Notes From The Trail: Daily Dispatch - Stage 4 - The Queen Stage Reigns

Daily dispatches from rider, racer, writer, photographer Caroline Dezendorf

Notes from the Trail — Stage 4 — The Queen Stage Reigns

Traveling north from Oakridge to Blue River is not for the faint of heart. Day 4 on the Oregon Trail—widely considered the Queen Stage—sent Pioneers and Settlers high into the Cascades on what would become the defining day of the week. With over 9,000 feet of climbing for Pioneers and nearly 7,000 for Settlers, it was clear from the early hours that this stage would push every rider to their mental and physical limits.

As the sun began to warm the shadowed camp in Oakridge, the morning silence gave way to the subtle sounds of gear zipping, tents collapsing, and quiet conversation. Riders moved with purpose—packing up, filling bottles, and bracing for the day ahead.

What makes Stage 4 especially daunting isn’t just the sheer elevation gain or the lack of flat terrain—it’s that by the time riders hit the start line, they’ve already logged over 200 miles in just three days. Fatigue is real. But so is determination.

As the route climbed steadily out of Oakridge’s mossy forest and into the high alpine, the weight of the day began to lift. The fear faded as wildflowers, snow-covered peaks, and towering evergreens revealed themselves around each bend. The gravel, though unrelenting in pitch, was smooth and fast—a welcome change from the red volcanic soil and soft sand of earlier stages. It was a reminder that no two roads in the Cascades are ever quite the same.

That variety helped keep morale high. Around every corner came something new: a high meadow splashed with color, a dramatic ridgeline framed by firs and hemlocks, a distant view of Mt. Bachelor, cloaked in moody clouds. The terrain itself became a kind of reward.

As the day wore on and bodies began to feel the miles, minds stayed sharp. You could see it in the smiles at aid stations, hear it in the breathless “wows” as riders crested summits, or feel it in the pause as someone stopped to snap a selfie on top of the Cougar Reservoir Dam. Somehow, the suffering became part of the story.

By the time the last riders rolled into Blue River, the tone had shifted. It wasn’t just exhaustion that filled the air—it was pride. Riders had been humbled, pushed, inspired. 

Camp felt quieter that night. Tents rose slowly. The pace of the afternoon was slow. But the Schwalbe Hot Dog contest and the Mile-Run Sandal Challenge on the Track kept the cheers going well into the evening. 

Tomorrow brings the final push eastward. But tonight, the Queen Stage reigns. And for those who conquered it, the crown is well earned.