Wagon train crosses Adams County

RALSTON – After about two weeks on the trail the John Wayne Pioneer Wagons and Riders passed through Adams County last week.

During their 17-day trek across Eastern Washington, the group camped at Lind, Ralston and Revere before heading on to the final destination at Tekoa for the grand reopening of a historic trestle.

It was their 41st year riding the trail ride.

In addition to the horseback and bike riders and wagons, driver Kathy Hoy of Marysville Wash., drove a support bus on roads near the 185-mile trail to provide assistance to wagons and riders at each stop.

Hoy's Austrailian shepherd, "Bree," accompanied her.

Several people's horses had problems earlier in the trail.

Liana Jones' horse couldn't complete the trail.

Gail Farrar, who started doing the trail in 1981, said that her horse had also went lame.

Clarence Garlley of Granite Falls, Wash., took his green wagon – he calls it "Swamper" – along the trail.

It was pulled by his two mules, brother and sister Ricky and Lucy. John Marshall of Modesto, Calif., who has ridden the trail for 10 years, rode shotgun this year with Garlley.

But it wasn't just horses and wagons on the trip.

Kenny Stephens rode on a bike and could often be seen searching for what Marshall explained were "date nails."

Date nails are tagging devices utilized by railroads to visually identify the age of railroad ties and utility poles, he said.

Bryon Scott said he had done the trail since 1991, and further explained that they are putting up station signs along the route and refurnishing a signal near Ralston.

"There will be a solar cell to power across the street from the pump house in Ralston," Scott said.

He explained that Tom Short, a retired school teacher and John Wayne Pioneer Wagons and Riders Association president, leads trail development efforts and was able to secure information kiosks to tell people more about the trail and were they were going.

Short and others were lobbying money from the state parks to get trail improvements, he said, noting the former John Wayne Trail is now being called Palouse-to-Cascade Trail State Park.

Mark Borleske a member of the Cascade Rail Foundation explained that the foundation is behind the station signs and fixing the signal near Ralston.

"Volunteers have worked on moving that signal. It was abandoned in place," he said. "Milwaukee Road the railroad was abandoned in 1980. This particular signal was left behind.

"I volunteered to move that signal off site. They'll be working on rehabilitating that as a display and a monument to the railroad."

Volunteers from the Cascade Rail Foundation is also working on plans to establish signs at various trail locations. These replica signs are being installed on locations along the trail to mark local history.

"This is one way to remember historic locations, as well as to reflect on the history of the place that had elevators or communities," Boreleske said.

This year's ride took participants over two new trestles – one at Beverly over the Columbia River and one at Tekoa over Hangman Creek.

And more improvements are coming.

"(Near Malden) Parks will be starting a trailhead construction doing the moving of dirt and getting the site prepared for a trailhead shortly," Borleske said, adding "improvements to the trail between Malden and Rosalia" are also in the works.

The wagon train concluded this year's trip in the pouring rain in Tekoa on Sunday morning, June 5.

Because of the weather and muddy trail conditions, riders stopped short of reaching the Idaho state line.

But in Tekoa, state parks officials were awaiting the riders with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the trestle there.

Short cut the ribbon on behalf of the "John Wayners."

Soaking wet, riders then headed downtown to the Tekoa Events Center for a formal presentation on the trail, hot coffee and cake.