Pony Express to cross Sierra next week

The National Pony Express Association will conduct the 1,966-mile Pony Express Re-ride to celebrate the 148th anniversary of the founding of the Pony Express from Wednesday to June 28.

The Pony Express operated between 1860 and November 1861 between San Francisco and St. Joseph, Mo. Riders carried letters and telegrams by horse relay to prove the route passable.

The first rider will depart Pony Express Plaza in Old Sacramento at 9 a.m. Wednesday, and the last rider will arrive at the Patee House, the 1860 headquarters of the Pony Express in St. Joseph, Mo., at 11 a.m. June 28. The rider will come over the California/Nevada line at Woodfords, Calif., at 6 a.m. Thursday.

The riders will carry personal mail and commemorative cachets in a mochila similar in design to the original ones. The cachets honoring Pony Express history in Nevada Territory will be purchased in advance by the public and NPEA members at 1860 prices - $5. More than 550 riders and horses will be posted at intervals to take turns carrying the mail.

For more information on the Pony Express, call (916) 332-8382, or visit the Web site at www.xphomestation.com.