Fort Bridger

We have some great friends, the Schill family. Each year for the past several years the girls have been invited to join Steve and his 3 girls on a unique adventure. The mountain man rendezvous in Fort Bridger Wyoming commemorates the history and stories of the pioneers, fur trappers and Indians who merged in this location. Steve is a true mountain man and pitches an authentic civil war period tent, cooks over a fire, and dresses in period clothing. Because of this, they camp in the primitive area. Everyone there dresses in period clothing, sits on wood chairs, use cast iron to cook, can't have anything plastic showing, etc. You get in for free and get to stay after the crowds have gone home. It is home for 3 days for them with lots of food, booths, entertainment and activities. We have heard so much about this trip that we decided to go ourselves this year. We stayed in our motorhome, more our style. David mostly hung out with all of the kids, carving sticks and tying arrowheads on them with sinew, throwing knives, shooting guns, wading in the creek, catching crawdads, drinking homemade root beer, trading items at the trading post and making leather pouches to hold stuff.

Caroline and Katie with Aubree and Brian, a Schill cousin.

Who knew teenagers would have so much fun doing this?

At dusk on Saturday night after the crowds have gone home, there is a Buckskinners Ball. They have a live band and square dance caller. There are other teenagers they have met over the years who, like them, return year after year.

Swing your partner!

Caroline and her awesome coonskin hat. She made this herself. Stay tuned for that story following this post, you won't want to miss it!

I didn't know David could juggle! What a discovery!

Campbelle Schill

Getting ready to throw some tomahawks.

David throwing a knife with a tomahawk in hand.

Black powder rifle shooting.

Caroline's turn

This picture is a bit bright. I hope you can see the next one well. Katie's eye's are closed after the shot goes and the smoke hovers.

Aubree, Laura, Brinnan, Brian, David, Katie and Caroline after the shooting.

At the end of the weekend, the kids like to dress up even more and have a little photo shoot. Here are my girls looking all serious for their old time picture.

Caroline and Brinnan

That homemade root beer is good! If you buy the bottle refills are pretty cheap. The kids live on the stuff all weekend.

The three amigos!

David and Nelson trying to catch crawdads.

Whoa! Steve offered an awesome shirt and some accessories for picture time. I think we may have found Nelson's new facebook profile picture, don't you think?

What fun!