Rendezcousing with the past

A rugged group of individuals with a thirst for adventure and fortune made their way west after the Lewis and Clark Expedition – after some time in the wilderness they would rendezvous in places like St. Louis to trade fur and goods as well as engage in friendly competition. Stories of daring and close escapes from Indians were swapped around a campfire by people like John Colter, who ran hundreds of miles in nothing but his Birthday suit to get safely back to civilization.

Every Memorial Day weekend for the past 32 years, the Sapphire Mountain Men recreate the world of those fur traders at the Wildhorse Rendezvous on a patch of land near Cyr. Throughout the weekend they trade stories, participate in rifle and musket shooting and knife and tomahawk throwing contests in an effort to live life the way it was lived by the rugged mountain men of old.

“That’s the kind of people that we love to aspire too and that’s the kind of history that’s out there,” Mike Tomell, a member of the Sapphire Mountain Men said. “It wasn’t fun for them - it was a living for them. We just get to do it for fun.”

Tomell said fun is the main reason for the annual gathering. The camaraderie around the campfire, the friendly competition and trading of knives and tomahawks are what brings the over 150 participants back each and every year.

“This is a family event,” Josh Holloway said in between throwing a tomahawk at various targets. “We’ve been coming here for 18-years and it’s really just a great family get together. It’s more important than Christmas. It’s great being outdoors and seeing how people lived 150 years ago.”

Throughout the weekend the sound of black-powder rifles echoes through the thick woods that surround the camp. Participants at the rendezvous compete to see who is the best shot for a chance for prizes at the end of the weekend.

“It’s something we like to do,” Dave Sowers of Colton, Oregon said. “I’ve been doing the black-powder stuff for years. It kind of lets you know what it felt like back then. These were the only choices they had.”

A highlight of the weekend is the cannon shoot although Tomell said it would have been rare for the mountain men of the past, who chose to travel light, to have any artillery with them.

“Because artillery is a muzzleloader and it’s a lot of fun, it’s a big draw,” Tomell said. “There are a lot of people that just come out for the cannon shoot.”

Six cannons participated in this year’s shoot and participants as well as bystanders sat at a safe distance to watch crews attempt to hit a metal target several hundred yards away amongst trees.

The booming of the cannon fire and the ding of a hit target repeat for almost two-hours until a winner is announced and all the participants launch a celebratory volley shot.

According to Tomell the Sapphire Mountain Men count many veterans amongst their numbers and as long as the event is held on Memorial Day Weekend the group will begin Monday honoring those who gave their lives in service to the country.

“We’ve got a lot of veterans in the group,” Tomell said. “We draw volunteers to do the flag ceremony, say a few words for those who went under. We’ve lost at least four this year. It’s going to be hard for me tomorrow.”

As the sun began to set on another day at the rendezvous, Tomell prepared a small candy cannon for children young and old. The boom of the cannon and the explosion of candy in the night sky along with the hurried movement of children trying to find the scattered candy encompassed what the rendezvous is truly all about - fun.