This Nearly 2,000-mile Trail Crosses 8 States-and I Tackled It in 10 Days

"Standing beneath a tangled canopy of highway overpasses at the edge of a muddy bluff, I watched the Missouri River churn below me. Its murky water rolled relentlessly onward, folding into eddies as it wound its way toward the Mississippi. Hundreds of years ago, this treacherous brown ribbon marked the frontier's edge; it was where the West got wild. Of course, I knew"

"The Pony Express is a fount of legend and lore. Most folks picture intrepid young riders blazing across the Wild West, facing danger at every turn. What these oft-romanticized portrayals all too frequently omit, however, is what its actual mission was: fast, reliable mail service. Historically, a relay system of 80 riders and hundreds of horses sped letters across the lonesome expanse between Missouri and California in just 10 days."

Standing beneath a tangled canopy of highway overpasses at a muddy bluff, I watched the Missouri River churn, its murky water folding into eddies toward the Mississippi. The river once marked the frontier's edge. The journey begins in St. Joseph, Missouri, and ends in Sacramento, California, nearly 2,000 miles away. The route follows the Pony Express National Historic Trail. The Pony Express used 80 riders and hundreds of horses to deliver mail in ten days. I aimed to replicate that ten-day relay by driving a pickup truck, and crossing into Kansas filled me with zeal.

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