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Rendezvous, Muzzle Loading and Black Powder
Rendezvous Family Portrait
That's Linda kneeling on the right, Michael is beside her, wearing blue, and George, in brown with a big black hat, is standing behind Michael. Bibliography of Linda's Rendezvous Stories Here's where to find Linda's stories of Rendezvous camp life, horse-packing, and tipi-building in her various books. Windbreak Land Circle Between Grass and Sky No Place Like Home Journal of a Mountain Man: James Clyman All About the Book Linda edited this journal and correspondence of James Clyman, a fur trapper and explorer of the 1800's. Read a bit about the book here . . . coming soon. The Life of the Tipi Photos and stories of the tipi Linda and George used in their rendezvous camping. Please Note: Photos are placed all through this page. Don't miss the ones that fall between articles. Bibliography of Rendezvous Stories by Linda M. Hasselstrom
Linda has written of her rendezvous camping, as well as other related experiences, in the following books: Windbreak: A Woman Rancher on the Northern Plains Published 1987 by Barn Owl Books July 10 through July 23 pages 177 through 189 In which Linda, George, Michael and Cuchulain the dog leave the ranch behind for a few days to take a rendezvous camp vacation near Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Utah. The entire camp responds to a fire, Linda teaches some little girls about edible plants, Michael manages to cut himself with his hatchet, Linda and George help dig the latrines, the family hopes not to encounter a bear while bathing, and Linda plays a joke on George over the purchase of a rifle. * * * Land Circle: Writings Collected from the Land Published 1991 by Fulcrum Publishing Anniversary Edition published 2008 Chapter called "Rendezvous!" pages 35 through 47 (Anniversary Edition) pages 34 through 44 (original edition) In which Linda explains rendezvous re-enactment camping: describing the tipis, the period clothing, the articles of daily living, how camp life works, and why people are drawn to it. Chapter called "The Cowboy and the Ride" pages 49 through 67 (Anniversary Edition) pages 46 through 61 (original edition) In which Linda, George and Michael take a 75-mile horse pack trip with a group of buckskinners on the way to a National Rendezvous near DuBois, Wyoming. The route they take, through grizzly country, is perhaps the same one taken by John Coulter in the winter of 1807–1808. Linda has just a little bit of trouble with a hapless horse. * * * Between Grass and Sky: Where I Live and Work Published 2002 by University of Nevada Press Chapter called "Black Powder Smoke and Buffalo" pages 112 through 125 In which Linda and George, Jim and Mavis, and another friend called Jack, are on a private ranch in Nebraska in order to shoot buffalo with period weapons. Is George’s .50 caliber cap and ball rifle up to the task? After the hunt will they survive the night in the rustic cabin in the 20-below-zero winter weather? Chapter called "At the Rattlesnake Rendezvous" Pages 126 through 131 In which the rendezvous campers along the Bad River in South Dakota find themselves in prime rattlesnake habitat and Linda plays a stalking game with a modern-day deer hunter who is not where he should be. Chapter called "Sleeping with the Grizzly" Pages 132 through 142 In which Linda revisits the buckskinner horse pack trip described in Land Circle and tells some tales of bear encounters. Chapter called "The Second Half of Life" Pages 145 through 150 In which Linda and George, and Mavis and Jim cut tipi poles in the Uinta Mountains of northern Utah. And Linda and George take a side trip from a rendezvous camp, still in their buckskinning garb, in order to attend one of Linda’s family reunions. * * * No Place Like Home: Notes from a Western Life Published 2009 by University of Nevada Press information coming soon . . . back to top 
Rendezvous Cooking
Linda and Mavis work over the fire
while an unidentified mountain man watches.
The Life of the Tipi
Below are photos of Linda and George's tipi, from birth through its golden years, and what happened after. Stories to accompany the pictures coming soon. back to top 
Cutting the tipi poles
Peeling the tipi poles
Painting the tipi
Setting up the tipi
The finished tipi, front view
Back view of the tipi
Tipi interior
Smoke flaps
The end of the tipi poles.
That's Linda in the background and Maura in the foreground tossing the broken-up tipi poles onto the burn pile at the ranch.
The end of the tipi? In 2002 the twenty-year-old tipi poles, having been stored outdoors on a rack attached to the side of the garage, were in poor shape. Linda and some writing retreat participants spent some time one fine afternoon breaking up the poles. They hauled the short pieces to the burn pile on the ranch. The tipi canvas, however, was given to a friend who will use it for Rendezvous camping. So the tipi lives on. back to top |
