The mountain man myth: A contemporary consuming fantasy

Modern mountain men form temporary consumption enclaves focused on reenacti ng the 1825-40 fur-trade rendezvous held in the Rocky Mountain American Wes t. In the process, they become part of a transient consumption community pr edicated on invented traditions and the invocation of a mythic past to crea te and consume fantastic time and space. Based on ethnographic methods empl oyed over a five-year period, we develop a historically contextualized unde rstanding of this consumption fantasy. We analyze how modern mountain men e nact fantasy experiences of a primitive alternative reality within the boun ded ritual space of the modern rendezvous. We conclude that participation i n this fantasy world offers a special opportunity for transformative play, while reinforcing a romanticized set of beliefs.