Endurance athletes to retrace historic 1844 Sierra trail

Six Northern California endurance athletes will embark on a never-before-attempted 120-mile horseback journey beginning Sept. 29 at Donner Memorial State Park, retracing the route of the advance party from the 1844 Stephens-Townsend-Murphy expedition. The five-day crossing will follow the recently discovered trail used by the original Horseback Party of Six, ending at Overlook Park in Auburn on Oct. 3. History Expeditions, the organization behind this ambitious project, specializes in bringing untold pioneer stories to life through live expeditions, films and podcasts celebrating both famous and forgotten heroes of westward expansion. The modern riders will honor the brave men and women of the historic Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party by traversing the same challenging Sierra terrain their predecessors navigated 180 years ago. The expedition launches with a send-off ceremony at 6:45 a.m. Sept. 29, followed by live tracking and daily social media updates throughout the journey. A finish reception will take place at 2 p.m. Oct. 3 at Overlook Park, with a celebration scheduled for 5 p.m. that evening at Crooked Lane Brewery in Auburn, where community members can meet the riders and learn about this remarkable historical recreation. Details can be found at historyexp.org/?ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_9_16_2025_15_17)