Today is March 17th, Birthday of American mountain man, trapper, scout, and guide Jim Felix Bridger. Born in 1804 and orphaned at 13, Jim spent his life exploring the untamed wilderness of the American West.
Since 2018 and in recognition of the 77 years Jim spent trapping, hunting, and forging his way across the North American Frontier we celebrate the period of time from Jim’s birthday March 17th until the day of his death, July 17th, as ‘Jim Bridger Days’.
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲, in fact, that would be fairly antithetical to our whole celebration. This isn’t burning man or some festival to exploit you with ticket fees… Instead, just load up your backpack and head outside the comfort of your living room for the weekend. Go for a hike, or a three day weekend camp out, if you’ve saved up some PTO go for a full improvised shelter and stories told by fire-light, or anything in-between!
In keeping spirit with the wild frontier and leaving civilization behind you, this event has no strict rules. To help you along we will however offer some suggestions:
- Minimal electronics are suggested. Especially those with internet access. Try downloading or, even better, printing any maps, shelter plans, or activity instructions ahead of time. Then keep electronics off or in airplane mode. A camera or emergency phone can certainly elevate or even save you on a trip, while a 5G laptop or facebook connected cell phone can easily ruin one.
- Leave your patch of wilderness the way you found it, or as close as reasonable possible. Build a fire pit? Fill it in. Eat a bag of jerky? Take the bag when you leave.
- Bring friends!.. Sure, a huge festival with fried food stands and tacky trinkets isn’t what we are going for here… But even Jim only forged his way up the Missouri as part of William Henry Ashley’s “Hundred”. Friends, significant others, even kids can take you trip to the next level and cut camping chores in half! Just make sure your companions are along for the experience as well, if you drag someone along they will no doubt end up dragging you down.
- Be prepared. You may wish to build a shelter onsite. Or rub two sticks together to spark a fire. But no plan survives a punch to the face (~Mike Tyson). It’s best to still bring supplies like a tarp and matches as plan B for when plan A falls through.
- Know your local laws and limits. Activities like fishing and trapping are great fun and fantastic skills to practice, and if you’re lucky they can be a tasty pass-time. Just keep in mind that in 2025 those activities are largely regulated. It’s not worth a fine or a court date to avoid a class or license fee. Trapping, hunting, and fishing are all licensed activities in my own home state, please don’t get yourself in trouble.
- Don’t drink the water! Even if the water source in front of you is moving, it may have been “stagnant” just upstream. Bring water and food sufficient for your trip, iodine/purification tablets, a life-straw, means to build a charcoal filter, anything other than sipping a stream/lake water. Unless you’re cool being hospitalized or worse. Freeze dried food is light and compact and won’t spoil if you don’t end up using it, but if you aren’t successful with your back-country hunting and fishing, it just might save your life..
- Relax and have fun!