Wild Horse Rendezvous celebrates mountain man culture

Montana’s Largest Flea Market is in the middle of Mineral County and the Wild Horse Rendezvous at the far eastern tip of the county every Memorial Day weekend — rain or shine. They both have become legendary events to start the summer.

Mike Tomell from Frenchtown started mountain man rendezvousing 40 years ago and has overseen this one, The Wild Horse Rendezvous, for 17 years. 

“It was started 42 years ago on Lynch Creek outside of Plains, and the official name of Plains is Wild Horse Plains, hence the name. After a couple of years there, it moved to just north of Stevensville on the Bitterroot River for one year. Then two years up Sweathouse Creek outside of Victor. From there I believe it moved up to Blanchard Creek near Clearwater Junction on private ground that was sold so we’ve been here since 1992.” 

Tomell said the Forest Service has been great to work with and a big part of that is how clean the rendezvous partakers leave the area after the event.

Most people dress in era clothing made from as close to the same material that was worn during the time. Wall tents and teepees cover the area but in the parking lot there are plenty of campers, trailers, motorhomes, RVs, and tents with the Cabella’s logo. In the historical compound, however, merchants sell handmade clothing, wooden bowls, axes and knives, musket balls, hand tools, parts for weapons, and cooking utensils all era pattern.

“The number of camps varies yearly between 60 and 90 with about 150 to 200 people at the event which starts at noon on Friday and ends at noon on Monday, Memorial Day each year,” he explained. 

The shooting of black powder and Flintlocks is all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. One might think this unique endeavor has participants attending from all over the country and Canada, but this one is relatively close to home. 

“We have people from Billings, most of Idaho, Western Montana from Libby to Sula. A lot of folks are members of our Missoula club that are always here and many from the Bitterroot Valley. And we even have a visitor from Oregon this year,” said Tomell. 

For spectators, the cannon shoot on Sunday is always popular. 

“Seeing big lead balls hitting a steel plate making big booms is fun,” he grins. 

The overall three-day weekend is a social gathering for those who enjoy American and Canadian history and the lifestyle of the western culture from the mid 1700s to the 1840s. There is an abundant sharing of food from the period, music in the evenings and pristine nature the entire weekend as their camp is a few miles up Sawmill Gulch outside of Cyr.

Tomell said safety is paramount. 

“We have strict rules on the muzzle loading with at least one range manager on site and we welcome and enjoy helping new people get into the sport and learn how to shoot safely if they want to participate in the muzzleloader season.” 

From Alberton, Kenley Zylawy grew up close to the rendezvous site and happened to hear shooting one Memorial Day weekend so he wondered over. Returning home from his stint with the Coast Guard, he’s been involved with the organization since.

Helping Saturday morning as a range manager, he explained the rules. 

“The range is unique because we are only using firearms that are from the muzzleloader period. Everything has to be loaded from the muzzle. We’ve got smoothbore long guns and pistols, and rifle pistols and rifle long guns. This whole event is from the pre-French Indian War all the way up to the 1840s. That covers the entire trapping era and Lewis and Clark period. You see people that are dressed as long hunters, colonial military and civilian, Metis, voyagers. All kinds of periods out here in the west.” 

Zylawy himself described his uniform as a Ranger in the French Indian War.

“We have a great deal of veterans in this group. When you look around this camp and see a red flag with a black eagle, that is the War Eagle Society. Those are mountain men who have served in every branch of the US military, but mostly Marines,” Tomell said. 

A flag retirement ceremony on Sunday is part of the weekend and about twenty faded or tattered American flags were neatly stacked near the communal fire pit. He said the closing ceremony on Sunday at noon includes a dress color guard and a cannon salute as the American flag is lowered.

    Andrea Crosier from Stevensville and Beca Sue from Charlo, Montana managed registration and collected the prizes for the raffle and contest winners for the three days. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)
  

    Reproduction clothing as close to the original are sold at these events. These were hand made in Council, Idaho and this merchant has attended 15 rendezvous already this year. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)
  

    Musket balls, powder and everything one needs to load their muzzleloader were being sold by this young mountain man. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)
  

    Kenley Zylawy, left, and Mike Tomell returned from the firing range to purchase more supplies they’ll need for the afternoon shoot. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)