The 2021 Fall Rendezvous and Trek

Bonnie's Brigade, Trek Winners

October 31, 2021: Today we wrapped up the Fall Rendezvous and Trek.  We had a light turnout  but enthusiastic crowd and everyone seemed to have fun, I know we did.  I would like to thank those members who were able to come and help out with special thanks to Michael George, Tom Jung, Ken Thornton, Tom Cannard, Terry Weaver, Chuck Cross, Jim Jefferies, and Jeff Rush (who came all the way from Idaho!).  Though I haven’t seen any accounting yet, I believe we probably made our expenses with some profit to boot.  The weather was perfect; enough rain before the event to reduce the fire danger and then lots of sunshine with 70’s temps for the rest of the week (for the most part).  Next Sunday is our monthly shoot and the weekend after that is Yolla Bolly which will be the last Rendezvous of the year for most of us.  I’m watching the weather and hoping for clear sky's.  Check our blog site for photos of the Rendezvous (taken by our Club photographer and web master, Tom Jung) and other interesting facts.

Dave Spriggs, President

Clear skies came through tor our 2021 Trek . It showered briefly on Tuesday, but by Thursday, there were clouds in the sky and water in the creek. The temperatures were in the mid 70s. Having water in the creek complimented the river-based theme of the this year's Trek. 

Traditionally, a scenario is presented to set the stage for this combined hunting and rescue operation. Each team of four trekkers would travel by water and by foot on a mission to provide fresh buffalo meat for the local settlement. Accompanying the Trek team was a group of Guides to serve as referees and score keepers. As events unfolded, the Team found the young and lovely Molly Mennonite, and chose to free her from her captors.

With the added responsibility of the young woman, the Trekkers spend a few minutes discussing their next move. They still had meat to "make", and join up with the Couriers who were sent to bring the meat back to the settlement. Molly is fourth from the left, and vaguely resembles Natalie Portman.

The recent rains allowed for the teams to safely start cooking fires in their campsite. Here a hunter gets a cooking fire ready from firewood gathered by his teammates. Points were awarded whenever the Guides observed a team member addressing the needs of a nineteenth century hunting party in a historically correct manner. 

There were opportunities for the trekkers to forage for food if they were observant and had to wherewithal to properly harvest Nature's bounty, as experienced frontier explorers would be expected to do. 

From the beginning, scoring was adaptable enough to reward any period correct activity that the Guides may not have included on their scoresheets. The Teams proved themselves resourceful, and they often solved problems in ways unanticipated by the Guides when they first created the scoring schedule.

Here one Trekker prepares to "cook" a fish from the creek. Of course, the fish was brought to the fire in a manner that would have been historic correct, using implements carried by the Trekkers, or improvised on the spot.

The final phase included a shoot-out with a war party of hostiles, an activity that required both marksmanship and an understanding of tactics. 

The Misfits

At the end of the Trek, there was a hearty "Huzzah" for the survivors. I'm sure that the participating teams are already getting ready for next year. Trek teams are encouraged to discuss their successes, address their shortcomings, and start securing their teams as soon as possible. The Trek of 2022 promises to be more challenging, so start gathering your equipment and securing your clothing.

See you on the Trail!