As I write, it’s been one week since I set out into the woods with nearly 30 strangers. All answering an invitation to come shiver and struggle with a stranger from the internet.

When I announced this idea, I didn’t know what to expect. The date was a year away and I figured things would solidify as we got closer. Some things came together, others we figured out on the fly, but I learned a lot and everyone said they had fun. Whether or not these guys can be believed is another story. There were lots of campfire stories that have since made me wonder…

Thankfully the NMLRA was a great partner in helping me get organized. They had a local source for firewood and made sure our area for camping and shooting was prepared.

We had camps of varying shapes and sizes.

I wanted this weekend to be for people of any skill level, and it showed.

We had modern tents, period tents, and bed rolls - everyone came with their comfort and gear level in mind.

Based on the feedback and interest I had received online, I planned for a camp of 20-50 people. By the end of the weekend, we had 28 attend in some capacity. Some stayed for one night, others visited, but most stayed the whole weekend. We had a great age range as well, the youngest was 12 and came toting his father and a Chambers “Little Fellar” kit they had finished the night before. The other end of the age range was “Jerry” (if that is his real name) at 79. Jerry made us look like amateurs, but he did it with a smile and a “help anyone” attitude that paired well with his late-night stories.

Some work-related activities slowed my arrival. Unfortunately, I was only able to leave home on Friday morning. After being on the road for an hour I received a call from the NMLRA that people were beginning to show up. I was excited but also nervous. It wasn’t a great foot forward to arrive after my guests, but Wade and Phil were real cool about it, and got to hang out with Jay, who I shot the NMLRA woodswalk with in June 2024.

Once I got in, I brought my gear to our campsite and got things started, I dug a firepit and encouraged others to do the same. My camp was purposefully light in stature. I wanted another weekend of testing my personal skills but I also didn’t want to take up more room than I needed. Once I realized my charcloth was a dud, I got my fire going and then shifted to event organizer mode, welcoming attendees, answering questions and getting folks situated. Our site was remote and difficult to find even with my signs. If there is a next time, more signs are needed.

It’s difficult to plan activities for a 67 year age range, but we kept it basic this year. Surviving at camp was enough of a task to keep us occupied, but we engaged in a friendly blanket shoot through the woods walk and a trek up the hills when we got antsy. Our trek was more of a mountain goat simulation at times, so I cut things short for the safety of the camp - that being said, it was one of my favorite parts of the weekend. I lead our group up the hill and looking back to see a line of people hiking with muzzleloaders in a woods with nothing modern as far as the eye can see is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.

With 28 people of varying skill levels, we had camps of all shapes and sizes, some modern tents, some period tens, and many with no tents at all. It was great to see folks mingling between camps, discussing set ups and strategies on dealing with the elements. This was made a real topic of conversation on the first morning

Looking back, there are a few things I’d do differently in the future - The first being centralizing our activities around camp and the surrounding hills. The woods walk is a great course, but it was nearly a 1/2 mile walk from our camp. This allowed time for us to meet and greet as we walked, but it was some “dead air” in the weekend. There are plenty of target stations near the camp area that would be great to utilize.

Prize Sponsors

Special thanks to the NMLRA for working with us to use their range and land

Schuetzen Blackpowder

GOEX Blackpowder

Jeff Luke, Eric Carlson

@Muzzle-loaders.com *

The Shamrock & Thistle

Scaffold Cane Forge

Preston McIntosh Copper

Muzzleloader Magazine

Some of the best moments of the weekend were natural teaching moments. We had attendees arrive who had never shot muzzleloaders, had never been around them, but knew they wanted to try them. While there were plenty of natural educational moments, I can’t help but wonder if we can encourage those more. Perhaps a “Newbie/Oldie” team match or set of challenges? Something where someone new would be paired with someone with experience to share in some experiences and pass on some skills. My mentor, Rick Conwell pitched this idea to me and it’s stuck in my head. Brian N brought up a great point of wondering if there could be stations of some sort on the trek that encouraged skills use, or education. These moments would allow for a rest from walking, but also prevent our thumbs from twiddling.

Thanks to everyone who came out, thanks to Rick, Jake, Rob, Jeff, Joe-D, Mark, and Brian for helping me keep an eye on everyone, keep everyone safe, and for helping us with malfunctions and dryballs when they happened.

It was a lot of work, but I had so much fun. Thank you all for the kind words and thoughts since the event.

Thank you to the prize sponsors.

Looking into the future, I think we have to do this again.

I didn’t think I would, but you’ve all sent me so many kind words and great ideas for another one, so keep your eyes peeled for the 2025 I Love Muzzleloading Historic Trekking Weekend.

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