wyoming – My Artsy Side – An Image & A Story

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.

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”.