The rendezvous camp was the high point of the year for any mountain man worth his salt. This was a once in a year event where mountain men gathered along with representatives of various fur companies and even friendly Indian tribes to trade and socialize. At a good rendezvous, a mountain man could make a great fortune from all his hard work of trapping and hunting. If he was lucky, he might even procure an Indian bride. At a bad rendezvous, he could end up getting beaten up by a fellow frontiersman that had too much to drink, and with no profit and a huge debt to boot.
Tom Fitzpatrick knew this and he was keen on making it to rendezvous earlier than the representatives from the other companies. Getting a foot in earlier than the competition would give him a huge boost and greatly increase his chances of making a profit.