Weiser River Trail wagon train makes 23rd trek

Published by admin on Wed, 05/28/2025 - 7:00pm

As many as 40 people participated in the 23rd Weiser River Trail Wagon Train campout over Memorial Day weekend. Led by Jerry and Silvia Wilcox, with grandson Robbie driving, a number of the participants are pictured as they approached the intersection of the trail and Shoepeg Road, north of Midvale, on Sunday morning. They would go to the next campsite at Goodrich that day, and finish the trip in Council on Monday. Photo by Nancy Grindstaff

The weather warmed up as the long Memorial Day weekend began, allowing for an extremely pleasant journey up the Weiser River Trail beginning Friday morning. Above are a group of participants on their way to Goodrich after two nights of camping, the first at Primitive Camp northeast of Weiser, and the second at Midvale. Photo by Nancy Grindstaff
By: 
Nancy Grindstaff
The weather turned a corner at the end of last week, just in time for the 23rd year of the Weiser River Trail Wagon Train event.
 Starting from the Weiser Trailhead, located at the original townsite of Weiser at the end of East Main Street on Friday, May 23, the first 12-mile leg of the trip was set to depart around noon, after a trip to Council and back to put shuttle rigs in place.
 The first night’s stay is at what’s called Primitive Camp, a wide spot along the trail about three miles upriver from Presley Bridge, generally out of cell range, and just far enough off Weiser River Road to not be readily accessible. Of course, the major portion of the next day’s 18 miles to Midvale went deeper into the canyon, but also provides scenery not viewable from anywhere else.
 The travelers made good time on Saturday, trailing into Midvale before 3 p.m., and after an overnight’s rest at the city park, they were off for a 20-mile trek to Goodrich on Sunday. 
 The final leg of the expedition took them to the trailhead in Council, a distance of 12 miles.
 There seems to be fewer wagons on the annual excursion these days, but early Friday morning Jerry and Sylvia Wilcox, Vale, told the Signal American they were expecting at least one more wagon to join them.
 “Over the years we’ve lost the people who used to come here,” Sylvia said. “They’ve quit the business, or died… there’s just a few people that do this anymore.”
 She recalled her first trip up the Weiser River with the group being the final one for the WRT’s Wagon Train founder, Dan Dickerson. 
 The Wilcox’s own a farm at Vale, which they now lease to their son, but along with their agricultural operation they grew a “horse and buggy” business that they continue to enjoy.
 “My family’s been in Vale for 89 years, and so the farm I lease out to my son, and he’s taken over that,” Jerry said. “I’ve lived in Vale most of my life, and Sylvia was raised at Seneca, which is south of John Day. We’ve been married 34 years, and she started this little carriage business, oh, 25 years ago and so we do weddings and funerals.”
 Along with parades all over eastern Oregon, and southern Idaho, the pair participates in Vale’s 4th of July parade every year. In fact, last year they were named the Grand Marshals of the hometown. In addition, they are regulars in the Trailing of the Sheep Festival parade in Sun Valley, which is by invitation-only.
 “We have a friend that has a couple of old oil tank wagons we take to the Sun Valley parade,” Jerry said.
 “We’re kind of semi-retired,” he said. “I’ll be 80 in December. We go on wagon trains all over. We’ve been to Death Valley, we’ve been up to Winthrop Wash., and we went to Jamestown, ND, last June on a week-long wagon train. And we’ve done a wagon train in Nevada on the Applegate Trail, a two-week wagon train there.
 “Then, we go on the Pendleton Round-Up wagon train the last week in June (six days) out of Ukiah,” he added.
 That one winds up through the Blue Mountains along the Starkey Experimental Research area, using established Forest Service gravel and dirt roads. The wagon train is an extension of the infamous Pendleton Round-Up, organized under the umbrella of the Pendleton Round-Up Association.
 Draped lengthwise on the back of one of two big Percherons that make up the couple’s team of horses, grandson Robbie, 12, said he was along for his third trip on the WRT with his grandparents. 
 Jerry said that particular horse actually is Robbie’s, with Sylvia adding that the young man is learning to drive on this trip, giving promise for the future of the travel and camp-out experiences.
 

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Signal American

18 E. Idaho St.
Weiser, ID 83672
PH: (208) 549-1717
FAX: (208) 549-1718
 

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