January 14th , 2012 General Meeting @ Stovepipe Wells, CA March 10 th, 2012 General Meeting @ Ridgecrest, CA View Calendar Read our Blog or view Photos by clicking below: Corral 14 : wagon train route : wagon master : trail riders : photos Read about last year's Wagon Train in the Death Valley '49ers Blog. Corral 14 Corral 14, previously the Shetland Pony Club of Antelope Valley, is a covered wagon train organization formed in the 1960's. Its founders wanted to re-create the trail of the first California bound pioneer families to cross Death Valley. Their wagon group consists of horses, mules, ponies, riders, drivers, and walkers. They participate in wagon trains all over the west and were part of California's Sesquicentennial Celebration. These modern day '49ers have many comforts while en route, such as support trucks, generators, wagons with cushy seats, and even food that has been developed to fly to outer space. Yet they sit by a campfire every night and try to understand the hopes and fears of the original 1849ers. They celebrate the indomitable '49er spirit and their victory over the elements. Wagon Train Route Each November the Corral 14 wagon train travels from Wade Monument to Furnace Creek in Death Valley. They stop along the way at Saratoga Springs, Ashford Junction, Salt Tanks, Tule Springs, and Desolation Canyon. In 2002, current Wagon Master Norm Noftsier was instrumental in adding a new leg to the Death Valley Wagon Drive. The wagons start in Pahrump, Nevada, and cross what remains of the Immigrant and Spanish Trails to spend a day at Tacopa Hot Springs. Here the local school children are given a tour of the wagon train which might include feeding a mule or learning about Dutch oven cooking. Then it’s off to Shoshone for their Western Days Celebration and on to Ashford Junction to meet with the rest of the group. A more detailed map can be found in our 2009 Keepsake Wagons Ho! Corral 14 - A living Heritage. Wagon Master In the wagon trains of the 1800’s the wagon master’s job held great responsibility. He had to lead pioneers through rugged and sometimes dangerous territory to a safe and fertile area, had the final say in any plans and decisions and often had to solve many a dispute. Today, the wagon master carries many of the same responsibilities. He or she might be called on to decide what time the wagons should leave camp, demonstrate how to fix a broken axel, cure a sick horse or organize a trailer ride for a lame mule. Current Corral 14 President and Wagon Master Norm Noftsier picked up the reins as wagon master in 2006. Norm’s history with mules goes back to his childhood when he worked on his family farm in Upstate New York. Upon retirement, Norm attended wheelwright school in Idaho. His wheelwright shop is a scene right out of the past with a pot belly stove and every kind of woodworking tool imaginable. Norm is also very active in supporting the annual Corral 14 Lone Pine to Bishop Wagon Drive. He now trains mules and horses to drive and enjoys farming with his mule team. Trail Riders   photo courtesy of Elinor Brandt Equestrian Trails, Inc. has been participating in the annual Death Valley '49ers Encampment since 1962. They lead a multi-day ride that follows, in reverse, the historic 20-Mule Team Trail from Ridgecrest, California to Furnace Creek in Death Valley. The group covers approximately 125 miles in 6 days, making camp at a new location each night. Rides each day vary, averaging 6-7 hours.   The trial riders travel past Searles Dry Lake, through Valley Wells, and crest the northern ridge to overlook Panamint Valley. The group then leaves Panamint Valley and travels up Goler Wash to Mengal Pass (4,320 feet) where Telescope Peak (11,049 feet), the tallest peak in Death Valley, can be seen. On the last day, the Trail Riders make a grand entrance at Furnace Creek as part of the Encampment Parade.