Kootenai rendezvous brings family, friends and history together

The Fawn Creek Campground last weekend traveled back in time, to the 1830s and ‘40s, when fur trading was prominent and life was simple.

At least 75 campers arrived at the Fawn Creek Campground on Friday for the Two Rivers Rendezvous. Participants set out camp for a few days, sharing stories and competing in events like the hawk and knife throw, rifle and shotgun competitions and other events held over 150 years ago. Different trading posts were set up around the camp, where handmade goods and old historic antiques are for sale.

Throughout the grounds, people refer to each other by their camp names, leaving their real-world lives at the gate.

Teach, a history teacher from Moscow, Idaho, has been going to rendezvous for about five years and still considers himself a rookie, although his persona costume was among the most complete at camp. He said he travels to about 10 rendezvous a year, equaling about 45 days out of the entire 365 spent in the early 1800s.

Teach is one of the folks in camp who is happy to lend some of his rendezvous clothing out to help newcomers get into character. He said it’s the same with everyone in camp; each person is happy to help out.

“Everyone around here is really friendly,” Teach said. He said putting a character kit of clothing together can be done easily around camp. “Things fall together if you keep your eyes open. People want to help out. There’s a lot of sharing, old stuff, knowledge and a lot of support.”

Teach and the other Idaho natives came together as a group: the Hog Heaven Club from Moscow area. Most of the members met each other at other rendezvous, where most of the memories made with each other have been formed.

“You might see someone else in a grocery store and not even recognize them in regular clothing,” Sunflower, another member of the Hog Heaven Club, said. “You have your rendezvous family and friends. We look forward to seeing each other every year. It’s a real sense of community.”

As rain started to drizzle on camp, the Hog Heaven members settled in their chairs beneath the canvas canopy strung up on the tops of tents. The group included Serenity, a two-year-old girl who’s already attended 14 rendezvous, and Groundskeeper, also known as David Benson, an older man who’s family has been attending rendezvous for at least three generations. He said his great-grandsons will soon carry on the tradition, making four generations of Bensons involved in rendezvous.

Mike Tomell, also known as Lone Oak, traveled to the event from Missoula, where the Wild Horse Rendezvous is located. Tomell said that he often sees the same participants at rendezvous around the area that came to the Wild Horse event, where he will be the head organizer next year.

“A lot of planning and organizing go into setting these up,” Tomell said. “But a lot of hands make light work.”

Next to camp, Jesse Karpinski, a Libby native known in camp as Camp Dog, was throwing knives and tomahawks at log targets, teaching younger kids how to safely throw the sharp objects.

Karpinski said the Two Rivers Rendezvous was his seventh event in two or three years. His family has attended rendezvous since before he was born and he’s happy to carry on the tradition. Last month, Karpinski and several other camp members attended the Pacific Primitive Rendezvous in Oregon, a nine-day event.

Karpinski, who later returned to the camp to hear stories from the elders, said he’s looking forward to returning to the event next year.

“I like hanging out in the woods. I get to do that here,” he said.

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.