Muzzleloaders open annual Mountainman Rendezvous

The blast of black powder and clang of lead against metal are ringing across the Sierra foothills as the Eagle Valley Muzzleloaders hold their seventh Mountainman Rendezvous today through Sunday.

The event gives the black powder enthusiasts a reason to practice more than their shooting skills. The group sets up a period encampment of teepees, many don buckskins and meals will be cooked over campfires.

The Rendezvous shows visitors what life was like during the rocky Mountain Trade in the period 1810 to 1830. At the end of each long winter, trappers and traders gathered to swap skins, trade tall tales and compete in accuracy contests for bragging rights.

The shooting events draw about 70 contestants each year, about 50 of them from out of town, organizer Kurt Shufelt of Carson City said. Many of the entrants bring along family members so the encampment population is usually about 120 to 150.

While encampment participants pay entry fees for the contests, the public is welcome to visit the event free.

The Rendezvous encampment is held in the canyon that leads west of Rhodes Street, behind the Wells Fargo Bank main branch at 2424 South Carson St. The Rendezvous runs today through this evening, Saturday morning through evening and Sunday morning, concluding at noon with the awards ceremony.

Besides target shooting with muzzle loaders, the event includes accuracy contests for trade guns, pistols, tomahawks and knives.

Targets include metal silhouettes shaped like game animals and gongs made from salvaged propane tanks. Special events such as snuffing candles with a shot are planned.

Away from the shooting range, encamped families will show off their vintage skills of fire starting, campfire cooking, savvy trading and generally surviving away from the conveniences of civilization.

Assisting the local club in supporting the event were local businessman Dwight Millard and the Sierra Vista Motel, the Plaza Motel, the Silver Queen Inn, and Wylie's Copy Center.