Last weekend put the 7th Annual SoCal Mountain Rendezvous in the books. This is one of 3 Rendezvous events put on by the American Adventurist family, and as always it is done in support of the community. Mountain Rendezvous or MRV, in particular, is a fundraiser for the Long Beach Council of the Boy Scouts and goes towards maintenance and upgrades at the 640 acre Camp Tahquitz outside of Big Bear Lake CA.
While each event is different in nature, they are similar in that each Rendezvous (Desert, Mountain, and Appalachian) brings together a group of like-minded outdoor families in the name of experiencing nature, outdoor and off-road education, and giving back to the community. This event helped raise $3400 for the Boy Scouts.
Every Rendezvous centers around families and is a place where every member, including the ones with fur, is encouraged to have fun, make new friends, and enjoy themselves. It’s always fun to see the kids getting dirty and playing in nature, but it is certainly more fun watching when one of them is yours. I can’t believe how much fun it is to watch Hunter just sitting and playing in the dirt, even if she does try to eat rocks, among other things. We had a few cuts and scrapes this event, but that’s par for the course as well.
Hunter has a great time just being with us and playing on her own, as well as playing with the other kids in camp, but it never fails. As soon as there is work to be done, be it setting up camp, cooking dinner, or packing up, that is when she needs undivided attention. She’s also going through a “Mommy Phase”, so Paige has trouble getting even a minute to get anything done. Luckily, she loves riding around in the Ergo Baby Carrier. This was the first time we tried a back carry, and it worked out great, Paige was able to help with more of the duties while giving Hunter the attention she wanted.
This little folding wagon was given to us as a baby shower gift from a dear friend, and (as she predicted) has turned out to be invaluable. The stroller is great, but this lets Hunter play with toys, bring along every stick in the forest, and even stretch out and take a little nap now and then. It is easy to pull around camp, especially with a little help from Frankie the Adventure Dog
One of the best parts of any Rendezvous is the Potluck, and Dutch Oven competition, followed by “Family Time” around the campfire. We had a bit of a rainstorm on Saturday, which allowed us to have a fire on Saturday night. This year, we added a “Story night” as well, and it was so fun listening to others adventure stories, and telling our own! We are looking forward to more of these in the future.
There is also always an aspect of education as well. This year, Andy and Brett gave a lesson on using a tire patch kit on the fly, and I did a demo of the Colby Valve. (Which you can find more details about in our review.
If you are interested in attending a Rendezvous and are within striking distance of the east coast, the Appalachian Rendezvous is right around the corner and all the details can be found on the American Adventurist forums.
I did a little practice with the Smooth Q stabilizer, so keep an eye on our Youtube page for a video from MRV! You can also find lots of other photos on the forum
Muddy kids are happy kids and they build up a healthy immune system. If only we had places like that to camp in the UK.