European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 08, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Daily Magazine Mountain men practice firing their Musket rifles at their Camp near lost Park Colo. Weaponry is a prime interest for Mountain men and May represent a substantial investment. Mountain men reborn by Bobker associated press they have a heavy duty look muskets Slung Over choir shoulders a full growth of Beard knives in i hair Bells a competitive Geml in Thoye their wives sew they Call themselves Mountain men the likes of Jim Badger Joe weeks William Sublette. Jim Beck oui in men who wrestled grizzlies lived Indian style before their mountains came under Iho Protection of the stars and stripes and the us cavalry they re Oul there now. Shades of the Early 1800s, every weekend thousands of them a reborn subculture that one of Perl says May rival the Rodeo in popularity. They Meel in something called a rendezvous an Encampment a transient Community of levees lodges and tails although Why in is called by a French term is somewhat murky a wet Ivr Carthy an assistant pro lessor of film and television at the University of Northern Colorado at Greeley. Estimates As Many As 250 000 people have attended rendezvous across the United states dressing up a trappers traders and their female companions one million to 3 million people he estimates have visited rendezvous As guests their popularity has blossomed coast to coast with As Many As 30 Ronde Vous a year held in Colorado alone very indication i have is thai the Mountain Man subculture is growing Mccarthy says it has t teacher us Peak yet maybe it s the Appeal of the wilderness and the simplicity of the lifestyle or maybe it s a subconscious yearning for the Days when men were men and got away with it whatever it is there they Are facing off with nature in the 20th Century Clad in animal skins or other a weekend Mountain Man swirls a covering Over the Frame pole supports Lor his Tepee. 19th Century style clothing made of Wool Collon or Linen the rendezvous is often an outdoor Bazaar where tire Starling kits knives guns and clothing can be bought or bartered Lor blacksmiths working at crude forges Craft Blades candlestick holders and cookware and Itice is a Compoli Livo Edge with shootouts. Knife and somali Avok throwing contests and Day s end around the ceremonial campfire for a group Moat. There is a Nolua Islic greeting usually a double handshake which is an Oid Mary handshake followed by a thumb shake. And that is usually followed by a hug called a a quote which is Ihen followed by the question did you Winter veil rendezvous originally were hold in the West Lor trappers to replenish supplies enjoy whiskey hauled from the East and Send their year s Supply of pelts Back to civilization where Beaver was in great demand for gentlemen s top hats Mccarthy Whoso dark shoulder length hair and heavy Beard show hints of Gray Suys he moved to Greeley a year ago because Colorado geographically is the Center of the Mountain Man subculture. I m Here primarily because of my research  Mccarthy s doctoral dissertation concerned the Mountain Man subculture and he has published several articles on the subject he is leaching a journalism workshop called Mountain a i subculture " Mccarthy says Iho 19th-Century Mountain Man was a mercantile capitalist who lived a scavenger lifestyle his Halcyon years were from 1825 to 18-10, that was when the Mountain Man was at his Peak activity he lived Oil a raw. Undeveloped hostile West sparsely populated by nomadic indians. His tools were traps knives and Rilles. His rugged lifestyle became the subject of 40 or More movies. The reborn Mountain Man subculture began nourishing in the 1970s, some of the micros sparked by the nation s Bicentennial Mccarthy says it is a weapons minded subculture " there Are displays of guns and knives. Competition is built around the weapons. Shooting a gun is an act of dominance to says a modern Mountain Man May invest $1,000 or More in his weaponry clothing and rendezvous living quarters. Mccarthy attends rendezvous As an interested bul detached observer when necessary he interviews some of the Mountain men. One of his first questions is " Why Are you Cru almost invariably he says the answer is. Camaraderie " the escapist weekend activities May be fuelled As the 21st Century approaches. One Way to put off the future is to Retreat to the  Mccarthy says. Maybe it s a regressive activity we re not ready to step into the 21st Century whal Dees the Mountain Man represent democratic ideals of individuality and Freedom no one was More Irce and individualistic Mccarthy says. Ron Melchert a retired army officer who operates a Gunsmith shop in Penrose Colo is a modern Day Mountain Man who is known at the rendezvous As Blind  started As a shooting competitor. I like in dressing up and organized shoots because it is family oriented Melchert said. The kids Are included people come for different  Mccarthy says they May come to shoot Trade or just picnic on a saturday afternoon. Some Are More serious Mountain men. They feel they Are the most authentic " rendezvous vary in size from the 30,000 people who Meel annually at fort Badger w of to gatherings of Only alow two other Large events Are the Green River rendezvous in Pinedale Wyo and the Rocky Mountain men rendezvous in Jefferson Colo. They Are organized a a wide Range of groups and individuals ranging from the National muzzle loading Rifle association to ranchers. The outings produce some incongruities for instance the Lincoln Continental parked next to a levee at loss Park Colo but. For the most part the Mountain men insulate themselves from the outside world As one Lold his wife when she said she was going into town to buy a newspaper i Don l need no newspaper. 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