Authentic Camp 2021 – Modest but Great!

Of a small, but yet beautiful Authentic Camp.

Howdy folks and friends of the TRP!
Today we want to share our small, internal Authentic Camp 2021 with you, which we held at the beginning of August, on Beaver Creek Valley.

We were very sorry that the big camp - like last year - unfortunately did not take place due to Corona. So the Authentic Camp 2021 took place in a small group of our members, even if we would have liked to have our guests with us!

In this post, we're all about motivating you and keeping you going until next year, when hopefully we can once again greet our guests with a warm:

Welcome to Beaver Creek Valley!

• 

• 

• 

• 

The preparations for our event were initially overshadowed by concerns about Corona. Long discussions with the local office were necessary to find out in which scope we would even be allowed to meet. Some restrictions followed, but thanks to the understanding and great members of the TRP, we could enjoy our time travel Corona-compliant and light-hearted.

We want to tell you about this beautiful week today.

The week started with a summer rain

The first weekend of our Authentic Camp started with a lot of rain! Mud roads and puddles as far as the eye could see. However, the roads to Beaver Creek gave a very authentic picture.

It was quite common back then for the main roads of settlements to be full of mud and dirt at all times. Due to the constant traffic of stagecoaches, carts and other wagons, the grass hardly had a chance to grow back. These roads were usually paved much later, by the turn of the century. In larger cities, people were fortunate enough to walk on paved roads. And so the weather contributed to a characteristic picture at the beginning of the week!

• 

• 

However, the rain soon bid us farewell with a gigantic rainbow, announcing beautiful weather that would hold for the rest of the week. The mood rose and drove away the worry about a rainy camp.

• 

• 

Authentic cuisine - Like the old days

The week began with an extraordinary meal. For this purpose, some settlers foraged for mushrooms in the nearby forests. Of course, thanks to the rain, they found plenty and we were able to add a good portion of freshly collected chanterelles to our meal.

• 

• 

If you are wondering at this point if the pasta in this dish will fit the era, we can reassure you!

Back in the 1780s, none other than Thomas Jefferson himself enjoyed his first serving of pasta in a Paris restaurant. Jefferson was a big pasta fan ever since and even had shipments of boxes sent back to America.

In 1798, the first pasta factory finally opened in Philadelphia. At that time, however, pasta dishes were reserved for the wealthy bourgeoisie, as their availability was very limited. The working class, on the other hand, only began to enjoy macaroni around the time of the American Civil War (starting in the 1860s), when more factories opened and imports from countries like Sicily were no longer necessary.

During this week, there were many more excellent meals that we prepared and ate together at a large community table.

There was, for example, a tasty chicken stew or the legendary "Irish Stew", to name just a handful. So there were all kinds of delicacies again at the Authentic Camp 2021!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Of course, we didn't just eat, but passed the time with all kinds of amusements.

Poque, photo shootings and cozy saloon evenings

We have newly discovered the game of poque for ourselves! "Poch", as it is also called, was already a popular amusement in the Middle Ages and was first mentioned in Strasbourg as early as 1441. French immigrants brought "poque" - as it was called there - to America, from which the later poker developed.

Throughout the camp, young and old were quickly at the gambling table when someone called for a game of poque!

With such beautiful weather, it was natural that our cowboys returned earlier than planned from their "hard working day" and, in compliance to their cowboy code, invited their ladies for a walk into the evening.

• 

• 

But not only for the cowboys the warm light invited to great photos.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

After a hearty evening meal together, the party relaxed as they pleased. When the evening came, we got all dressed up and met again for a visit to the saloon.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

After the day's toil and trouble, everyone met here to celebrate, discuss, laugh, play cards, have a drink or two and, of course, make music together. Everyone who could play an instrument was invited and many beautiful songs came out, such as this one:

Lil’ Liza Jane – Beaver Creek Valley Ramblers – Live at the Frontier Tavern

Visit to the Museum of Military Tradition in Weidenberg

After a hearty breakfast we started into a new day!

• 

• 

• 

We reserved this day for a planned museum tour and returned to the present reality at short notice for this purpose. The visit to the Museum for Military Tradition in Upper Franconia, Weidenberg, was organized by our friend and museum director Martin Götz. He guided us through the various eras, up to modern times.

Many of the exhibited pieces were accompanied by miniatures. These, meticulously handcrafted figures, were placed in dioramas and complemented the overall picture.

As a visitor, you could thus get a better picture of how the armies and militias were positioned. One also got a good impression of how clothing and equipment interacted and also how the war sites of the time were like.

• 

• 

We can recommend a visit to the museum without any restrictions! Not only military enthusiasts will enjoy it, but also all those who have always wanted to learn more about the area in general.

We were also able to learn a lot and would like to thank Martin very much for taking the time for us!

Campfire Stories & High-Tech in the Wild West

The following day we had a lot planned! For this we invited our friend and photographer Robert of the Panorama Video Production to Beaver Creek Valley. With the help of a large technical setup consisting of video and photo cameras, as well as lighting and microphones, TRP members momentarily became protagonists in a short short film.

• 

• 

• 

What exactly we have realized there, remains a secret at this time! However, we can already reveal this much: It has to do with the publication of a book whose author is a very good friend of TRP.

• 

• 

But that's wasn't all: Robert also highlighted the Indian Territory of Beaver Creek Valley in great detail! There he accompanied a Lakota lady with the preparation of an authentic meal. We are very much looking forward to the finished material, which we will of course present in the Beaver Creek Pioneer!

• 

• 

Very nice pictures were taken again during the Authentic Camp 2021, for example the series "The Law of Beaver Creek Valley", where the law enforcement officers of Beaver Creek Valley presented their strength in front of the Sheriff's Office.

• 

• 

The end of our trail

Just before the general mood of departure spread on the last day, we received a visit from the far north. A delegation of Canadian Mounties visited Beaver Creek Valley. Of course, the "Red Serges" caught the attention in front of our Fort McKenzie and we were able to take some very nice pictures here as well!

We would like to thank all those who squeezed into their uniforms during what felt like the warmest day of the week - but the result certainly speaks for itself:

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

All in all, we can say that we had a brilliant, beautiful and eventful time at the Authentic Camp 2021. It felt very good to come together once again as a community, to exchange ideas and experience a wonderful time together. We are looking forward to next year, when hopefully we will be able to spend this time with our honored guests again!

Stay safe and keep your powder dry!

So long, Chet McCay & Colton White – Beaver Creek Pioneer