10 DAYS, 24 hours a day, non-stop riding.
No, we're not talking about the latest extreme sports triathlon but a reenactment of history. The National Pony Express Association will conduct a Re-Ride of the Pony Express Trail from St. Joseph, MO, to Sacramento, CA, beginning on June 9. The mail will enter Nevada on June 15 from Utah, and then depart to California from Carson City on June 18.
Staged by over 500 riders and horses, the 1,966-mile route will be trekked over the Pony Express National Historic Trail from Missouri through Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada to California. The trip makes 41 stops during the journey most near to our area in Folsom at the History Museum and in Old Sacramento on 2nd street. Gary Moore, of the NPEA says that a couple hundred people typically greet the riders and horses in the city of Folsom. They must be die-hards – the ride is scheduled to gallop through at around 4 a.m.! The group is expected in Old Sacramento at 8 a.m. on June 19th.
The re-ride in celebrating over 20 years and members of the group are recruiting more riders. If you’re interested in getting in on the festivities next year, fees are 40 dollars annually for the first year and 35 dollars a year after that. You must qualify, including a physical requirement that you can trot at a speed of 8 miles per hour on horseback for a distance of 3 miles.
In 1989, the Sierra Intermountain Emergency Radio Association (SIERA), a local amateur radio club, started providing communications for the Pony Express Re-ride across Nevada. Updates are sent from each sector on a regular basis to a series of ham radio base operators in Carson Valley. Radio operators report the location of the mail as the riders race across the state; and by tracking the location of the mail, other riders know when to expect the mail at their location. Communicators can also summon help in the event of an emergency for either the rider or the horse, and accurate locations are reported using GPS (Global Position System) and maps.
This not only provides a fun and educational even but helps in preparation for a real emergency. The welcome the public to come out and support!
For more information on the ride, schedule and a list of anticipated stops along the ride where you can contact the National Pony Express via their website: www.xphomestation.com