National Pony Express Association (NPEA)
OUTREACH
- NPEA conducted its Annual Re-Ride of the Pony Express Trail from Old Sacramento, CA to St. Joseph, MO in June 2018. The re-ride took ten days to complete traveling by horseback 24 hours a day. About 900 riders and horses from all eight state divisions of the organization carried commemorative letters.
- Nevada Division members Sally Taylor, Petra Keller, and Jim De Glopper attended the 95th birthday meeting of the Reno, NV Sagebrush Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and provided an hour-long presentation on the Pony Express Trail. The presentation included history of the Pony Express, information and pictures of present day re-rides, a virtual tour of the NPEA website, and a mochila on display.
- Colorado Division member August Bjorklun displayed his collection of Pony Express memorabilia at the Fleming Public Library in Fleming, CO and provided trail history.
- Kansas Division member Arleta Martin worked on a signage project between Marysville, KS and the Nebraska border. She researched and provided the route on local plat maps to the NPS, who then designed the signs and advised where they should be placed. The signs in Marshall County were erected by Marysville and Logan Township personnel.
PROTECTION
- Colorado Division hosted 30 members of Eagle Scout Troop 260 from Castle Rock, CO, along with the troop leader and three other sponsors who cleaned and polished the 15-foot-tall Pony Express statue at the Colorado Visitor’s Center in preparation of the re-ride. The troop was led on a hike by Colorado Division President Linda Dolezal and given a demonstration.
- California Division partnered with the U.S. Forest Service and Backcountry Horsemen of California on two projects to improve public access and trail maintenance on the Pony Express Trail. The first project was to restore and enlarge the XP Corral Trailhead to allow overnight staging of work parties and provide trail access for the general public. Boy Scout Troop 186 of Elk Grove, CA helped with the finish work by installing cobblestones to prevent erosion in critical areas around the site and also agreed to adopt 12 miles of the trail for spring pruning and fall culvert cleaning. The second project was to reopen a four mile section of the trail that was closed due to the total destruction of a bridge during the winter of 2016.
CAPACITY
- Updating the NPEA’s current strategic plan.
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The Colorado Division of the National Pony Express Association hosted 30 members of Eagle Scout Troop 260 from Castel Rock, CO, along with the troop leader and three other sponsors who cleaned and polished the 15-foot-tall Pony Express statue at the Colorado Visitor’s Center in preparation of the re-ride. Photo Credit: NPEA.
