Mountain Man Rendezvous slated for this weekend

Annalise Christensen shows her daughter Joanna a beaver skull and explains how important the animal was to trappers at the trader's cabin inside of the America West Heritage Center on Monday May 23, 2022.

WELLSVILLE – Adam Christensen and his wife Annalise are preparing for the Cache Valley Mountain Man Rendezvous this weekend which takes place May 27th, 28th and 30th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at American West Heritage Center. The Christensen family and others will dress up in clothing reminiscent of a people living in the wilderness and with 20 others trying to recreate life as traders in early America.

Annalise Christensen explains how this ceremonial axe is also a peace-pipe on Monday May 23, 2022.

“Our group meets once a month to learn new skills and how to do different aspects of traders and trappers hundreds of years ago,” Annalise said. “These rendezvous bring some 20 other groups from around the West who bring their goods to trade and sell.”

The people that participate in the event have aliases. Adam goes by Little Bear and Annalise goes by Smiley.

“We are so excited for this weekend we are expecting in the neighborhood of 500 people to come and see what we do,” she said. “The crowd grows every year.”

Adam Christensen demonstrates how tough the springs on a trap are at the American West Heritage on Monday May 23, 2022.

Adam has been part of the Cache Valley Mountain Man Rendezvous for about eight years. His wife, an employee of the America West Heritage Center, has been attending for longer.

There will be a lot of traditional mountain music and demonstrations going throughout the day,” she said. “We are a family-oriented rendezvous.”

Those who attend will be able to listen to instructions and watch demonstrations on primitive skills, such as starting a fire with flint and steel, flint napping or arrowhead making, scrimshaw, bullet making, fur identification, leather working, history of the mountain man and more.

Take a step back to the early 1800s, browse and buy trade goods that would have been available when the mountain men walked through Cache Valley living in log structures and tents.

Annalise Christensen Adam with their daughter Joanna are dressed in their mountain man outfits in preparation for this weekends rendezvous on Monday May 23, 2022.

Attendees will also be able to take an opportunity to throw a tomahawk and experience the thrill when their throw sinks into the wooden log.

Competitions will also be available to the public and to visiting Mountain Men in primitive clothing.

Admission is $7 per person (under age 3 is free). Tickets will be available at the door with the last ticket sold each day at 4:00 p.m. American West Heritage Center is located at 4025 S. Hwy. 89 in Wellsville. For more information, call (435) 245-6050 or visit www.awhc.org.

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