• The exchange at Pleasant Valley House, California, photos by Hal Erpenbeck

• Exchange at the Hangtown Chamber of Commerce, Placerville, California, photos by Frank Verardi

• Sportsmans Hall, Pollock Pines, California, photos by Larry Ward

• Between Camino, California and Sportsmans Hall, photos by Ernest Toppenberg

• First Day Pictures by Dennis Larson

• Sherre Beisel coming in to Willow Creek exchange, photo by Ron Norton

• Videos from the first day taken in Camino & Pollock Pines taken by Cris Alarcon:

  • Pony Express CA 2008 Retro Review
  • Pony Express 2008 Camino CA new rider waiting
  • Pony Express 2008 Camino CA new rider waiting Part 2
  • Pony Express 2008 Switch Pollock Pines CA
  • Pony Express Cal Home Station
  • Pony Express Cal Home Station Part 2
  • Pony Express Cal Home Station Part 3
  • Pony Express Pollock Pines CA 2008 Riders Talking
  • Pony Express Pollock Pines CA 2008
  • Pony Express Pollock Pines CA 2008 Part 2
  • Pony Express Pollock Pines CA 2008 Part 3
  • Pony Express Pollock Pines CA 2008 Part 4

• Exchange at Silver Fork, photos by Sue Walther. You can read the report here.

• Exchange at Carson City, photos by Kevin Karl
  

  Note: The woman in the photo is Carson City Supervisor Robin Williamson. Renown Nevadan and reporter for Channel 8 KOLO Reno John Tyson is reading the proclamation.

• GPS Control Room and Transponder, photos by Joe Kelso

• Photos from Nevada submitted by Debi Royer. You can read her report here.

• Photos from Elko, Nevada submitted by Karen Shephard. You can read her report here.

• More photos from Nevada submitted by Annette Lancaster. You can read her report here.

• Photos from Wyoming submitted by Missy Harris. You can read her report here.

• Photos from Utah submitted by Beverley Heffernan. Here is a list of captions for the photos. Here is her report.

• Photos from SE Wyoming submitted by Donnie Norvell. You may read Donnie's report here.

• More photos from Wyoming submited by Mark Hartman.You may read Mark's report here.

• Pictures from the Midway Amateur Radio Club at Ft. Kearny, Nebraska submitted by Michael Osterberg. You may read Michael's report here.

• Utah Pony Express Reride, 2008, photos by Mark Jenkins.You may read the report here.

• Cindy Furse and "Friday", report and photos submitted by Cindy Furse.

• More Photos from California submitted by Cheri Bratton. You may read her report here.

• More Photos from Nevada submitted by Gary Nezos. You may read his report here.

• Photos from Colorado submitted by Rick Taylor. You may see his report here.

• More photos from SE Wyoming submitted by Karen Bennett.You may see her report here.

• Exchange at the Original Pony Express Home Station Marysville, Kansas submitted by Kelly Gee.

• Photos from East Canyon, Utah, submitted by Diana van Uitert.

• Photos and report from Julesburg, submitted by Vickie Sandlin, Reporter for The Julesburg Advocate

*** [Anyone wishing to see the Pony Express riders should be aware that they may be anywhere from two hours ahead to two hours behind schedule!] ***

Click on to see a view from Google Earth.

Depart Sacramento, California
Wednesday, June 18, 9:00am PDT

[California Departure Ceremony starts at 8:30am.]

Depart Folsom Museum
Wednesday, June 18, 12:44pm PDT

Welcome Ceremony starts at 12:14pm on the steps of the Museum. Bob Cullifer, President of thr Folsom Historical Society, will welcome the incoming rider and administer the Pony Express Rider Oath to the outgoing rider. Larry Carpenter, National Pony Express Association, will give a short history of the Pony Express and the 2008 Re-Ride. For more information, see this News Release.

Depart Pleasant Grove House
Wednesday, June 18, 2:09pm PDT

Depart Rescue Post Office
Wednesday, June 18, 2:39pm PDT

Depart Diamond Springs Post Office
Wednesday, June 18, 4:11pm PDT

Depart Hangtown (Placerville) Chamber of Commerce
Wednesday, June 18, 4:46pm PDT

Depart Sportsmans Hall
Wednesday, June 18, 6:19pm PDT

Depart Brockliss Bridge
Wednesday, June 18, 8:04pm PDT

Depart Strawberry
Thursday, June 19, 1:35am PDT

Depart Picketts Junction
Thursday, June 19, 5:05am PDT

Arrive Woodfords, California
Thursday, June 19, 5:55am PDT

Arrive Genoa, Nevada
Thursday, June 19, 9:00am PDT

Larry McPherson will read a Proclamation from Governor Jim Gibbons declaring June 19th as Pony Express Day in the State of Nevada. Larry will present a copy of the proclamation to the Genoa Museum.

Depart Carson City, Nevada
Thursday, June 19, 11:00am PDT

Depart Fort Churchill
Thursday, June 19, 4:00pm PDT

Depart Top Gun Raceway
Thursday, June 19, 8:00pm PDT

Depart Sand Springs
Thursday, June 19, 12:00am PDT

Depart Cold Springs
Friday, June 20, 4:30am PDT

Depart Railroad Pass
Friday, June 20, 9:30am PDT

Depart Grubbs Well Friday, June 20, 5:30pm PDT

Depart Overland Pass

Saturday, June 21, 12:30am PDT

Arrive Ibapah
Saturday, June 21, 5:30pm PDT

Depart Caliao
Saturday, June 21, 9:30pm MDT

Depart Simpson Springs
Sunday, June 22, 4:30am MDT

Depart Camp Floyd State Park, Fairfield, Utah
Sunday, June 22, 9:00am MDT

Depart Murray Park, Salt Lake City, Utah
Sunday, June 22, 1:30pm MDT

Depart "This Is The Place" Heritage Park
Sunday, June 22, 2:30pm MDT

Depart Fort Bridger, Wyoming
Monday, June 23, 4:00am MDT

Depart Sweetwater County Line
Monday, June 23, 7:00am MDT

Depart Green River Crossing
Monday, June 23, 9:00am MDT

Depart Farson, Wyoming
Monday, June 23, 11:00am MDT

Depart Atlantic City, Wyoming

Monday, June 23, 5:00pm MDT

Depart Sweetwater Station
Monday, June 23, 9:00pm MDT

Depart Jeffery City, Wyoming
Monday, June 23, 11:00pm MDT

Depart Martins Cove
Tuesday, June 24, 2:00am MDT

Depart Fort Casper, Wyoming
Tuesday, June 24, 8:00am MDT

Depart National Historic Trails Center
Tuesday, June 24, 9:00am MDT

Depart Glenrock, Wyoming
Tuesday, June 24, 11:00am MDT

Depart Inez, Wyoming
Tuesday, June 24, 12:00pm noon

Depart Douglas, Wyoming
Tuesday, June 24, 5:00pm MDT

Depart Glendo, Wyoming
Tuesday, June 24, 6:00pm MDT

Depart Caffa Road
Tuesday, June 24, 10:00pm MDT

Depart Wendover, Wyoming
Wednesday, June 25, 12:00am MDT

Depart River Road, Gernsey, Wyoming
Wednesday, June 25, 1:00am MDT

Depart Tank Farm Road
Wednesday, June 25, 1:30am MDT

Depart Fort Laramie, Wyoming
Wednesday, June 25, 2:30am MDT

Depart Torrington, Wyoming
Wednesday, June 25, 4:30am MDT

Depart Scotts Bluff

Wednesday, June 25, 8:00am MDT

Depart Chimney Rock
Wednesday, June 25, 9:30am MDT

Depart Bridgeport, Nebraska
Wednesday, June 25, 11:00am MDT

Depart Mud Springs
Wednesday, June 25, 12:30pm MDT

Depart Sidney, Nebraska
Wednesday, June 25, 2:30pm MDT

Arrive Colorado Visitor's Center, Julesburg, Colorado
Wednesday, June 25, 7:30pm

There will be a BBQ at the visitor's Center from 6:00-8:00pm.
All are invited.

Depart Big Springs, Nebraska
Wednesday, June 25, 9:30pm CDT

Depart Paxton, Nebraska
Thursday, June 26, 2:15am CDT

Depart North Platte, Nebraska
Thursday, June 26, 5:45am CDT

Depart Brady, Nebraska
Thursday, June 26, 8:45am CDT

Arrive Midway for 30 minute layover
Thursday, June 26, 10:30am CDT

Depart Midway
Thursday, June 26, 11:00am CDT

Arrive Willow Island, Cozad, Nebraska, for a 30 minute layover
Thursday, June 26, 12:30pm CDT

Depart Cozad, Nebraska
Thursday,June 26, 1:00pm CDT

Depart Plum Creek
Thursday, June 26, 4:30pm CDT

Arrive Fort Kearney, Nebraska, for a 30 minute layover
Thursday, June 26, 7:15pm CDT

Depart Fort Kearney, Nebraska
Thursday, June 26, 7:45pm CDT

Depart Susan Hail Grave
Thursday, June 26, 9:30pm CDT

Depart Oregon Trail Marker
Friday, June 27, 1:00am CDT

Depart Oak, Nebraska
Friday, June 27, 5:30am CDT

Depart Hollenburg Station Friday, June 27, 9:00am CDT Friday, June 27, 2:15pm CDT

Depart Marysville, Kansas
Friday, June 27, 4:30pm CDT

Depart Guittard Station
Friday, June 27, 6:45pm CDT

Depart Summit (Hwy 99)
Friday, June 27, 8:05pm CDT

Depart Kock & Co West
Friday, June 27, 11:05pm CDT

Depart Seneca Museum
Friday, June 27, 11:30pm CDT

Depart Hwy 75 (Sac & Fox)
Saturday, June 28, 2:35am CDT

Depart Horton, Kansas
Saturday, June 28, 4:00am CDT

Arrive St. Joe Bridge
Saturday, June 28, 10:30am CDT

Arrive St. Joseph, Missouri

Saturday, June 28, 11:00am CDT

The last rider will recieve a traditional welcome at the Patee House hosted by the Missouri Division, NPEA, and the Pony Express Historical Association. The mail will be processed by the US Postal Service and delivered worldwide. Thanks to Gary Chilcote and his staff for making the arrangements on the end of the trail.

Factors:

Full Moon most of the way for Riders' SAFETY of Riders.
More enjoyable ride!
Utah Division avoids rush hour traffic in Salt Lake City.

My grandson and I rode with the Utah group from Ibapah to Simpson Springs. Being part of the reride is interesting and fun to work with a great group of people. Hope everyone had a safe ride.

Total number of hits on the web site for the 2008 Re-Ride was 3332 (536 more that for the 2007 Re-Ride).

The mail got into St. Joseph on time arriving at the Pattee House a few minutes before 11:00am CDT. Everything went will through Kansas.

We came through Seneca last night where they had a good turnout. It has been cool in the mid 60s, hardly any wind.

It is about 8:40pm CDT, 77 degrees, starting to cloud up and get dark. We are moving along here about half an hour to 45 minutes ahead of schedule. Looks like we are going to be on time the rest of the way in or a little ahead. Right now it looks like it will be a beautiful night ride.

Right now we are between Hollenberg Station and Marysville Station running 20 minutes to half an hour late. When we picked up the mail from Nebraska we were about an hour late because of the storm last night. Right at the moment it is clear, 86 degrees, not very much wind. We are having a good ride so far. We should be back on schedule long before we good to Missouri.

You may see Karen's photos here.

It's that time of the year again and I am sending in my re ride report.

The mail was picked up about 6:00pm Tuesday, June 24th in Glendo, WY by our group. It was earlier than we had expected but certainly worked to our advantage.

Riders including George Branscom, Donnie Norvell, our youngest rider Kayla Foster, first year riders Danny Whitney, Troy Bonham and longtime rider Joanne Foster got the mail to Cassa where Tom West, his daughter Marika Anderson and her husband Dean took the mail over Wendover which can be pretty rough in the dark. This year they were able to get it over the top in the light and made great time.

The rest of us were waiting on the other side to take the mail on. Eight riders including Carl Bevier, Roy Bennett(my husband), Jamie Vickers, Zach Bennett(my son), first year riders Brenda True, Nathan Hyser and Alise Schwab, and long time rider Vicki Hood got the mail from Wendover to Register Cliff. At Register Cliff, my brother Dick Mickelsen and I, Karen Bennett took the mail to Tank Farm. It was dark dark dark without a hint of a moon. Erin Williams took the next ride.

Everyone got at least 2 rides and lots of us got 3. As always a great time was had by all! It was a safe re-ride and everyone had a blast. George Branscom, his grand daughter Kayla and Joanne Foster brought the mail into Henry, NE where the Nebraska members were waiting for us. Considering that we had five first time members and lots of darkness, we still managed to make good time and got the mail in early ...... maybe that helps makes up for us being late last year!

We had a great re-ride in Colorado, great weather, great people to include our national president. The ride went with out an incident not to offend any one but the Mochila was the most convertible one I have rode on I have been with the association sense 2002. You may see Rick's photos here.

You may see Gary's photos here.

I would like to give a big "Thanks" to the riders who rode the Fort Church Hill leg. Annette Lancaster, Mark English and his grand daughter Mercedes. Annette rode a little bay horse that did not break a sweat after 8 miles. Mark who brought his horse in, in good time missing both front shoes, and Mercedes who set the pace that keep Mark's horse going. My big fortrotter that keep me honest. THOSE YET TO RIDE, RIDE SAFE AND ENJOY THIS SPECIAL EVENT

At 4:19pm CDT horse and ride traveling at 8mph on the way to Fort Kearney.

I apologize for the delay in posting many of your great ride reports and photos. I have received quite a few and I am processing them as fast as I can. Thanks for your patience.

At 12:09pm CDT the horse and rider continue to average 8mph well on their way passed Cozad just west of Lexington, Nebraska, on the south side of I80 along the river.

You may see Cheri's pictures here. My husband, Steve, and I were helping with California radio communications, reporting the time the rider(s) came in and next rider(s) left, we also provided evening escort with flashers on when the riders trail was impassable and they had to ride on Hwy 50 from Kyburz to the next stop We really enjoyed our part in helping to keep track of the riders and hope to be of use next year.

The pictures I took begin with young Walker when he rode through Crystal Summit Court and then on to Fresh Pond in Pollock Pines, California. The pictures following Fresh Pond were taken at Kyburz/"The Dump", then near Strawberry, and then at the US50 and old 50 in Myers.

Instructions on how to use the Rider Tracking web site and how to view the web site on your cell phone have been added to the Rider Tracking web site.

We had a fantastic night for our ride. We received the Mochila from the Colorado Riders at 8:45pm MT as the sun was setting and evening commencing. As the riders made their way across the trail, the evening progressed into a pitch-black night with heat lightening and a few sharp flashes far away to the north and south giving us a dramatic sideshow. Weather was so much nicer than last year (rain, rain, rain!!). We had no rain or weather problems at all. WOW!! As we finished our last 4-5 miles, the big old orange half moon peaked up from the eastern horizon, greeting us with another dramatic nature sight.

Our progress continued at a good speed, as we passed Brule at 9:56pm MT, Ogallala at 11:06pm MT and Roscoe at 11:41pm MT. We took our time the last stretch from Roscoe to Paxton, making sure the riders signed the Mochila. We handed off just a freckle (15 minutes) early at 1:00am MT this morning (Thursday). The North Platte riders headed on east into that dark night as we turned our trailers around and headed home, ponies tired, riders tired and ready to turn in to bed!!

Our local group was augmented by 5 beautiful ponies and their chauffeurs from the Rock Creek Station bunch down by Fairbury, Nebraska. There was a bay, sorrel, grey, black and buckskin. Could have been a poster picture for the AQHA standing there tied to the trailer, ready to ride!! Thanks, guys. You were a huge help to our ride!!!! They will ride again on their stretch in SE Nebraska tomorrow morning(Friday).

Our local riders, Russell, Mary Dale, Tim, Justin and myself all had good rides. Everyone went about 4-5 miles apiece, usually divided into about 2-mile segments with a rest in-between. The local newspaper news editor, Mary Pierce, went along on the ride, also. She was a gutsy lady, not having much riding experience, but committing to 3 practice riding sessions out to my place on Casper to prepare for her mile stint of carrying the Mochila. As her publisher threatened me with my death should anything happen to her, we were very careful and Casper took good care of her!!! She will do an article for the paper to publicize the ride in this area, hoping we can recruit more riders. What a lady!! Thanks, Mary Pierce. It was quite a group, indeed, all the guys and the three Marys.

Always thankful for a safe ride. God speed all riders along the trail. What an awesome experience to be a part of the Pony Express Reride.

At 11:43am CDT the horse and rider are averaging 8mph on the way to Cozad, Nebraska.

The Utah riders received the mochila an hour and a quarter early from Nevada, but a cinematography session with the BBC for their Globe Trekker series done in the west Utah desert delayed them for several hours. Much of the time lost was regained, and the eastern Utah team with Trail Captains George Lange and Joseph Hatch delivered the mail to Wyoming only three quarters of an hour late.You may see Joseph's photos here.

A note from the trail-

Last evening Rick Taylor and I both rode Rick Taylor's palomino mare, Sugar (an eight year veteran of the carrying the mail for the Pony Express), along the river road that follows the Platte River between Julesburg and Big Springs. Keeping a watchful eye on the heavy black storm clouds that were chasing the riders from Chappel, NE we made great time appreciating the cloud cover in the intense heat of the day.

We are glad to report all went very well for the Colorado division riders with no problems for either riders or horses.

We also enjoyed the company of our National President, as well as Ken Martin and his wife who kindly publish the Pony Express GAZETTE we all enjoy receiving during the year, Leonard and his wife from NE as well as many others as we gathered at the sale barn at Chappel waiting for our turn to ride. Not to leave anyone out but sometimes it is hard to get all the names with the faces.

The BBQ at the Julesburg Visitor Center was tasty and well attended by the community. The music was beautiful and added to the "flavor " of the evening. It is a beautiful Visitor Center. Be sure to stop and see the sculpture of the Rider at the facility if you are in the area.

I would like to thank Gary Lancaster, Colorado President who headed up the Colorado Division ride as well as all the others who rode and participated, and assisted us as we relayed along our route. It made for a most enjoyable ride.

Looking forward to the 150th in 2010 and hoping to see every there.

It's so good to see that the Reride is now in western Nebraska! I lived in Sidney NE for a year, so I know the area very well. I wish I could be out there, following it in, but apparently they didn't think they needed us. Let's hope that we can do it statewide next year, and have it down pat for '10.

I took a few snapshots of us setting up our G5RV antennas. We're going to run two stations, coordinating between the four frequency areas published in QST. First off, Vern NKØH and I will be operating, probably on 40 and 20. We'll probably switch up to 15 and 10, depending on propagation conditions, but we'll just "jump around" a little bit as we need to do. Just a reminder: frequencies are 7260, 14265, 21325, and 28440.

In the first photo, that's (l to r) Lynn WBØPRH, Tom KCØWWQ, and Vern NKØH, raising the second G5RV. I'm holding the one end of the wire and taking the picture at the same time. The other photo is Bob WA1YOF, holding the other end of the wire, waiting for the center to be secured so he could tie his end off. We also had Bob's wife Wanda NØLUI and Henry NØHA out helping us. Henry was in a motorcycle accident about 4 years ago and is now wheelchair-bound, but he's still active and gets around on his own.

We'll look for you tomorrow morning. We'll start officially at 8:00 CDT, which would be 6:00 your time.

You can see Mark's photos here. Thanks to the Wyoming riders, the Mochila arrived at the Wyoming/Nebraska state line an hour and a half early at 3:30am. After taking the oath the Nebraska Western Division started east at 4:30am which was about a half an hour ahead of schedule. I partnered with Brian Lafler who is used to taking care of the mail as he just happens to be the postmaster in Alliance, Nebraska. He was a blast! What a beautiful early morning in the North Platte Valley! While the Mochila was on the move, outhouse and watering hole breaks were taking by division members at the Scottsbluff Monument and Chimney Rock visitor centers. Leonard Hilton was here to offer great words of encouragement. Thanks Leonard! Nebraska President Lyle Gronewold was present to stamp bibles and had many interesting pictures/comments about the Pony Express route in Nebraska. Thanks to you as well Lyle! We got the Mochila to the next division in Bridgeport, Nebraska ahead of schedule about 10:30am. What a thrill for me and the other members in our division. Many thanks to all who rode before us and good luck to all who are yet to ride.

Here are pictures from Utah's Team 2 ride. We covered Murray Park to the Wyoming border this year. We weren't able to make up for the filming delays Pat Hearty wrote about, got the mail about an hour late and delivered it an hour late. But the weather was good, and I had a great time as always. Thanks to Pat and to our team captains George Lange and Joe Hatch for doing all the hard work in preparation for our run!

Just some reflections back on my ride with the Casper section on June 24. This was my second re-ride but the first time to carry the mail during the night. Thanks to Jay Jensen for letting me ride Blue (what a great horse!), who kept me out of trouble during my leg just west of Martin's Cove and the other leg east of Independence Rock on Old Oregon Trail road. Watching the moon rise over Devil's Gate with the sound of coyotes yipping in the distance while carrying the mail was an extra special experience for me. We had a dedicated group of riders (including a grandfather/father/son team from Arizona) who kept us on track all night. It's a test of stamina and strength for both horse and rider when it's 4 am and you're running on fumes, waiting for the sun to come up. But your fatigue washes away and the energy level returns watching the pony come into the National Historic Trails Center in Casper in front of an enthusiastic and cheering crowd ... one person from Seattle even asked the riders to autograph his copy of the trail map!

At 5:07pm MDT horse and rider doing 10mph east of Chappell, Nebraska, 5 miles from the Colorado Border.

You can see Donnie's pictures here.

This is my second year to ride. This year was fun. I was able to help out two groups this year. I helped Dick Garrison's Douglas,WY bunch on the way down to Glendo,WY to meet George Branscom's Platte/Goshen County group. I met Dick and the mail on Irvine Rd. on the outskirts south of Douglas just lil' bit after 4PM.There was a stretch that we did not know if someone was already waiting or not by the Trap Shooting range,so I headed up there to check. Nobody was there so my Pryor Mountain Mustang mare Maggie and I got ready and rode approx. 1 mile to the next rider waiting when the Mochila got to us. Dick said he clocked me going about 26 MPH on Maggie! After that I followed the mail down to outside of Orin Junction. On the way down I ended up taking part of a stretch for about 1/4 mile because the rider had lost a stirrup off his saddle and the horse was not being very cooperative either.

After that I got down to my next spot to pick up the Mochila again at the North Platte River just outside of Orin Junction. I rode two miles and did about 20 MPH on my horse. In some pictures you can see Maggie was rarin' and ready to go.

After that I headed down to Glendo to meet up with George's bunch. Dan Cole had said he would drive for me and he was suppose to ride,but he had dislocated his collarbone and messed up his hip and the Doctor said that he was not suppose to be riding. So we just swapped trucks and he just drove this year. Kind of a heck of deal because this was his first year as an XP member. The mail reached Glendo a few minutes after 6PM I believe and George Branscom took the mail about 1.5 to 2 miles south of Glendo. Poor George kind of got the short end of the stick on that ride. His paint horse acted up and George came off while he was trying to mount up. George got back up and on and started south. While he was riding out Glendo a rain storm came up and George got soaked. When George got to me at Horseshoe Creek it was still raining and I put on my oilskin duster. We got the Mochila swapped onto my horse and we took off into the rain. While I was riding the rain cleared off and I had two rainbows appear. Talk about a pretty scene. One guy took a picture of me riding toward the rainbows in the background. Hopefully it gets posted. It's one of those scenes you would see in an American Cowboy or Western Horseman magazines. After I finished that stretch we followed the mail till about Cassa Rd. Then We head toward Guernsey and Ft. Laramie and waited for the Mochila at my last stretch. The mail reached me about 11:45PM I think(somewhere in there anyways).I rode past Ft. Laramie and handed it off to Troy Bonham,a new rider recruited kind of last minute,at about midnight. Dan and I pretty much followed the mail into Henry,NE which got there about 4AM.It was long but so much fun. I think I rode approx. 6 miles between Douglas,WY and Henry,NE.Enjoy the pictures. A couple of them will near Orin Junction and some will be waiting at Glendo. Happy Trails,
Donnie Norvell
Douglas,Wyoming

This year is my eighth year as a Pony Express rider, and my granddaughter, Jessica's first year as a Pony Express rider. Our leg of the ride was Folsom Dam Road at 1:09 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18th. This ride might not have been as dramatic as some of the rides further up in the mountains, but it did present some challenges. First of all, the staging area I had originally picked was barricaded, so we couldn't enter. There was heavy construction going on, with earth movers, water trucks, flags, loud noises, and you name it! Everything was happening that would "unnerve" any good horse. I was able to turn around and find a nice quiet side street to park. We unloaded our horses, saddled them up, and walked over to the exchange point on East Natomas Rd. Traffic was heavy, as usual. Pretty soon, some neighbors stopped by with their cameras. One gentleman, who was a retired history teacher took pictures of us, and he also gave us a fancy bottle of mineral water. Our horses were relatively calm, considering all the activities going on around us. About 12:45, one of the ham radio operators stopped by to let us know that the rider had just left the Folsom Museum. So we thought we still had some time. The next time I looked up, here comes our president, Rich, announcing that the rider's almost here. I quickly bridled my horse and tightened up the cinch, when there she was (Janet Kampf) surrounded by a convoy of motorcycle police officers with all their flashing lights! Wow! What a sight! Since this was Jessica's first year as a Pony Express Rider, I let her carry the Mochila. She was really excited, as so was I. The Mochila was placed on her little Arab gelding, named Kayden. (This was his first year, too.) He wasn't quite sure what to think about all these "goin-ons," but he went right along with it. In a flash, we were up and on the road, with those wonderful motorcycle officers surrounding us like a band of angels. We felt so proud. They escorted us up to the dike, and then dropped down to Green Valley Road to wait for us. Kayden and Dandy (my beautiful sorrel Quarter Horse) literally flew across the dike. Our horses were awesome. They rose to the occasion, and made up time. We dropped down to Green Valley Road and met up with our police officers. They stopped all traffic for us and escorted us down the center of the road, and into the "Purple Place" where we handed the Mochila off to the Hofers. What a ride! Can't wait until the next time.

From the start of the 2008 Re-Ride on June 18 we have recieved 2511 hits on the web site.

Hello all! I rode my first Pony Express Re-ride today out of Glenrock, Wyoming, and I had a BLAST!! I was a bit concerned about how Storm, my 6 year old half-Arab, half-Paint gelding would do. I've never done anything like this on him before. And on top of that he had gotten a stone bruise on his left hind two weeks ago and was lame until Saturday! But he was a champ today. He went all three legs of our assignment without missing a beat. I am so proud of him! It was a lot of fun and I am definitely recommending this little adventure to all my horsey friends! Safe travels to everyone who is still carrying on.

Here I sit in my Pennsylvania home, as frustrated as I can be, watching and reading the progress of the Pony re-ride. Damn but I hate to be here when I should have been in Wyoming doing my part of the ride!!!

Some years back I was told that one ride on the Pony Express and you are hooked. Oh how true that is. I really miss being there.

Oh well, there is always next year. Hopefully I can save more money by then and the prices will go down.

Until then, GOOD LUCK to all the riders in Nebraska and Kansas and Missouri!!

See you all down the trail.

I just got off the telephone talking with Carl Schultz, Wyoming State President. As reported earlier his brother Howard was hurt with a dislocated elbow, but held on to the horse by the reins so he would not get away with the Mochila. Like I said before, that's one tough cowboy. Has got out of the hospital and has seen doctors. He is in good condition and is up and about. He is being taken care of; he was covered by insurance. That's all good news.

The last ping was at 8:16pm MDT. The speed of horse and rider was 6mph 2 miles west of Wendover Road on the way to Guernsey, Wyoming.

At 1:52pm MDT horse and rider doing 7mph 4 miles east of Glenrock about 2 hours behind schedule.

At 12:27pm MDT the rider is traveling at 10mph on Bib Muddy Road, Glenrock, Wyoming, progressing along nicely.

At 11:12am MDT rider is at 5mph about 5 miles outside of Casper east bound.

According to Sylvia Santamaria, the producer, it will be 4 or 5 months before the Re-ride filmthey took will be ready. She has promised us a copy of the product, and I will also be sure to find out when the program will air and on which channels it will be available. I wish we could have it for Carson City, but it will probably take longer.

10 year old BLM Mustang, Bullseye
11 year old Breeding Stock Paint, Giraffe

Here our some pictures from our re-ride.

We were the second ride after our President, Carl Schultz and his brother. Our Captain, Howard Schultz, was involved in a mishap which resulted in a dislocated elbow. Since I had been very badly injured by my husband's horse (many broken bones) last fall, this was hard news for me to hear. I decided to have faith in my Mustang, who has successfully carried me on the re-ride four times, said a prayer and jumped on. My husband's horse, Giraffe, carried the mail and together, we rode 4 miles without incident and handed off to the next rider. We wished him a safe, swift ride and then drove to our next ride spot; the next to last ride into Atlantic City.

When we got to Atlantic City, we misjudged where our ride started and we would like to apologize to the rider and her horse who had to carry the mail up one more hill than they should have. Our ride had two rather steep climbs in it and if it had been three, I am not sure the horses would have made it. Our horses gave us everything they had, but by the time we topped that second hill and handed off to the next rider going East, they were spent.

I would like to send my appreciation out to all our fellow XP riders who helped us by holding our horses (and climbing an extra hill) and also to our sitter for taking such wonderful care of our four year old daughter so we could ride.

We absolutely love the new GPS tracking (and all the timely updates Joe!) and were quite pleased that they caught us going a respectable 9 and 10 mph. No speed record, but we were still proud of our horses and just thankful for a safe ride.

It was quite a night. Received the mail from Utah Division about an hour behind schedule making it almost midnight. The sky was very dark, no moon at all, had a hard time keeping horses running. When we got the mail it was so dark you could not see anything.

The second rider was Mike Kallas with his wife Kathy and daughter Katelynd. We put two horses in one trailer and one in another and he got to his leg and made the ride.

One rider flipped her horse was a first time youth rider, Sydni Jones. Her Mother Kelli and finance Wes Martin also first time riders were riding with her. If you had not been following her nobody would have known. They just got horse up, found Mochila and made it to their appointed stop. Had 4 riders not show up, however A.J. Barker, Bob Liechty, Cassy Payne and Mike Mckenna all took extra runs.

Eddie Halls had her horse fall on her knee as she was unloading it. Today she is on crutches, but although she could not ride she followed us until the end helping out where she could.

Unfortunately I found 3 horses upside down in my trailer (just minor scrapes). All of them rode at least 2 times after that.

The bad luck rider was Mike Kallas. Not only lost his transmission, he was the one who got his horse stuck in cattle guard. All four legs where down inside it resting on his belly. We just rolled him on his side and slide him around so his feet were on the road. He stood up and we put mail on him and away they ran. Just minor scrapes on back legs.

During all this, we still managed to make up 1 hour and deliver the mail on time to Sweetwater.

However, I hear our luck followed them as not to long after they picked it up, Howard Schultz had an accident and had to be taken to hospital.

After all night, many accidents and misshapes all we can say is "PRICELESS!"

At 8:24am MDT the speed is 7mph about 4 miles outside of Casper.

Most of our team spent the night at Simpson Springs. It was cool night and the moon was beautiful. The wind came up and we wondered what was going on with the team out of Nevada. The rider arrived a 4:30am right on time. Then sad the wind and dust was bad but the got the mail to us on time anyway.

My first ride was just as the dawn was breaking and it was lots of fun. My horse was more than ready. I ride a 23 year old Morgan called pokey {because he is not} He loves the re-ride it was his 7th time. The only problem I have with him is getting him to wait for me to get on after the Mochila is put on my saddle. Then we have the problem of getting him to stop when we reach the other rider.

When your first ride is in the beautiful west desert it makes up for the hassle of getting caught in the traffic of the cities that people built on the Pony Express Trail. You know stop lights people, etc. It was fun and every one had a good time.

I'm looking forward to next year. I'm 63 years old and it takes that long for me to get all the muscles I didn't know I had to get back into shape do it again.

At 6:16am MDT the horse is traveling at 16mph on the Old Oregon Trail Road about 10 miles outside of Casper, Wyoming. They are looking good to bring the mail in on time.

You can see her pictures here.

I'm a new member, of the National Pony Express. Also a participant for the first time, in the re-ride to commemorate the 148th anniversary of the founding of the Pony Express. I'm proud to re-create history. It is a dream comes true. As a little girl in Germany I watched many westerns with my dad on television and wishing I could ride on the open grass land.

My horse Rocky (ToHotToTrudRock) is a registered ten year old Arabian gelding. His mother was a raise horse. I raised Rock from a baby.

As a want to be endurance rider I'm excited to ride two legs of the 1,966-mile run this year that heads west to east from Sacramento to St. Joseph, Mo.

My fist leg is Carson City To Ft. Churchill Ride Captain - Debi Royer. At 2:30 I start from Hwy 50 and Fort Churchill Road about eight miles in. The first four miles I'm riding with Gary Nezos. We exchanged the mail and the next four miles, just Rocky and I. I'm so glad that I was ridding with Gary for the fist four miles, because Rocky after we exchanged the mail and he was caring the mochila for the fist time he was in high spirits and all he wanted to do is get a way form the mochila. After a mile or so he stating to behave and traveled out nicely. I handed of to Mark & Mercedes English.

My second leg is Sand Spring to Cold Springs Ride Captain -Barbara Rosenberger. This is a night ride with a full moon it was incredible. By this time I not paying attention to the time all I know it is dark and the riders are about 11/2 hour late. I ended up riding two mile on the side of the road in the dark. The next morning I was finishing it up with another 11/2 miles into Cold Springs. After we handed the mochila of at Cold Springs all of the riders went for breakfast This ride I truly will remember for a long time. Rocky is an amazing animal truly a gift form above. Thanks' to all that help me make a dream come true.

"What an exhilarating experience!" You will never love your horse more than the moment you finish riding your section of the pony express trail. It creates a special bond and a special memory not soon to be forgotten. You can see her photos here.

I rode the pony express trail for three years back in 1998-2000 but returned this year riding with an old friend at his suggestion. I'm so sorry I missed it all those years in between!

This year was a huge challenge for us as we were riding in El Dorado National Forest on a very hilly trail (deemed "gnarly" by Annette Nylander). We had 2 wooden bridges to cross, narrow trails with steep hillsides, a burned-out section, some slippery rock areas and were scheduled to do it at 10:30 at night! I was ever-so-thankful for the full moon.

I rode my tall (16.1H) azteca gelding, Grady and my friend Dave Peters rode his quarter horse Rowdy (a Doc Bar grandson). Our strategy was to have me and Grady in the front blazing the trail as Grady is taller with a longer stride. Dave and Rowdy would be bringing up the rear carrying the Mochila. (Truthfully, we were afraid we couldn't lift the mailbag high enough to get it on Grady's back!)

The incoming riders arrived right on time (not sure of all their names - but great job!!) and the exchange was made in less than 3 minutes. We headed into the darkness and directly up the side of the mountain. We had 80 minutes to make our ride. We tended to trot in level areas, canter on the uphill and walk in some of the rocky downhill spots. Fortunately, the horses were familiar with the trail and at one point, I lost it in the dark, but my horse quickly corrected me. Later Dave's horse snapped a branch as we went over a log and he dismounted to check Rowdy's legs. Fortunately, he was just fine and we continued on, maybe a little quicker after that point.

It was a great feeling when we arrived at Kyburz to see tons of people in the parking lot cheering us in. We were surprised to find we had shaved 30 minutes off our assigned time! We passed the Mochila to Annette and ReNae who went on to ride both along the 50 freeway and also on the trails as part of their ride. Dave and I were really glad to be passing to Annette as she was the one that had just qualified us a few weeks earlier and made sure we knew what to do. THANKS ANNETTE!

It was a great experience and we had a blast. Looking forward to next year when we get to ride it in the opposite direction!

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GREETINGS FROM ELKO NEVADA !
NEWS FROM THE SHEPHERDS

FIRST OFF... A BIG HATS OFF TO OUR TEAM AT ROBERTS CREEK ! IT WAS GREAT CATCHING UP AND HAVING SOME LAUGHS ... KIDS HAVE GROWN SINCE LAST YEAR AND OUR PACK OF DOGS ( OUR PETS ) THEY ALL GOT ALONG AND EILEEN, JACK WANTED US TO SAY HI TO PORK CHOP ( PAWS...HIGH FIVE ) FRANK GOMEZ , GREAT GUY... ( HE HAS AN ALL WOMEN TEAM ) BUT WE ARE FAST ...

THE MAIL DEPARTED FROM OLD TOWN SACRAMENTO ON TIME AT 9:00 AM -WED. MY HUSBAND I HAD BEEN EXCITED TO HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED AT THE RANCH " ROBERTS CREEK " IT WAS SO NICE AND HEART FELT TO SEE EVERYONE ON OUR TEAM AND VISIT AND LAUGH AND CATCH UP.

THE MAIL WAS SCHEDULE TO ARRIVE TO GRUB WELLS AT 5:30 PM. WITH THE HELP OF BILL & CAROL WITH THE HAM RADIO COMMUNICATIONS THE MAIL WAS APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS LATE THE HIGH HOPE OF A DAY RIDE STARTED TO FADE, SO THE RIDERS FRANK GOMEZ, LYNN SHEPHERD & MYSELF TURNED THE HORSES LOSS IN A SMALL FENCED CORRAL AND LET THEM GRAZE AND WE STROLLED AROUND LOOKING AT THE PONY EXPRESS CABIN AND LOOKED AT THE MONUMENT THAT HAD BEEN PLACED ON THE TRAIL ( EST. 1993 ) IT WAS EXCITING FOR ME TO SEE, BECAUSE THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME RIDING THIS SECTION OF THE TRAIL... AS WE WAITED WE ALSO HAD THE CHANCE TO SEE A BAND OF WILD MUSTANGS. HAS WE HUNG OUT AND LOOKED AT THE SCENERY WE NOTICED A CAR WITH A TRAIL OF DUST HEADING OUR WAY FROM THE EAST...? WONDER WHO IT GOOD BE ? MUCH TO OUR SURPRISE IT WAS OUR NATIONAL PRESIDENT LES BENNINGTON AND HIS WIFE AND STATE OF COLORADO PRESIDENT DAVID BELKE AND HIS WIFE. WE HAD TIME TO SHOW THEM THE HISTORICAL STATION AND THE GRUB WELL MONUMENT AND A FEW PHOTOS. IT WAS GREAT TO MEET THEM AND WILL SEE THEM AT THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN SEPTEMBER. (SEE PHOTOS)

BEFORE WE KNEW IT WE WERE LOADING OUR HORSE AND OFF WE WENT WITH GREAT ANTICIPATION. FRANK GOMEZ & HIS LOYAL STEED BC PASSED THE MAIL OFF TO MYSELF AND MY HORSE MOLLY AND OFF WE WENT TO PASS THE MAIL TO JANINE AND JESSIE VEGA WHO CARRIED IT OFF TO EILEEN BAILEY WHO RODE IT THROUGH THE RANCH UP THE HILL TO GARDEN PASS WHICH THE NOTTERMAN'S TOOK IT OVER THE MOUNTAIN. WE HAD TWO GALS NEW TO THE CAMP AND I APOLOGIZE THAT I CAN NOT REMEMBER THEIR NAMES , PLEASE FORGIVE ME, YOU GIRLS HAD SOME AWESOME HORSES AND LOTS OF GUTS TO GO THE MOUNTAIN WITH STEVE AND SCOTT AT NIGHT ( THE MIDNIGHT RIDERS ) WITH OUR FAST RIDING AND A GREAT TEAM, YOU ALL HATS OFF TO YOU GUYS ! WHEN MY HUSBAND ANDI LEFT BACK TO ELKO WE MADE UP AN HOUR AND HALF ON THE GRUB WELLS SECTIONS AND HOPEFUL STEVE AND THE OTHERS HAD A GOOD NIGHT RIDE AND MADE UP SOME TIME AS WELL.

LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE AT THE ANNUAL DINNER IF YOU MAKE IT AND THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE WE HAVE A LOT OF NEAT THINGS PLANED AND GOOD FOOD . SAVE YOUR NICKLES FUN TIMES HAD BY ALL IN CARSON CITY !

HAPPY TRAILS & GOD BLESS

We are one ride out of Atlantic City.

At 3:52pm MDT horse and rider at a speed of 14mph southwest of Atlantic City, Wyoming.

At 6:16am MDT the horse is traveling at 16mph on the Old Oregon Trail Road about 10 miles outside of Casper, Wyoming. They are looking good to bring the mail in on time.

At 12:55pm MDT the rider and horse have a speed of 19mph on Wyoming Hyw 28 on the way to Atlantic City, Wyoming.

From Sand Springs (Sand Mountain) to Cold Springs our mileage was 33.4 that follows Hwy. 50 just 26 miles East of Fallow, Nevada.

Nancy and Zip Up ham (with outriders Marion Erica of Fallow, and Trek Brooke all the way from Australia) rode the first 11 miles of our section traveling at an average speed of 30 miles per hour!!! What a team. This was Trek's first time riding with the Pony Express and he appeared to love the whole adventure. Trek is a foreign exchange student that is living with Nancy and Zip and he is taking home with him a few memories of what Nevada and our people are like and what we do for fun! We ride Pony!!!! Maybe we can talk him into returning for next years re-ride.

Audrey Bovine (from Fallow) picked up the mail from Nancy and Zip at Fairview Marker and rode 5 miles with the mail. Audrey is also a new member to our team and we can't wait to have her back next year. We just need to remind her of where Middle gate is!!!

Virginia Darrow (from Fallow) rode along side of Audrey and then took up another section (together with Audrey) further along the way. Virginia is also a new rider with XP and I am sure she will be returning for next years re-ride.

Annette Lancaster (from Carson City) picked up the mail from Audrey at Dixie Valley Rd. and rode 1 mile. Annette was scheduled to ride 3 miles, but her ride captain and hand off partner was at the wrong hand off point (2 miles ahead of sectioned hand off,,,in the dark the dirt roads all look the same!!! ). While coming in to do the mail change with myself, Annette could not believe she had ridden her 3 miles so quickly and a was a bit disappointed with the brevity of her ride.....come to find out later that she had only gotten to ride 1 mile..., so we gave her another small section at the end of the trail to try to make up. Next year Annette will be given the correct amount of mileage to ride all by herself!! Sorry Annette.

Annette handed the mail off to me. While riding at approx. 3 A.M., after riding for a short time, I realized that the dirt road that Annette was supposed to hand off to me at was on the right hand side of me....I had ridden 1/2 mile more than I was supposed to! My mare was not appreciative! So, on we went for our 4 mile section. After riding into Middle gate, where there was supposed to be an exchange with Virginia and Audrey, I found there was no one there to exchange with. The girls had missed the turnoff in the dark and were further down the road. Again, my mare Katie was not appreciative...loll...

Thank goodness for our HAM radio guy's. I rode to them and asked them to go look for my riders and bring me back help! loll....they located my riders and soon brought them back to me and relieved my not so happy mare, who was more than happy at this point to jump into the trailer and rest.

Audrey and Virginia rode the mail to the 722 exchange where they passed the mail off to Paul Hurdler. For those of you who don't know Paul,,,,he is better known as Pastor Paul. Paul is from Ojai, California who comes into Nevada every year to ride with us. He rode one of Larry McPherson's horses this year and did a terrific job. Thank you Paul for your time and commitment! We truly appreciate your dedication. And thank you Larry for loaning him a horse to ride.

Paul rode 4 miles and handed the mail off to our trusty Audrey for another 2 miles. Audrey's horse by now is very experienced getting in and out of a dark trailer on the side of the highway! What a great pair.

Audrey then passed the mail off to Larry McPherson, who had already rode another section the day before and done a presentation of the Proclamation given by our mayor dedicating the 19 of June as Nevada Pony Express Day in Genoa. What a guy. I only hope I have as much energy as Larry does in another couple of years. Larry rode 4 miles into the Pony Express Gazebo, 1 mile outside of Cold Springs. Larry passed the mail back to Annette who rode the last mile into Cold Springs.

We had received the mail 1 hour late at the beginning of the ride and with all of our confusion and the dark highway, we turned the mail over 1 hour later than anticipated to the Cold Springs section.

For those of you who have never had to do it, the highway on our section has a sloping shoulder with no escape. You pretty much are required to ride the pavement most of the way. We had cloud cover Thursday night, so it was very dark along that stretch of highway (which is how I picked the wrong dirt road and the girls missed the turnoff to Middlegate). So all in all, I would say we had a very good night. No rider or horse was sacrificed in any way and we got the mail through with no bullet or arrow holes. Our section adds just a touch of "something to remember" and "stories to tell", to the Nevada Division of The Pony Express. We are a versatile and cohesive group!

We will anticipate next years re-ride with excitement that is due our section. We love our section of Nevada even in the dark. lol....

Good luck to all riders and ride safe.

At 12:27pm MDT the horse and rider are doing 14mph just west of the California Immigrant Road (Hwy 8).

Thanks to Joe Kelso for keeping us up to date on the location of the mail, and to Tom for this excellent website

We picked up the Mochila at the Nevada border (Ibapah) this year, and rode through the night to Simpson Springs. Keith Anderson and the Schellbourne Riders brought it in to us nearly an hour and a half early. No surprise. We got a leisurely start, and gave Beth Anderson and the group of 8 riders from Callao some daylight to ride in this year. We crossed the desert with 16 riders who averaged 6 miles each. Our ride went pretty smoothly (ask Neil Bell!).

About 2:30 A.M., just east of Dugway Pass, we got hit with a howling wind of about 30 mph which lasted about an hour, then backed off and just left us with the dust. We arrived at Simpson about 10 minutes ahead of schedule, with Gregg Hearty and Blue delivering the goods. DeMar Brimhall hasn't ridden the last few years, but at age 93, he decided he wanted another crack at it. His granddaughter, Diane Workman and her husband, Scott, brought him out to Clifton Flat, and helped him aboard. DeMar galloped his horse for a full two miles! He's a pretty amazing gent.

We lost at least an hour and a half at Faust to provide film footage for the big British travel show, Globetrekker. (See June 24 Report) They had promised to meet us early Sunday morning, pretty much do the filming they wanted on the fly, and not slow us down much. But the director wanted some extra set up time and some re-takes and some close-ups. So we apologize to those who had to scramble to make up the time. But they did get some beautiful film of their program host, Holly Morris, and mail exchanges with Jessica and Adriaan Riet. And my son Matt's horse, Sunny ("the Hollywood Horse"), has a whole new set of fans. The delay was pretty aggravating, but the film of our Re-ride will be seen all over the world.

Best of luck to all riders and their trusty steeds. I'm proud of us.

Between 9:30am and 10:00am MDT a rider (Howard chultz) was injured with a dislocated elbo and was rushed to the hospital. He was able to hold on to his horse so that he would not loose the Mochila... they build tough cowboys out there in Wyoming! He was traveling at 11mph at the time of the accident.

At 10:07am MDT the horse is traveling at 9mph in Sweetwater County, Wyoming.

At 8:24pm MDT the horse is t=traveling at 9mph on Echo Road in Coalville, Utah.

At 6:07pm MDT the speed is 12mph next to East Canyon Reservoir.

At 4:45pm MDT the Rider is on the Wasatch Cache National Forest traveling at 10mph .

At 3:34pm MDT speed was 7mph through the city. They are at "This Is The Place" Heritage Park just about an hour behind schedule. You should also note that while the Rider was in western Utah on the other side of Dugway they spent about 4 hours being filmed by a BBC news team.

You can see Debi's photos here. Another year riding the pony! I have been a Nevada member since 1990, and it seems each year is just as exciting as the last. I rode out of Genoa @ about 9:15 on my handsome Arab gelding Skeeter (who turned 28 this year and has carried mail nearly every year since he was about 5 or so) we took the mail 3 miles along Jack's Valley Road. While going at a good trot we were passed by a cyclist on a slight incline, Skeeter watched the guy go by for just a few seconds, before he said Hell No - and picked up a very fast gallop and passed the cyclist up & continued that pace until we passed the mail to the next rider. It is always a pleasure to ride in Bob Moore's section, he has been a great mentor for me not only as a rider, but especially as a Ride Captain.

I am the Ride Captain for the Carson City to Fort Churchill section here in Nevada(about 32 miles long, and it travels directly through Carson City and continues along Hwy 50, then parallels the Carson River).

Jane Bailey and her new horse Sooner began their ride on Third & Curry (very near where a XP livery stable was located) and she took the ride through Carson being escorted by the Carson City Sheriff - without them this section would be even more dangerous then it already is. Until the mail reaches Arrowhead Drive on Hwy 50 it is nearly all pavement, sidewalk & lots of loud vehicles. But, seeing the Pony for the majority of people is a happy occasion - lots of horn honking, & yells of excitement! Thanks Jane for doing such a fine job!

Jane passed the Mochila off to Dale Ryan (past Nevada NPEA president & past National NPEA president) and his tried & true XP horse, 28 yr old Arab gelding Paddy - he has been carrying mail for as long as my dad has owned him. Dale is my Dad, and I cannot express my gratitude enough for him introducing me to horses at such an early age, and encouraging me to pursue horse activities like Pony Express! Can't leave Mom, Bonnie Ryan out - she helped a tremendous amount too!!!!

Dale passed the mail to myself, I rode my late husbands Arab gelding Moose (he turned 23 this year) he has carried the mail since he was 7 years old!. Since I had both of my horses with me I asked David Sanner to ride along with me on my ride - Skeeter did great for him. Skeeter & Moose get a little competitive while galloping - but they responded well to their riders!

I passed the Mochila to Mona Dible and her new horse (I think he is a Peruvian Paso) and he did great along HWY 50.

Mona passed the Mail on to Gary Nezos & his foxtrotter Bodie. Gary helped out not only by riding his section, he helped drive vehicles, exchange the Mochila & rode a second section when a rider decided at the very last moment that they did not have "time" to ride their section. Thanks Gary.

The rest of the riders for my section are all new!!! Annette Lancaster and Mark & Mercedes English (grandpa & granddaughter!) I have not spoken with these riders about their rides - but, according to Gary all went well, except a lost shoe or two!

A big thanks go to all of my riders and their mounts, the SIERA guys - Bruce Pfeiffer & Darryl Haines, the Carson S/O. Also, XP got great video coverage from the very local TV channel.

May you always ride well & your pony run hard!

This is so cool to watch how they are weaving around different obstacles in the urban sprawl. At 1:10pm MDT the speed was 10mph at Hwy 92 and I15. It looks like they could be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour late getting into Murray Park.

It stating to get interesting with the urban sprawl. At 1:05pm MDT speed was 11mph coming up to the junction of Hwy 73 and Hwy 68 in Lehi, Utah, heading up into Salt Lake City.

At 9:32am MDT the Mochila is being exchanged near Stockton, Utah, south of the Tooele Army Depot.

You will notice that we have starting adding Pony Express station locations to the GPS map. You will start to see houses popping up where ever we have GPS data. We hope that all of the states will report to us the GPS so that we can add the name and location of their stations.

At 7:21pm MDT speed is 11mph paralleling Deep Creek Mountain Road making their way around the Dugway Reservation.

Phoned in questions:

Phoned in Question : What does the "pinger" look like? (Here is a photo of the "pinger."}

It's techical term is "Transponder" and it sends a signal to an overhead satilite that picks up the message and data programed to mark the latitude longitude. The the computers use logirithims to mathimaticaly average speed of the Mochila. Then an earth station receiving sat-com, sends data packets to our servers. In testing we successfully made it talk to the satilite for two months on the same battery. Battery is very special.......you know elf's from the forest type stuff. So the 10 day excurse should be stable.

Next year brings some special pingers for three different purposes. These will entail a key fob or like your car door size pinger, good for 30 days that snaps to the belt loop of the rider. This will be preprogrammed to the name of the rider. A second will be placed on a band that goes around the horses saddle horn. WHY ???

The station the rider starts from will display tracking on the computer stating the Rider, the Horse, and the Ride Capt Section. This is so all riders and capt sections will be historically recorded, so when grandma, or grandpa have the grand kids over they can show them that I DID THAT !!!!! It further serves the media for their purposes.

Further and it will happen...........if the rider comes off for any reason we can see the separation.......Hmmmmm that was stated well. The control room can effect a rescue or recovery... of the Mochila of course !! In an emergency ......only the control room has a live feed visual for day and infrared night operations.

The ability for the public that have web service to there phone service will by Tuesday have instructions to see the tracking site through their phone.

Don't worry it is not big brother watching a horse race !!!!!!!!!! just me, and over 100,000 hits so far.

Techical and Equipment support goes out to ENTERPRISE.com and many friends from the old days who, thumbs up this project!!!!!!!! It's not like asking dad for the keys for the car !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well you didn't think it was all me did you !!!!!!

And to the programmers and computer staff that worked over 30 days reprogramming techical issues and rewriting timelessly.

Thanks
Joe

Phoned in questions:

There are 11 computer screens in the control room (you can see a photo of the control room here), operating 24 hrs a day 7 days a week. Tracking horses is a new one for me.......what a guy has to do to keep a girl friend happy ! Hugs Capt Nancy Hoggard, and congratulations on your successful section !!!!!

At 6:55pm MDT the Rider was averaging 7mph. At 6:59pm the Rider make an exchange about a mile and a half west on Lower Gold Hill Road at the intersection of Deep Creek Canyon Mountain Road.

At 6:55pm MDT the Rider was averaging 7mph. At 6:59pm the Rider make an exchange about a mile and a half west on Lower Gold Hill Road at the intersection of Deep Creek Canyon Mountain Road.

At 5:26pm PDT (6:26pm MDT) the Rider is moving at 4mph approximately 2 miles east on Lower Gold Hill Road.

From the start of the 2008 Re-Ride on June 19 through today we are averaging 353 hits per day on the web site which is a 100 per day more that for the 2007 Re-Ride.

At 4:13pm the Rider has stopped at Ibapah, Utah. They will be making a presentation there.

I wish to report that so many people are watching the Pony Express on the GPS tracking site that the server is having a hard time keeping up with all of the people enjoying the Pony Express and educating themselves on where the horse is. The Pony Express is being recognized for what it is. We have engineers working to add another server to handle the crowds.

At 2:21pm the horse is currently traveling 13mph between Tippits, Nevada, and Goshuts, Utah.

At 12:37pm the horse is currently traveling 11mph in the Antelope Range about 6 miles from Tippits, Nevada.

Howdy Tom. Just wanted to tell you that you are doing a great job with the XP site during this re-ride!!! I'm checking all the time and wish I was out there riding too. Best wishes to the whole NPEA gang. Keep that mail a movin'. Happy trails!

The mail was in Butte Valley at 6:45am.

The mail departed Overland Pass at 3.25am.

My re-ride this year totaled approximately 14 miles! I want everyone to know it would have been really hard if it weren't for two things; first is that I have the best (I know everyone's horse is the best), pony around. Sunny is a Breeding Stock Paint mare, standing 14.2 hands and weighing in at 1231lbs of pure muscle. She's built like a Mac truck and is as powerful as one too! The second thing is that I have the best husband (I don't know if everyone's husband is the best or not), Tom Veteran, sorry Tom but Sunny gets top billing! It was his first year as my crew and he did a wonderful job! The following is about how we got such a long ride and how it went.

One of our members called me last week and asked if I could take her ride from Camino Post Office to Sportsman's Hall (her dog had recently suffered a broken neck and needed special care), and since she was handing off to me at Sportsman's Hall anyway, I said I could do it. To make it official, Saturday night at our meeting our president & Ride Captain, Rich Tatman, okayed the ride. That ride was 4 miles, my ride from Sportsman's Hall to Bullion Bend (it was actually at the old Salt Mine on Pony Express Trail), was 2.7 miles and our final ride in Lake Tahoe from Shakori Rd to the Forest Service Corrals on Luther Pass ended up close to 6 miles long (my husband & I measured it on our odometer)!

Tom and I got to Camino Post Office around 3:20 PM, 2 1/2 hours early. I saddled up Sunny and waited-she was ready, she knew something was up! Around 5:35 PM Penny Bross came in early and we exchanged the Mochila, as soon as they turned Sunny loose, we were off at a ground eating extended trot! She was kicking it at about 14-15 mph (mostly trotting but she did break into a lope a couple of times), and kept that pace up for an easy 2-2 1/2 miles, when I was finally able to slow her down a little. We went at a nice jog until I was satisfied she was breathing good again and off we went. When we came up to Sportsman's Hall she gave me a burst of speed and we flew by the onlookers! I yelled to Rich Tatman that we weren't stopping and that we'd see them at the end of our ride. He laughed, said "Good Ride," gave me a "high-five" at a trot, and we kept going!

After we passed Sportsman's Hall Sunny wanted to keep up the pace and for the most part she did. When I saw a couple of steep hills coming up I'd pull her in to a walk for awhile so she could catch her breath before we started up the hill at a faster speed. Whenever I asked her for more she gave it to me-great horse! When we came to the exchange Sunny saw the others and broke into a lope for the last 100 yards or so and we handed off to 14 year old Walker Ditrich and he took off on his first re-ride! Sunny came back fast, I think she knew we weren't done yet. At this point I'd like to thank Joe from the RAMS (ham radio operators) for doing such a great job following me on my ride-THANKS Joe!

To view pictures this part of my ride click here. thanks to Ernest Toppenberg! To view a video click here.thanks to Cris Alarcon!

We had a problem with the truck we were driving, an old loaner we borrowed from some friends; my truck is in the shop and we wouldn't have made it to the ride if they hadn't loaned us theirs-thanks Uherciks! The heater core went out and Tom had to bypass the line but he got it fixed-thank goodness he knows about vehicles! On our way up for my Tahoe ride we stopped by Kyburz to see how Annette and ReNae were doing and there were so many people up there we knew it had to be a party!! LOL! We were there when new riders Laura Beeman and Dave Peters, came in after shaving 30 minutes off a 80 minute ride-GREAT JOB GUYS!! Annette and ReNae then shaved another 15 minutes off their ride! Awesome Ride girls!!

Tom and I lived in Lake Tahoe for 14 years until we moved to Penryn in 1987. The reason I wanted to ride the Shakori Rd.-Forest Service Corral/Luther Pass ride is that it went right past the house where Tom & I lived. In fact, we got married in that house, so it was a pretty special ride for both of us!

We got up to the Lake at around 1:00 AM, finally found a gas station open, filled up with gas, filled Sunny's water barrel up, then drove back out to Christmas Valley. We went up to the Forest Service Corrals to see if Lee and Mandy Hofer were awake but they were still sleeping so we went back down the summit to Shakori Rd. My ride was scheduled for 3:50 AM so I saddled up Sunny, gave her the hay bag, some grain, and we settled in to wait. It was freezing! We couldn't sit in the truck because the heater didn't work (remember the heater core?), so we were wrapped up in blankets (thank God I brought those blankets!) in our chairs outside. Around 2:45 AM Pam Simmons came by with Scott McBane told us they were behind and to try and catch a quick nap. Ham Radio operator, Bob and his wife, told us the ride was about a hour behind, then before we knew it Lyle Hosford's crew pulled in and we knew the time was near! About 25 minutes later Lyle came in on his 30 + year old mare, we did the exchange and at 4:31 AM with the call "Rider Away!" we were off! I started out on the trail, the one I knew & rode 21 years ago, and the funny thing was that it had changed! LOL! When I realized what had happened I beat it down to the highway to take the faster route, only losing about a minute. We still made the 6 mile ride in 33 minutes! Tom clocked Sunny at 14 mph for approximately 2 miles and we passed our old house in no time at all. As We started our climb up Luther Pass, with Sunny still at a hard trot, it was beautiful, the moon was full and just as we were getting near the exchange, daylight began to break. I felt incredibly blessed to be out there, one with my horse. I felt more fortunate than the Pony Express Riders from back in the day because even though I was riding "hell bent for leather" I didn't have their worries and I could enjoy the beauty that surrounded me. Can't wait til next year!

I would like to dedicate my ride this year to my brother Martin Richard Silva, who passed November 2, 2007. He was a great supporter of my equine activities his entire life and was especially proud of me when I joined the NPEA. This one's for you bro'!

At 9:11pm the Rider is 3 1/2 miles east the junction of Roberts Creek Road and Andersons/Roberts Creek Road. Doing well.

The mail departed Roberts Creek Ranch at 8:45pm

The rider is within a couple of minutes of arriving at Grubbs Well.

At 5:36pm the Rider was traveling at 5mph on Dry Creek Road about 45 air miles east of Austin making pretty good progress.

The mail was in Butte Valley at 6:45am.

At 6:53am the Rider was traveling at 5mph just west of Cherry Creek, Nevada.

The mail departed Rye Creek Road on the way to Dry Creek and Grubbs Well at 3:51pm.

The mail was exchanged at 11:18am at the Austin Airport. The mail is on time.

At 10:00am the mail was between Smith Creek Ranch and Railroad Pass.

At 7:57am the Rider is traveling at 7mph about 14 air miles north northeast of Cold Springs east of Highway 50 coming up to Overland Road.

I wish to congratulate the team out of Sand Mountain for their most spectacular ride at 1:06am when they achieved a top speed of the ride of 30mph (according to GPS tracking data) just east of Sand Mountain!

June 18th 2008
Scheduled to ride at 11:50 PM Annette Nylander, ReNae Hice, Bonita, Chance, and Fred Halverson arrived at the end point of Wright's Road XP Corrals at about 4:30 in the afternoon June 18th. Annette and ReNae planned to do a final pre-ride and set out some solar lights at dangerous spots along a 2 mile section of trail above Hwy. 50. The ride was suppose to be 6 miles of trail, but 100+ mile winds last winter took down a few trees that even our Forest Service friend Bill Walker has opted not to cut out without a crew. Instead of trail the ride would be routed out onto the Highway for 3.5 miles followed by 2+ miles back up on the trail. The pre-ride went well and thanks to our support crew, Fred, the trailer was waiting and the horses were loaded and taken down to Kyburz about 6:30. The rules require being in place 2 hours ahead of schedule, but an early arrival sounded like a good option. Volunteers from the Ham Radio group showed up around 7ish and it was nice to get an update on how the progress of the ride was coming along. Support crew from the incoming riders arrived and let us knows that two of our new 2008 members were also making one last pre-ride and heading our direction. As the evening progressed our quiet little Kyburz site became quite busy, more folks from the Ham Radio group arrived including one of our own XP members Ron Norton, XP Ride Lieutenant, Pam Simmons and her side kick for the day Scott McBane dropped in followed by Ride Captain Rich Tatman. Laura Beeman and Dave Peters came in around 8:30 from their pre-ride and we let them know that the ride was a little ahead of schedule. They quickly loaded their horses and headed back down to the Bypass hand off point to get into position. Other riders working their way up the mountain for their scheduled rides stopped in to say hi, Lee and Mandy Hofer, both of whom had been first riders out of Old Sacramento at 9:00 AM that morning stopped for a visit and to rest the horses, Stephanie and Tom Veteran came by and shared stories of a re-routed heater core line on the truck after Stephanie completed the Camino to Pollock Pines ride.

Anticipation mounted as I waited for the ride, the energy of the crowd was relaxed, but ready. My best friend and partner for the ride Bonita, a 10 yr old beautiful bay Arab mare, stood saddled and tied to the side of the trailer. Next to her stood one of her best friends Chance a cute Morgan / Quarter gelding. His rider, ReNae was catching a few Zs in the truck cab. Word came across the radio systems that the Mochila was handed off at the Bypass early and so I woke ReNae and told her to bridle her horse. Fred would be driving the truck and trailer ahead of us with the flashers on, Rich would be behind and 2 or 3 radio vehicles were traveling along also. Then here they came, lights could be seen coming down the hill. The cry went out "XP Riders Coming In". Our two new members had shaved even more time off a pretty harsh section of the mountain. The hand off was made and the Mochila was placed on Chance, several folks signed and I mounted Bonita, she was ready to go and didn't understand this waiting around. Rich navigated his Bronco past several rigs, Fred started our rig and we were moving, down the hill and onto the highway.

Bonita settled into a nice canter and was holding a good pace just inside the white line and away from the sloping shoulder of the asphalt. ReNae moved Chance into lead position and the convoy was lined out in front and behind. Our XP Ponies proved their worth as they moved up the highway with traffic passing, and maintained a canter and working trot for 3 miles of the climbing altitude. Bonita started to slow at about the 3 mile mark though she was still maintaining a good trot, I reached down and patted her and told ReNae we were getting close to the highway crossing and a rest point, Bonita somehow understood too and pulled out another burst of energy. We cantered up around the last corner to a point we could see up the highway, crossed over and pulled in to Fred's Place the end of our escorted asphalt ride and onto the trail. We stopped, switched the Mochila over to Bonita and gave the horses a 3 minute breather. We headed in past the access gate and Bonita watched her trailer head back out onto the highway and out of sight as we climbed the first little hill, slipping just a little due to lots of pine needles on top of the last few hundred feet of asphalt. A quick right turn into darkness and we were on the trail. I let Bonita travel for a little ways at a walk to catch her breath after the mad dash up the highway and to give her and I both a chance to adjust our eyes to traveling by glow stick. The moon was full, so visibility was pretty good even through the tall pines. It wasn't long before Bonita picked up a nice traveling trot with Chance right on her tail. As we neared the first solar light I cued for a slow up to pass over a narrow rock water crossing. Then we moved back up to a trot. As we came to the second spot were we'd placed a light to mark a sharp right turn onto a narrow path above a slide Bonita slowed without a cue, then she looked down as we passed the light, got past the tight spot, and picked up the pace again. Traveling on a loose rein, moving at a quick and comfortable trot we moved up the mountain. ReNae and I both thanked our lucky stars that we have such willing, capable mounts. We pulled out onto Wright's Road and took the last few hundred yards down to the turn off to XP Corrals. As we crossed over and started up the last hill I let out a load 'XP Riders Coming In' yell and Bonita kicked into high gear. She knew the next horse was near and made a grand entrance coming up the hill at a full gallop with ReNae and Chance right behind us. The hand off was made passing the Mochila to Red Horse and Heidi Agler with Steve Pool and Dusty riding out too.

All the days of work clearing the trail had paid off and Bonita took us through the woods with grace and balance. However, the night was not done. After a quick unsaddling and settling of my horse into the corrals I left ReNae and Fred to unpack our camp and jumped into Steve's truck to pick them up at the end of their ride. I had Red Dog, Heidi's dog, as a co-pilot. I pulled off at Strawberry, but had seen that there had been several rigs at the hand off point about a half mile back down the highway at the hand off point. Since I was in a big rig I decided I'd better not try to fit into the small meadow were the others were gathered, so I waited a little longer before flipping a u-turn and heading back to the hand-off. My timing was perfect, the hand off had just been done and all the support vehicles were pulling out so I was able to pull off to pick up my friends. They were done for the night also, so they unsaddled and loaded their horses. We pulled back into the Corrals at Wright's Rd. about 2 AM and I was happy to see that ReNae had made up my bedroll in the bed of the truck. A short while to settle, a blanket on my horse, and I was able to thank God for my 6th successful Pony Express Re-Ride as I climbed into my blankets.

The Rider is just arriving at Simpson Road and Highway 50 at Top Gun Drag strip.

I am waiting at Shertz Highway. The Pony was reported leaving Town Camp at 7:10 with an estimated arrival here at 8 o'clock. Beautiful evening. It's cool. Everybody is in place and we are looking forward to a great ride.

This is Larry Carpenter reporting. I am a Member of the California Division. Here is a report on the first two days of the 2008 Re-ride.

The Ride for me began Wednesday Morning in Old Sacramento, in Pony Express Plaza in the shadow the Pony Rider Monument. Rich Tatman, California President and Ride Captain, directed me to the KMAX TV 31 Good Day Sacramento Van parked beneath the BF Hastings Bldg across the street. I was wired for a 8:42 Live Feed with the Show. I talked with the On Air Hosts about the Ride, its purposes and what we would be doing over the next 10 days. Then it was back over the Pony Express Plaza for the Departure Ceremonies.

Old Sacramento Management had a speaker set up and we were able to be heard in the Plaza. Hawkeye Sharp, a California Division Member gave the Invocation and asked God's Blessings on the Ride, its Riders and Horses. I spoke about the History of the Pony Express and the 2008 Re-ride.

The Outgoing Rider, Lee Hofer of Lincoln, was administered the NPEA Oath, and the Mochila placed on the horse. He had been escorted into the Plaza by a NPEA Color Guard. At 9:00 AM sharp he rode out of the Plaza and the Re-ride began for real.

One Radio Station, and 4 local TV Stations recorded the event and later showed this on their News broadcasts. Four members of the Sacramento City Mounted Police Unit were present, and a good group to wish the Rider well.

Les Bennington, NPEA National President was in Old Sacramento for the Departure Ceremonies and will follow the Mochila across the Trail to St Joseph. Accompanying him is his wife Susan, and immediate Past President, David Scanner and his wife Melva, of Blue Rapids, Kansas.

After the Rider was gone and the Media Interviews done, I drove out to a Relay Point on the American River and we arrived in time to see the Rider pass beneath us on the American River Parkway.

From Old Sacramento, the Rider goes North up the Sacramento River to Discovery Park and the American River Parkway. He crosses the River, and the mail is relayed to a fresh Rider and Horse, then proceeds East upriver to Folsom, on the north bank. At Arden Bar, he crosses to the south side, and moves east to Lake Natoma, skirting it on the south and east side to Folsom. This trail provides us with safety and speed for the horse and Rider. This parallels the 1860 Trail and Sacramento Valley Railroad. It was clear and sunny with a high of 95 forecast for the afternoon. We would be in the foothills before it heated up. The Riders made good time and the horses made the Riders look good.

We arrived in Folsom in time to visit with the Museum Docents, view the Pony Express Exhibit there, and coordinate the Welcome Ceremony. Folsom was a Transfer Station during Pony Express Operations in 1860-1861 after the first 6 weeks. Mail came up from Sacramento on the cars of the Sacramento Railroad to the rail yard across from the Museum (then the Palmer Day Bldg, and Wells Fargo Assay Office). The the mail was put on a horse for the trip East. The Rider's Home station was Sportsmans Hall in what is now Pollock Pines.

At 12:14 PM, Bob Culifer the President of the Folsom Historical Society, Hosts of the event, gave Welcoming remarks and administered the NPEA Oath to the Outgoing Rider, Janet Kampf. I gave a brief History of the Pony Express and information on the Ride. The Incoming Rider was Welcomed and without pausing much, galloped up Sutter Street at 12:45 PM with an Escort of Folsom Police Department Motor Officers. This event has been going on since 1988, and only missed one year when the arrival time was far into the night. Great support in Folsom for the Pony Express!

The mail departed Fort Churchill at 4:12pm.

We have the Rider on Fort Churchill Road at 2:25pm,

The Rider is east of Dayton traveling at 7mph. Things have stabilized along the route. They are averaging 7-8mph, making good time.

The mail was reported just west of Dayton at 12:35pm.

These photos were taken June 18 between Camino, California and Sportsmans Hall. The last picture was from the change station after Sportsmans hall. Enjoyed watching the riders and talking to the group. We live on the Pony Express Trail, so they went right in front of our house.

The Rider left Genoa at 9:20am about 10 minutes behind schedule. They should be able to make this up by Carson City.

At 8:56am the Rider was just east of Walley's Hot Springs. I am glad to see that they resisted stopping at the hot springs for a soak.

I want to report that the Rider at 8:11 above Sheridon hit a top speed of 18mph, the fastest time along the trail so far.

The mail left Woodfords at 6:26am, on time.

The Mochila got across the South Fork of the American River at the old Brockliss Bridge site on time around 7:34pm. Steve Pool was the next rider out on the far side of the river.

I just finished my ride out of Hang Town Chamber of Commerce about 5:20. You can see her photos here.

Rider has been making a speed of from 6-9 mph, with a top speed, so far, of 13mph out of Shingle Springs.

There was a successful remount at Pleasant Grove House at 2:04pm PDT. The exchange took a little over a minute, then the rider was off up the hill to the Rescue Post Office. You can see Hal's photos here.

The Rider passed through Carmichael at 10:46am.

The Mochila left Discovery Park at 9:13am.

The mail left Old Sacramento on time at 9:00am on the way to Discovery Park.