Owens Valley Horse Drive

Introduction
California USA
Drive 80 head of horses and mules over 80 miles between the winter range in the Owens Valley and the summer headquarters in the High Sierra. The drives start early in the morning in order to move during the cool of the day. Camp is made early afternoon. The cook and camp crew have a comfortable camp set up in advance of each arrival. There's all the good food you can eat served chuck wagon style and a place to swim at most every camp. Tents are provided, but many prefer to sleep under the stars. Just bring your sleeping bag and personal gear. The riding groups consist of people from many different walks of life and location, but all share a love of the out of doors and a good horse to ride. Each guest will be fit to their own horse and saddle for the duration of the trip. Bring your own saddle if you wish.

This is one of the slower horse drives we offer, but you should have some prior riding experience to join this trip.

All participants are required to fill out and sign a Release Form before starting the trip!

Accomodation

Accommodation
This is a pack trip and all nights are spent camping.

Description
We have a wide variety of tents available (single, double, or family), so please let us know what type you prefer if you have not already. There is a solar shower and privy with toilet seat and tent at the campsite. There is no generator on our trips -- no electrical source is available.
We do not provide ground mats or sleeping bags, so you must bring your own! 

Spring Drive Accommodation Itinerary - subject to changes based on availability
Night 1: Camp near Independence
Night 2: Camp at Keough's Hot Springs
Night 3: Camp near Millpond (shower facilities)
Night 4: Camp in Jeffrey Pine Forest (swimming pond to rinse off )

Fall Drive Accommodation Itinerary - subject to changes based on availability
Night 1: Camp in Wells Meadow (solar showers)
Night 2: Camp at Keough’s Hot Springs
Night 3: Camp near Taboose Creek (solar showers)




Meals
Food is typically sourced from local establishments. We strive to provide a deluxe dining experience and tailor our menus to reflect the tastes of our guests. The Pack Station does not boil or treat water. Campsites are remote enough that we feel safe in using water. If you want to purify water, please bring your own filter pump or purification tablets.

Alcohol is not included in this trip, but guests are free to bring their own.

Spring Drive
All meals from dinner on Day 1 to dinner on the last night are included.

Fall Drive
All meals from breakfast on Day 1 to lunch on the last day are included.

Dietary Restrictions
We can cater to vegetarians with prior notice.

This trip includes and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Riding


Pace
Riding experience is considered when fitting you for a mount. There are plenty of horses and mules to choose from to fit your expertise. Our crew will help you get comfortable before we leave the pack station. We ride as few as 2 hours or as many as 6 hours in a day. Although you don't have to be an excellent rider to participate in the horse drive, some time in the saddle is beneficial. The pace is faster (lots of trotting) and there are a number of hours in the saddle.

Horses
Approximately 130 horses and mules are the backbone of the operation. Pack mules carry the provisions for trail riders, hikers, and those wishing to have their gear packed to a wilderness campsite. Mules typically carry 150-240 pounds of equipment, food and dunnage and work from June through September. During the off season, livestock graze fields in the Owens Valley.
Horses and mules come to the pack station as four to five year old green broke. After a couple of years of training they spend up to another twenty to twenty-five years working in the Sierra.

Guides
Each year young men and women bring youth and enthusiasm to a crew of senior packers and cooks. Most of the crew come from ranch backgrounds and once they start packing with us, they have a hard time ever leaving. Every member of the crew carries on the traditions of the talented men and women who started the business in the 1940s. New employees learn the trails, traditions, and develop skills to serve another generation of guests. Only the most able, hard working and those with exceptional people skills succeed as staff.

Itinerary


Sample Itinerary: Spring Drive - subject to changes

Day 0 (Friday): Arrival
Arrive by 4:30pm on Friday in Rock Creek. Meeting is at the Lower Corral of the Pack Station (where the drive ends). A van will take you to camp, 10 miles northeast of Independence, the horse's winter range. We have dinner together and go over the trip itinerary.
Meals included: Dinner
Camping near Blackrock

Day 1 (Saturday): Thibaut Field to Big Pine
Breakfast at dawn and we leave the corral at 7:00am. The riders head out for the first 4 miles along the aqueduct and get used to their horses. When the horses catch up with us, we keep the horses held back as we ride east of the Owens River. There is alkaline grass meadows, tules, sage brush, camel thorn and plenty of dust. We stop for lunch at 10:30 to 11:00 am alongside of the Owens River. Those wanting to get off and head to the hot springs and camp on Baker Creek can take the afternoon off. The afternoon ride is approximately 4 hours past Tinnemaha Reservoir and up the Valley. Its tough riding in the heat over 100 degrees...its the real thing. We swim in the huge pool at Keoughs Hot Springs and camp alongside Big Pine Creek.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Camping at Big Pine Creek

Day 2 (Sunday): Zurich to Bishop
We start at dawn and spend 4 hours riding along the base of the Inyo Mountains. Spectacular views of the Palisade Glacier and the Sierra Nevada. We follow the old narrow gauge railroad and ride through the ruins of the old farms and ranches of the Owens Valley. After lunch, we cross highway 395...always one of the highlights of the trip. Those wanting to head to camp early can get off at lunch. We ride for 3 more hours in the afternoon and skirt the southside of Bishop. We celebrate the evening with fiddlin, guitar playing, and plenty of ice cream and cake.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Camping at Millpond

Day 3 (Monday): Bishop to Swall Meadows
We travel the stock drive route through Round Valley and start to climb up Old Sherwin Grade on the original wagon road. The sagebrush gives way to pinyon pine forest. We spend our last night  in Jeffrey Pine Forest alternating with meadows and Alders alongside of streams that come out of springs just above camp. We have a panoramic view of the White Mountains and you can see where we rode up through the Owens and Round Valleys.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Camping at Swall Meadows

Day 4 (Tuesday): Swall Meadows to Upper Rock Creek
We climb up Sand Canyon and follow the original wagon road into Rock Creek Lake. In less than two hours, we are at 9-10,000 ft riding through high mountain meadows with the snow covered peaks surrounding us. After a leisurely lunch, we ride to the East Fork of Rock Creek and take the trail down to the Lower Corral. Expect to be at your cars by 3:00pm. We host a celebration banquet at 6:00pm in Bishop. Some people leave that afternoon before the banquet. If you stay (we recommend you do!) you should book a room in Bishop for that night.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner



Sample Itinerary: Fall Drive - subject to changes

Day 1 (Saturday): Arrival & Ride to Wells Meadow
Arrive by 6:30am in Bishop in the parking lot North of the City Hall and Fire Station. Entrance to the parking lot is directly across from the Wash Tub coin-op laundry at 237 North Warren Street. We then take you to Rock Creek for breakfast and leave from Lower Corral at around 9:00am. Leave Lower Corral at the pack station (9,000ft) and then climb to the old wagon trail and then descend to Round Valley. There is approximately a 4,000 ft elevation drop as we come down the Sand Canyon and hit the old stock trail.  We camp at the base of Wheeler Ridge. We get into camp at about 4:30pm.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Camping at Wells Meadow

Day 2 (Sunday): Wells Meadow to Keough’s Hot Springs
We skirt Round Valley and Bishop.  Some of the roads are paved and the majority dirt roads beneath the power lines. We leave at 8:00am and have lunch on Bishop Creek at noon and then take another 2 hours to the corrals at Warm Springs. We van guests to stay at Keough’s Hot Springs. This is an easier day. In September--temperatures are often in the 90’s in the afternoon.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Camping at Keough’s Hot Springs

Day 3 (Monday): Warm Springs to Aberdeen Station
We leave the corrals and ride for an hour down Warm Springs Road and cross the Owen’s River. Another 4 hours of riding on the eastside of Owen’s River takes us through salt grass meadows and the alkaline sage flats of the Owen’s Valley. Lunch at Zurich. Another four hours in the afternoon brings us to our third night’s camp. We encourage guests that are tired to get off at lunch, and we take them to Taboose Creek.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Camping at Taboose Creek

Day 4 (Tuesday):  Aberdeen Station to the Thibaut Field
It is about 4-4.5 hour ride along the Owen’s River and aqueduct to the pasture where the stock are left for the winter. After lunch, we transport the guests back to Bishop to their cars. We host a celebration banquet at 6:00pm in Bishop. Some people leave that afternoon before the banquet. If you stay (we recommend you do!) you should book a room in Bishop for that night.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner


Note: This tour is operating under permit with the USDA Forest Service through Special Use Permit on the Inyo National Forest.

Rates and Dates for Owens Valley Horse Drive

Dates Note:

Other Info
Meeting: Spring Drive: Lower Corral of the Pack Station Fall Drive: Bishop
Airport: Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH)
Transfer: --

Climate:
                                                Bishop area