Mountain Rendezvous 2013 – Part Three

Friday

After completing Big Pine Flat Trail, it was a short drive into Big Bear City where we planned to refuel and pick up some food. Despite its name, it more like a mountain town than a city, with a population of about 12,000. Driving down what seemed to be the main drag looking for a gas station, it appeared that every other business was either a thrift store or a Mexican joint.

We found a gas station, and I was pleased to discover that fuel prices were reasonable. After filling up we located a small market where we purchased cold drinks, some fresh fruit and assorted other things to round out our supplies for the rest of the weekend.

We departed Big Bear City and took Highway 38 – one of the highest in southern California – up to 8,436′ elevation before dropping down again, coasting along at the 50mph speed limit for what seemed like several miles. A half hour later at around 1:15, we arrived at our destination: Mountain Rendezvous 2013 at Camp Tahquitz.

While checking in at the entrance and receiving my paperwork, raffle and t-shirt tickets, I had this amusing exchange with the guy who was signing me in:

Guy: Oh, and one last thing. Don’t worry if you hear shots. There’s a war reenactment going on nearby. So please don’t return fire. (grin)

Me: Awwwwww……..

Guy: Hahahaha! Everyone I talk to has that same response!

Sign-in complete, we drove around the camp a bit before selecting a place to park and set up for the weekend. We found a wide-open spot between other folks, but little did we know that one group near us was waiting for several friends to arrive. By the time those folks arrived later on and wedged themselves in, they were practically parked on my front bumper. Lesson learned. Next year I’ll definitely stake out someplace along the edges of camp. But – more importantly – we’d finally made it to Mountain Rendezvous 2013!

We set up camp and made lunch, and the socializing began in earnest as other overlanders rolled in. With an RSVP list of over a hundred vehicles, there were people from all over southern California and well beyond. We recognized an overlander from Alaska, another from Arizona, and soon the German overlanding couple Bente and Hans (http://www.offroad-travel.net/, who we’d met on the trail the previous day) arrived for the weekend. There were many ExPo and American Adventurist regulars, and also vendors like Mario from AT Overland Equipment, Paul May from Equipt Expedition Outfitters, and Jerry from Tembo Tusk. The two annual Rendezvous events (Desert and Mountain) show all the signs of remaining popular for many years to come.

My interpretation of the schedule for Friday schedule was very simple: show up, set up, hang out. That night I chatted with as many people as I could: Mitch & Apryl (@lyrpa), Robert, Dave, my old pal Bryon Dorr (@ExplorElements), Mario, Jerry, Cris Mateski, Ross and Karen, and god knows who else. There were some people I only managed to say a few words to throughout the weekend, and others where I couldn’t even manage that! It was quite the social whirlwind.

It got quite cold that night – mid-thirties I think – and I actually went to bed early, a bit after 9pm. I was pretty beat from the last couple of days of driving and running on sleep deficit from the week leading up to MR. So I crawled into my sleeping bag and spent a little time zipping through Instagram and Facebook, and checking texts from the family before I pulled the sleeping bag over my head and promptly conked out.

Saturday

I was awoken promptly at 0700 the next morning by two of my camp neighbors who were having a conversation at full volume about 20 feet from me. I cursed a bit under my breath but hey, what are you gonna do? I got up, got changed and made myself ready for the new day. Breakfast was scrambled eggs, toasted sourdough bread with butter, a banana, coffee and orange juice.

Today’s schedule was a bit busier. Folks who were so inclined were going out to do group trail runs, although many of us were just going to hang out at camp. Late in the afternoon the event t-shirts would be handed out, followed by a Dutch Oven cook-off that I had signed up for, in addition to a general pot-luck dinner for all. The annual group photo would then be taken by Brent Haywood, and finally there would be a large raffle to conclude the planned activities. Naturally, there would be more socializing after that.

As planned, I made my rounds of camp beginning that morning, snapping photos, chatting with the vehicle owners, and checking things out. Socializing, meeting people, and looking over vehicles is a big part of the Rendezvous events. In that way they’re bit like smaller, regional versions of Overland Expo, minus the training and other presentations. Of course, they’re either free or almost-free as well, thanks to the event sponsors and volunteers. Mountain Rendezvous also generates donations for the Boy Scouts of America, who let us use Camp Tahquitz for the event.

Mingling and taking photos took up my afternoon until I had to start working on my Dutch oven contribution, in the form of two loaves of French bread I’d be baking up. Usually during this time when everyone is gathered around the main fire ring I’m circulating with my camera, but this time I had to concentrate on the baking. So while MR is normally a big whirlwind for me, now there was one more thing for me to deal with, and it was tricky to manage everything. At one point, Brent zipped past me, tapping me quickly on the shoulder with a “Hey Dave!” before vanishing into the crowd again… But it worked out. I got my loaves baked without any disasters (and many compliments, thanks everyone!), I got my shirt, eventually managed to get some dinner, and then I got skunked in the raffle for the second year in a row. Which is a bummer as there were some really nice prizes… Thanks anyway, sponsors and donors!

The Dutch oven offerings were exceptional. Besides the basic French bread I made, there was also sourdough bread, pulled pork with Guiness, chocolate cake with mint chips, white beans with chicken, pear cobbler, tomatillo salsa verde, chili and cornbread, casserole, and more. I was very impressed with the cooks, and grateful that they were willing to put in the effort to share their creations.

After the raffle it was well past dark, and time again to get the base layers on, bundle up, slap on a headlamp, and pour some bourbon into my titanium mug for the evening socializing. We had a circle of camp chairs behind Gianni and Raquel’s (@tadgear) Jeep and again a good time was had by all, talking and sharing news and ideas. And as always, I really enjoyed myself. I went to bed later this time, and it was also the coldest night yet, getting down to around freezing overnight. When I got back to my sleeping bag after answering the call of nature at 3am, I didn’t even bother taking off my lightweight down jacket.

Sunday

It’s another chilly morning, and my head still contains the faint reverberations of the prior evening’s bourbon. Scrambled eggs, orange juice and the precious, precious coffee made up brekkie, before packing up the camp kitchen, table and chairs in preparation for moving out. Where had the long weekend gone so quickly? It seems like we just got here.

Saying goodbyes took close to two hours. Vehicles are pulling out of camp here and there. I finally made my exit just past 10am, ahead of the official MR closing time at noon. I have a lot further to drive than most of the attendees though. After driving down out of the beautiful mountains, I hit the LA basin and I’m in travel hell for the next several hours. It’s very warm and I have a long drive on Highway 210, a soul-damaging sty of a road that is so utterly awful that it actually makes me look forward to reaching the infamous I-5.

I-5 is mostly a snooze-fest, so I feel fortunate that there’s a a show and a concert on Sirius XM radio that I like, which helps me pass a couple of the long hours. Because both my fuel tanks were filled up in Big Bear City, I have more than enough to make it home without stopping. However at some point around 2pm I need a break and stop to grab lunch (to go), take a quick bladder break, and pick up an inexpensive souvenir for the kid. After that, it’s drive, drive, drive until I am mercifully home again.

Conclusion

It was a fun, whirlwind road trip as always. Making it a four-day journey instead of three was definitely a good idea, given the lengthy drives to and from the event. The Rendezvous events are a lot of fun and are very well-attended, and I always look forward to seeing many friends again, as well as making new ones. They’re events where “like-minded” people can come and be surrounded by others who share their passions. And there are so many flavors of the overlanding community – big luxury campers, minimalist dual-sport motorcyclists, rock-crawler types, VW dirtbaggers, families in simple SUVs, and every conceivable combination and variation between. If offroading and travel and camping are things that interest you, they all come together in their many forms at the Rendezvous events.

As always I want to thank Dave Bennett for leading the Rendezvous events. Signups to attend are now done in one of the forums of his American Adventurist site. Go check them out, sign up, and maybe join us next spring for Desert Rendezvous 2014. Thanks also to the event sponsors, raffle donors, the volunteers who organize and work the events, the talented Dutch oven cooks and potluck contributors, and of course the many attendees that make these events what they are. Lastly, thanks to my friends – old and new – with whom I am so fortunate to be able to share these events and good times with. You guys and gals are amazing, special people.

Mountain Rendezvous 2013 – photo gallery 2