We left after our 2 days of fossil digging and traveled to the area of Pinedale, Wyoming for several days. Our first campground was on Soda Lake at the base of the Wind River Mountain range.
We then headed to the Museum of the Mountain Man.
When furs were money (1600-1900) a system of trade and barter, largely driven by men’s and women’s fashion in Europe, developed across the northern continent of America. Trying to compete with the large fur trading companies of Europe, William Henry Ashley decided to create a collection of independent trappers and the Mountain Men were born. The mountain men lasted from 1822 until 1840 when about that time silk replaced beaver skins for men’s top hats. Their mystic lives continue on in the American psyche. The Museum of the Mountain Man is located in Pinedale, WY near the headwaters of the Green river in the Wind River Range. The museum is perfectly situated close to the epicenter of the Mountain Man world. Six of the 15 rendezvous were held in Daniel, WY only 12 miles west of Pinedale. Inside the well curated museum are housed many priceless artifacts of that era.
One of our favorite displays was a completely reconstructed Teepee. It was copied from an original Teepee at the Smithsonian Institute. It was so big. Staring inside it was clearly the most efficient use of space utilizing the least amount of materials. In the book Black Elk Speaks, he says of living on the reservation, “…we made these little gray houses of logs that you see, and they are square. It is a bad way to live, for there can be no power in a square.”
The dynoramas were well done making it easy to get a feel for their lifestyles. Their personal items were on display along with maps showing their travels.
It is hard to comprehend that they did this without maps, support, and handheld devices.
We headed on to our next campground which was on Fremont Lake. We had a great campsite in the woods but with a view of the lake.
The next morning we took a long and very bumpy ride out to a forest service campground, Green River Lakes, which is located near to the headwaters of the Green River. Despite the difficult road the area afforded us beautiful views and abundant wildlife sightings.
One Response
The mountain men from that era would laugh and scoff at us now for our use of gadgets and devices. Yes it was harder back then but I think it makes them better people than us today