Mountain, Rendezvous, Camp, Mountain Men, Indians, Beaver Pelts

Mountain Rendezvous

Mountain Rendezvous

From 1825 through 1840, the mountain men looked fondly on the coming up mountain rendezvous each year. It was the social and business event of the year for the fur trappers and traders

Instead of having a permanent trading post, it was Jedediah Smith who convinced William Ashley to bring a caravan of supplies from St. Louis and meet the trappers at Henry's Fork on the Green River in July of 1825 for the first rendezvous

At each mountain rendezvous camp, the location for the next years mountain rendezvous camp was announced. After the business of trading the beaver pelts for the essentials of life in the mountains, the mountain men got down to the serious business of gambling, drinking, telling tall tales, target shooting and general socializing

Most of the men left the mountain rendezvous camp with little money for what good was money in the isolated world that they lived in. More important were their horse, rifle, string of traps and a fresh supply of tobacco

Leaving, they would go to find new beaver streams, hole up in the winter in their isolated world, and hope to live to return to the next mountain rendezvous camp

Year and Location of known mountain rendezvous camp

Mountain rendezvous camp 1825 Henry's Fork on the Green River

Mountain rendezvous camp 1826 Cache Valley

Mountain rendezvous camp 1827 Bear Lake

Mountain rendezvous camp 1828 Bear Lake

Mountain rendezvous camp 1829 Pierre's Hole

Mountain rendezvous camp 1830 Popo Agie River

Mountain rendezvous camp 1831 Cache Valley

Mountain rendezvous camp 1832 Pierre's Hole

Mountain rendezvous camp 1833 Green River

Mountain rendezvous camp 1834 tributary on the Green River

Mountain rendezvous camp 1835 Green River