Let’s Rendezvous in the Wind River Mountains (Part 4)

The term “rendezvous” might need some clarification so here’s what I found through a Google search; meet at an agreed time and place; a place designated for a meeting or assembling as of troops, ships, airplanes or the process of bringing two spacecraft together; a place where particular groups often meet; a secret meeting between lovers; a French word meaning a predetermined place and time for the trappers and traders of the late 18th and early 19th Centuries – BINGO, that last definition is the one that’s relevant in this article.

The Green River Rendezvous, held in the Wind River Mountains, originated in 1833 in the Valley of the Green, near Daniel, Wyoming. This was a major gathering for over 3,000 mountain men, fur traders, Native Americans and missionaries who traveled from far and wide to trade and barter their goods, and that’s not all. The Rendezvous lasted for several days to several months and was highlighted by trading supplies, story and adventure sharing, drinking, renewing and forming new friendships and having fun after another long winter of isolation and trapping.

The hearty, “Meet Me on the Green,” was exchanged in the wilderness when trappers, Native Americans and traders encountered each other with this reminder about the upcoming summer Rendezvous on the Green River. Trappers spent many frigid winter months in isolation searching for the elusive beaver to trap and later trade. Other animals were trapped and traded, including mink, fox, marten, and muskrat. The traders, on the other hand, traveled the hazardous alpine trails to trade their wares with the trappers for their valuable pelts. 

In total, there were 16 Rendezvous held during the height of the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade and six of them were held in the Green River Valley. Today, because of the historical appreciation and proximity to the Green River Valley Rendezvous, the town of Pinedale, Wyoming has carried on the tradition of the original Rendezvous by providing an hour-long re-enactment pageant for its residents and the hundreds of visitors that have attended annually since 1936. Hard to believe, eh?

There are over 200 members of the community that plan and participate in the Green River Rendezvous Pageant - some of whom have performed for many years - with their roles passed on from one generation to the next. Performers make their own original costumes dedicated to the accuracy of the times and also participate in the traditional Green River Rendezvous Parade, dressed in traditional garb and riding horses, along with picturesque mountain women/men and trappers, leading their horses and wearing authentic trapper or mountain man attire.

Of course, there are the familiar fire trucks, floats with fierce all-terrain vehicles that look like they could climb mountains without drivers! The sale of homemade pies, tossed wrapped candy, popsicles and the cooling drench from water cannons, clever advertising and Pinedale “heart” contribute to the small-town comradery. It’s no wonder that visitors and participants revisit and invest in this community.

There are additional special events that coincide with the annual July Rendezvous and that’s the participation of the “traders” in an area set aside for their tents and trading materials called “Traders Row.” There are also “mountain men” and traders in a separate, grassy venue near the Museum of the Mountain Man, which is a highly recognized museum that features guest speakers of special expertise during the same Rendezvous celebration times. In the past, they have offered classes through the museum related to the skills from the 1800’s, i.e., pottery making from naturally found clay, including building an oven and how to fire your work. Another was pine needle basket making, which was a fascinating class that I attended and had nothing but great respect for the Native Americans that created these watertight vessels from pine needles and sinew.

The Museum of the Mountain Man is an extraordinary collection of historic documents, artifacts, artwork, and recreated scenes from history that are extremely well executed. Outside the museum during Rendezvous, members of the American Mountain Men Association (AMM), honor and portray the original mountain men, “the forgotten pioneers of American history” during the 1920 to 1940 years by setting up tepee’s, lean-tos, tools made by hand, beading, weapons, cooking utensils, items used for trapping and much more - check out the photos included for a more illustrative view.

Bottom line: traveling cross-country, exploring new routes and states, experiencing small towns, museums, observing and engaging with people, reading a variety of local and national newspapers, and watching various media resources rather than just one, are all paths to perspective, and what could be wrong with being well-informed and having fun along the way? I, for one, can’t wait to “hit the road again.”