - Sam, Jon, the dogs and I are now really great at camping. We are organized, can set up and tear down quickly, have everything we need and can be comfortable. It is important to be able to sleep before and after a long ride. Sam is great on his hi-tie and I can relax knowing he is safe.
7) Practice 2nd and 3rd Loops - This trip I did not unsaddle Sam between loops. Sam was very willing to leave camp after our hold time for our 2nd loop. I don't think I did anything brilliant. Sam knows in his head now that he does one longer loop and then a shorter loop. He picks up on patterns and it only takes once for him to understand. I did carry a whip for the 2nd loop but I did not use it.
8) Hoof Boots - Such a pain in the rear. I don't like metal and nails in my horse's hoof. We have had too many hot-nails and thrown shoes to make that an option. Hoof boots are a pain. This seems to be true no matter how well they fit. This ride was near the end of our 5 week trim cycle. I attempted to round Sam's hooves to keep them fitting his boots. We still got rubs. Not terrible bloody rubs, but enough to make my heart sink when I pulled the boots off. Maybe we will try glue-ons next season.
With any equine sport we have to remember that this is something our horses do for us. Sam would be ok hanging out with Bailey, eating hay and relaxing all weekend. I struggle with the conflict between seeing the world from my horse's point of view and having human desires, goals and a schedule of rides that make me happy. Sam loads up in a steel box, has no idea where he is going, unloads and willingly carries me whatever distance I have chosen for us. He is a willing partner. He does make his own demands about begging for alfalfa and grain and carrots and apples. Sam will let me know if going out on a 2nd or 3rd loop is not acceptable.
We have a constant conversation out on the trail. He pricks his ears, eats the ground in an amazing long-trot, passes horses or lets them pass and seems to know I have his back. I try to let him know I have his back. I point out objects or things that could scare him. I notice things and let him know that I know that he notices things. We are both not perfect and our goal is not to be. Our goal is to enjoy every minute of every ride. Some endurance riders think we ride to "endure" something. I totally disagree. Every minute, you are sharing the trail with your horse, you are building a partnership. You rely on each other. You are never alone, it is a dream to be with your horse. The winner of the 2023 Tevis rode with a saddle and a neck-rope. That display may have been for show, but the partnership was there before he even took the bridle off. There is nothing better than 100 miles to be alone with your best friend - your horse!
Horses are fragile. You never know their lifespan or if some injury or accident will leave them unrideable. We take it day by day. This was probably our last endurance ride for 2023. I make plans for rides for 2024. I will be so lucky if Sam and I both survive to 2024 to follow the next trail.
Important Practical Details:
1) Layer clothing - I wore a long sleeve over my t-shirt and this worked perfectly. We started at 7:30am with the temperature in the 40s and rode until 1pm with temperatures in the mid 70s. This worked and I stayed comfortable. Being too hot later in the day is much worse than being too cold at the beginning.
2) Electrolytes are important - This is the first ride I tried out the magical electrolytes. Sam is a black horse and sweats profusely. Some riders say to electrolyte your horse every 10 miles. Some riders never do this. Sam did much better with the oral commercially prepared sweetened electrolyte paste. He loves anything in his mouth and thought it was tasty. I am confident that it increased his water intake immediately after I pasted him. I pasted him before the race, during the hold and after the race. I think he would have felt better if I had given him another dose half-way through our first loop.
3) Learn about aerobic vs anaerobic thresholds - I started to geek out with the AERC webinars. After this ride I learned all about how horses switch from aerobic exercise where they burn fat to anerobic exercise when they burn glycogen. Horses can use up all their stored glycogen in 3 hours. The average horse has 90 pounds of fat which could fuel them at 6 mph for 3 days!! I could feel Sam reach this anerobic threshold after our fast start. After about an hour he hit a wall where he needed to walk and catch his breath and cool down. Many riders have heart-rate monitors so they can keep their horse's heart rate under 160 beats per minute. This piece of tech seems incredibly useful to prevent hitting walls and to keep your horse aerobically exercising and burning fat.
4) Cooling Dark Horses - I have to figure out how to cool Sam more efficiently. Some riders carry sponges or dipping scoops. I have realized that the pretty braided manes also keep hair off the neck and help cooling. I will have to spend some time braiding Sam's mane. I should also sponge him to cool him during our loops. The wonderful pulse taker helped me sponge down Sam during the hold. She also told me that if I lowered his head, this change in position would help slow his heart-rate. I need to avoid really hot rides. Early season or late season riding is much better for us in the Pacific Northwest.
5) Feed Fat - Sam loses weight during our rides. It could be from dehydration, but it is also from burning fat for fuel. In between our rides he needs to rest long enough to gain back some fat. The most calorie-dense feed is fat and horses in race-condition can tolerate up to 1-2 cups of oil/fat in their feed each day. Sam is 18 yrs old and we will never ride longer than a 30 mile race. Sam did incredibly well even considering all of the above factors. There are many ways I can make this easier on him so we will keep striving to improve.
6) Get Good at Camping - Sam, Jon, the dogs and I are now really great at camping. We are organized, can set up and tear down quickly, have everything we need and can be comfortable. It is important to be able to sleep before and after a long ride. Sam is great on his hi-tie and I can relax knowing he is safe.
7) Practice 2nd and 3rd Loops - This trip I did not unsaddle Sam between loops. Sam was very willing to leave camp after our hold time for our 2nd loop. I don't think I did anything brilliant. Sam knows in his head now that he does one longer loop and then a shorter loop. He picks up on patterns and it only takes once for him to understand. I did carry a whip for the 2nd loop but I did not use it.
8) Hoof Boots - Such a pain in the rear. I don't like metal and nails in my horse's hoof. We have had too many hot-nails and thrown shoes to make that an option. Hoof boots are a pain. This seems to be true no matter how well they fit. This ride was near the end of our 5 week trim cycle. I attempted to round Sam's hooves to keep them fitting his boots. We still got rubs. Not terrible bloody rubs, but enough to make my heart sink when I pulled the boots off. Maybe we will try glue-ons next season.
Rating
I loved every minute of my endurance riding weekend at Ogden Group Camp. I love being with my horse 24/7. I love feeling him move on my hi-tie as I sleep. I love seeing him look into my tack room window in the mornings, begging for more food. I loved every second of our 5 hour, 30 mile ride. I loved long-trotting through the trees. I can now hold a conversation, take a picture and check my GPS as I long-trot at 8 mph. I love geeking out about all things horse with other endurance riders and I can't wait to do it all again!