The ETI Corral 14 visited Lone Pine and had a wagon train encampment at the south side of the the Film History Museum on Saturday and Sunday, May 9 and 10th. There were 9 wagons where the owners actually slept. All history enthusiasts, wagon drivers and their passengers answered questions about the drive west, the role of the wagons and pioneers and what it is like to live out of a wagon for visitors who also attended a picnic dinner of tri tip, enchilada and salad. The meal was sponsored by the Film History Museum, Ivonne Bunn of the Merry-Go-Round Restaurant and Jaque Hickman of Boulder Creek RV Resort.

The Museum sponsored a Mini Film Festival of Wagin Train movies made in the Lone Pine area on Saturday. The films included The Covered Wagon, Freighters of Destiny, Wagons Westward Westward Ho! and How the West Was Won..

Then on Monday morning the train set out for Bishop, primarily following the old railroad bed north. On the way, they stopped at Southern Inyo Hospital and rode by Lo-Inyo School and Warren Hanson Pre-School. All the students got a few minutes out of class to see the wagon train.

The Lone Pine to Bishop Wagon Drive was started in 2001. It was the desire of some of the members of the ETI Corral 14 to commemorate the contribution the railroad and settlers made to the Owens Valley. Norm Noftser and Ron Remy scouted a route that followed the old narrow gauge railroad bed and found that a wagon train was a possibility. The first drive only had a few wagons, including Ron Remy, Mike Herman and Lance Kirkpatrick as they scouted the best campsites along the way.

“The drive that has evolved from this is scheduled each year during the week prior to Bishop Mule Days. This year we have been invited to gather at the Lone Pine Film Museum and we are looking forward to sharing this event with the folks in Lone Pine. We hope to see some friendly faces waving us goodbye on our journey as we leave on Monday May 11th.”

The wagons travel almost entirely in sight of the old railroad bed. Along the way can be seen some of the foundations left from the little settlements that grew up as a result of the railroad activity. There are timbers and nails to be seen from the original bed along with interesting wildlife, blooming cactus and domestic stock. This drive has been the history lesson for many children who rode along in the wagons during the day and helped with camp at night, after the wagons circle.

The members of Corral 14 are always looking for ways to improve the route and integrate more of the history of the area to make the wagon drive interesting. Currently one of our camps is at Zurich Station where the old cattle pens and the foundations can still be seen. Other camps are set up so we can enjoy the beauty along the Owens River. This wagon drive is all on flat dirt roads and is 4 days in duration. The distance driven each day is approx. 12-16 miles arriving at our camps in the mid afternoon so that people and livestock have time to rest and enjoy the beautiful vistas of the Sierra Mountains?

Outriders are welcome and are encouraged to join with a wagon for their meals. A support truck transports any supplies that cannot be carried. If you don’t have a wagon or a riding animal we will be happy to place you with a wagon to ride in and enjoy the trip. Our Wagon Club also participates in other drives during the year including the Pahrump/Death Valley Drive in late October. For more information contact Norm Noftsier at 661-270-1161 or email normswagons@qnet.com