The is a reenactment of a group of settlers coming together to sell and buy items not readily available in the mountains. The Riverton reenactment started in the 1970s. This year鈥檚 rendezvous starts on Wednesday, June 29.
Events include hatchet throwing, camp games, and black powder shooting competitions.
Brian 鈥淢agpie鈥� Semich is camp boss, or booshway. That鈥檚 a French word meaning leader of a camp of mountain men. It鈥檚 derived from the French word, bourgeois. Semich said a few years ago there were only 15 camps.
鈥淎nd this year, we're looking to get upwards of 500 camps down here. So we'll have well over 1,000 people down here, and we'll have probably 20 or 30 traders down here with stuff to sell,鈥� he said.
Semich said next week the camp will also be hosting the , and while this week is open to the public, next week is only for dedicated reenactors.
鈥淭he idea of the Rocky Mountain Nationals is there is absolutely nothing modern, in camp, or your clothing or anything we cook on the fire. We do everything, just like the original mountain man,鈥� he said.
The national event has attendees from every state in the country and it鈥檚 held at the junction of the Popo Agie and Wind Rivers outside Riverton.
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