Tag: Ft Bridger

Mosaic of Life #111 – The Beauty Of Duality

Mosaic Of Life

The picture above is synergy in the making. The two reenactors are from an event in Indiana, while the background is from Ft. Bridger in Wyoming. Putting the two together makes an image better than either alone.

I know there are purists who think this sort of thing almost sacrilegious, since I made up the reality. But, isn’t that what creativity is all about, seeing through your Mind’s Eye, instead of what might be in front of you?

Being that one of my main road trip events were annual reenactments, I simply couldn’t eliminate all the other visitors in my photos. So, the logical fix was the above. Even if you are a purist, I think you will agree that this picture is better than the two reenactors walking around hundreds of people eating corndogs and slurping drinks from paper cups.

Mosaic of Life #63 – Flaming Gorge, Utah

Mosaic Of Life

I discovered Flaming Gorge, Utah during my trip to the Ft Bridger Rendezvous in 2018. Ft. Bridger was on my bucket list for more years than I can remember. It was the first fur traders rendezvous in the U.S. I will be putting out a mosaic on that site soon. This one is dedicated to the adventures of traveling in a 30+ year old pickup across some of the peaks of the Rocky Mountains.

When I left the Fort Bridger Rendezvous in 2018, I decided to take a 55 mile scenic route through the Rocky Mountains instead of using the closest Interstate. That meant taking State roads through Utah. It seemed like a good time, and it was some of the most beautiful real estate in the U.S. But, one thing I didn’t consider was that I was in a 26 year old truck with 100,000+ miles on it. Getting up some of those mountains were a struggle for my µRV. I was in the middle of this trek when I came across the view above. The truck was on the verge of overheating so I decided to spend almost an hour taking in the landscape. That proved to be the most peaceful part of the trip.

Mosaic of Life #17 – Ft Bridger Rendezvous

Mosaic Of Life

Since an early age, I have been fascinated with American history. The fur trapper rendezvous, especially the original one started in 1825 at Ft. Bridger, Wyoming, was put on my dream list of destinations. I was fortunate enough to visit it in 2018. 60,000+ people attended the 2023 version.

Getting there was one of those “If Not Now, When?”. My µRV fabrication was complete, and my wife was having a period of a degree of wellness, so I believed I could leave her by herself, with emergency help nearby, for the week it would take for the 2800-mile round trip.  The above picture was one of the first ones I took upon entering the grounds. It seemed strange that the young man was carrying a skillet. I would find out later why.

The other very surprising thing that quickly dawned on me as I was entering the grounds was that almost everyone was dressed for the period. I felt awkwardly and out of place, so quickly found a vendor selling rendezvous type clothing, and bought what I needed to blend in with the crowd. I have been to perhaps 20 reenactments/rendezvous, so I have something to compare this one to. Except for one other event, I can say that the Ft. Bridger Rendezvous was head-and-shoulders above the rest. The Native American stuff was the outstanding. All the people dressed in period garb made it almost surreal.

I will let the pictures below tell you the rest of the story. I did make it back home just short of a week, and my wife made it through my absence with no “events”.