Here is another of Dean Reynold's stories. He calls this one : River Buck

In the summer of 1951 I was with my father in Krebs basin during the months of july and august. Krebs basin is where the chain lakes are located at the foot of Mount Emmons.
During that summer it rained or hailed almost every day. The wet days made the sheep rather restless and being that was their first summer they had spent in Krebs Basin and not being accustomed to summering in that high altitude, they would begin trailing out of there so we had to keep a close watch over them. Dad and I would sleep together in the tent and we usually made up a nice bed and would sleep like a couple of logs. We would get up early, about day light and while dad was saddling his horse so he could go around the sheep to keep them from trailing off through the timber. I would get the fire in the stove going and then cook a breakffas of fried mutton, sourdough biscuits and heat water so we could have a cup of postum. He would generally be back in about an hour to eat and then he would leave again to be with the herd.
We always stayed close to the herd and so moved camp every day or so. One day he said "Dean I'm going to move the sheep up onto that flat ground thats against the South East foot of the mountain. Theres some might good feed there and we can keep them there for most of the day and then camp further up Krebs Creek. You go ahead and move camp up along the creek and then you can come join me up on the ridge. "Ok. I said."see you this afternoon.
I broke camp and loaded the whole outfit on ole Nig, our black pack horse and swinging up on my saddle horse, Grey Bird, moved up the country about a mile to the West and set up camp along the creek. After getting things all set including putting some dry fire wood inside the tent, I rode back down to where I had moved the tent not more than a couple of hours before just to make sure I hadn't left any stuff laying around. What I seen when I got there, I couldn't believe my eyes. A large dead pine tree had fallen squarely across the bed where dad and I had slept that night. That tree with numerous broken off limbs ahd fallen between the time I had moved the tent and when I had just returned. It was a hot day and I was feeling sweaty and dirty. As I rode north toward where my farther had the sheep, I came upon a small lake laying among the slide rocks. It wasn't very large mayby one hundred feet wide. I swung down and walked over and reached my finger down into the water to see how cold it was. I was surprised that it felt rather warm. There was no inlet or outlet of water coming in or out. I figured that this was a chance to get a soapless bath in that nice warm water. So I pealed of my clothes and jumped in. There are some things you just have to learn the hard way and by yourself. As I hit the water feet first and dove froward and went under the water about two feet deep, it was like diving into a tub of ice cubes. The sun had warmed the water on the very top but about four inches down it was like diving into a snow bank. I sprang to my feet and splashed to shore as fast as I could. Looking down, I was horrified to see little black leeches all over me. I couldn't feel them bitting me but they were stuck and I had to pull each one off with my fingers. I couldn't reach my back, so I took hold of my shirt as you do with a towel and worked it back and forth over my back and waist then hurridly got dressed as I was shivering perhaps as much because of the leeches as from the cold air.
I swung into the saddle and rode up onto the bench where dad had the sheep. We sat on a slide rock in the warm sun and just enjoyed each others company. We didn't have to talk, just being there together was enough. Just a father and his soon. As we sat there at the foot of Mount Emmonds, I suddenly had the urge to climb to the top of it. Dad thought I was nuts but, I was young and in teriffic shape. The top of Mount Emmons is at the elevation of 13,440 feet. Thats just 72 feet lower than the top of Kings Peak which is the tallest mountain in Utah.
I'll see you in a couple of hours." I said. Then I turned and began making my way up through the slide rock heading for the top. Foolish? Maybe. Peanuts, our sheep dog wasn't about to let me go without him and so he got up and followed along. The air get mighty thin at that altitude and so we had to stop often to rest and catch our breath. As we got about halfway to the top and was setting there resting, a Pika, came out and sat on a rock about 20 feet away from us. He's the little guy about the size of your fist and related to the rabbit. He lives in the high elevations of the western states. I don't know where he was getting it way up in the slide rocks where we were, but all summer he gathers grass and stores it to tide him over for the winter month ahead. We can be cruel at times and so, I shot the Pika thinking that Peanuts would like something to eat. The dog took it in his mouth and lay on a rock chewing it. I continued my climb up the mountain. In a few minutes the dog rejoined me. Later, as we were setting down to rest, I glanced up at the Sun and could see that in about an hour it would go down behind the high ridge to the west. It couldn't have been much farther to the top but I elected to end my quest and turn my steps back down. But before I did, I sat there looking down at the view streaching out before me. The blue outline of the High Knoll ridge off to the East lay soft over looking the dark long shadow of the Uintah Canyon. Krebs creek zigsagged along the base of the high bally ridge that encompasses the basin on the South. Several light green grassy parks nestled among the dark pines.
The large lower chain lake was all I could see. The others were hidden by the flat ridge where the sheep were. I could just barely see Lily lake to the North East of the large lower chain and could also see the little Island lake to the south that was fed by Krebs Creek.
I made my way down through the slide rocks with the dog following close behind. He didn't have the Pika so I figured he had eaten it. When we reached the bench where the sheep were my father had just started them feeding to the south and the lead ones were just moving out of sight as they left the bench. My father and me and the dog sat watching as the shadows of the sun set moved down off the ridge to our right. After a few minutes dad said. "Where's Peanuts?" I said. "I don't know, he was here a minute ago." As the last of the sheep went out of sight, we both stood up and was about to get on our horses when Peanuts came up to us and lay the Pika down on the ground by us and looked up with his tongue hanging out and panting like he had been running. His expression said. "Well, here's the Pika. I thought you guys wanted it so I went back up the mountain and brought it to you." Now, how in the world was that dog able to find that Pika way up on the side of that mountain in all those rocks?"
The days and weeks of July and August slipped by and beautiful sunny days and days with wind, rain and or Hail storms. Finally the day came when we must leave Kreb Basin and move the sheep down out of the Bally mountains where we would spend a week before trailing the herd back across the reservation to Mosby Canyon.
We were camped by Island Lake the day my father one early morning said. "Dean, I'll go around the sheep and start em for the trail so we can get down out of here. You break camp and throw the pack on Ole Nig and I'll meet you in about an hour on the other side of the lake." It was a beautiful day with clear sky except for one towering white cloud hanging over the top of Mt. Emmons. It was pleasantly warm for that time of that time of year and the air was calm without even a breaze. The surface of the lake was glassy smooth except for several riffles to show where the trout were feeding. I could hear the bleating of the sheep as my father was pushing themn towards the trail leading out of the basin. I noticed a Doe deer standing at the East end of the lake where Krebs creek begain its mad dash to join the Uintah river deep in the canyon to the East.
As I was about to knock down the tent, I had a thought. We had been looking after the herd of sheep all summer and hadn't had much of a chance to doing as much fishing as I would like to have done. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to fish all day without having to worry about anything else?
The old Ewes in the herd sensing that they were heading down out of the high country were trailing rapidly down the trail. I rode up to dad and said. "I'm going to leave the camp where it's at so we won't to bother with it as we move on down out of here. I'd like to came back here in a few days and do some uninterupted fishing." I was always doing things he didn't think made sense. He didn't argue however so we moved on down to the meadows in Uintah canyon.
After a time, we took a couple of days to trail the herd back across the reservation to Mosby Canyon. There I left mom and dad and went to Vernal to find someone who was willing to go back to Chain Lakes with me to retreive the camp after a few days of fishing.
The first person I made a phone call to was Marvin Carrol who was an old friend and with whom I had shared many days and adventures with. When he answered the phone I said. "Hi Marvin how would you like to go with me into the Ballies on a fishing trip?" I then explaned to him the situation of having left the sheep camp at Chain Lakes and now having to go back there and get it. I also told him how good the fishing was and that we could stay there a couple of days before coming back out. He didn't hesitate a second before saying. "Sounds good to me. When do we leave?" So I told him that all he would need was his fishing gear as plenty of food and a good bed was at the camp. "Be ready to go at 2 tomorrow morning and I'll drop by and pick you up."
Early the next morning, I jumped Grey Bird into the back of my pickup along with a pack saddle then drove to Marvin's house where he was ready and waiting. We drove to U-Bar ranch in Uintah Canyon then unlopading the horse and throwing a pack saddle on him, we hit the trail on foot leading him. At that time, the sky above was just starting to show light and the stars were dimming in the sky. The reason I choose to get going so early in the day was because I hated to waste day light and besides, it is 17 miles from the U-Bar ranch at the trail head to the Chain Lakes in Krebs Basin.
The cool air of morning was shoving a gentle breeze down the canyon bringing with it the smell of pine. The Quakie leaves were rustling showing the changing colors of the coming fall and winter. Off to our left we could hear the Uintah River as it noisily cascaded over and around the rocks.
Marvin was leading the pack horse and I was leading the way up the trail about 50 yards ahead of him. After we had moved up the canyon about 3 miles it was full daylight by that time. Ahead of me was a large pine tree with branches that grew close to the ground. One would brush against them as the trail turned abruptly to the left. As I was about to go around the tree I could partially see through the limbs. As I did so, I stopped because I could see a very large buck deer drinking out of a small rivulet that crossed the trail. I slowly backed up a few steps then turned toward Marvin with my finger over my mouth indicationg for him to be quiet. At this point, the river was only a hundred feet to the left of the tail. It was making so much nose that I had to get close to Marvin as I whispered telling him about the deer up ahead. In the panniers on the pack saddle were two ropes. One was a 35 foot lariat. I pulled the lariat out and going back to Marvin I explained to him what I had in mind.
"Marvin, you stay here and give me at least twenty minutes before you go around that large pine tree and spook that buck. I know he will run up the trail because with the river so close he won't run that way and look how steep the mountain is on the right. I've been up this tail several times this summer and I remember that probably less than a hundred yards from here it goes right against a ledge of rock for a ways. What I'm gonna do is to climb up this steep hill while keeping out of sight of the buck. Then I'll curl around and station myself on top of that rock ledge so that when the deer comes bouncing up the trail I'll try and lay this lariat on him. I don't think he'll hear me pushing my way through the brush and rock because of the noise from the river." Marvin pulled his coat collar farther up around his neck and said afer looking at his wrist watch. "Okay I'll stay right here and give you twenty minutes before I come on."
It was tough going on that steep hill side through the brush and small pines. Some of the rocks stood up as tall as I am. As I got close to the ledge, I got down on my hands and knees and peeked over and up the trail. Neither the deer or Marvin was in sight so I stood up and shook out a loop in the lariat and laid it down on the ground behind me so that if and when the deer came up the trail I would try to lay the rope around his horns with one swoop of my right arm. I didn't have long to wait before here came the deer bouncing up the trail raising dust as he came. My heart gave a breath taking surge in my chest as I got ready to throw the loop. Just as I had done many times when roping a cow in a carral. I threw that rope ahead of the deer and it settled over his horns as neatly as if I had been standing next to him. I'm glad the ledge wasn't very nigh because when the buck took all the slack, he jerked me off onto the ground. I landed on my feet but was immediately on my stomach as the deer was stronger than I was. At this point he headed toward the river draggin me as I was trying to regain my feet. I was lucky that there were numerous Quakies because as he turned to the left along the river the rope wrapped around several and I was able to get on my feet and quickly tie the rope to one. I walked back to the trail and waited for Marvin. When he got to me couldn't believe his eyes. The deer was making quite a fuss and raising the dust. I had a camera and so took one picture. It didn't turn out too good but it is there for all to see. He was a large animal with very large impressive horns with eleven points on each side.
Well...After all that excitement, and having fourteen miles yet go, we headed up the trail and arrived at Island Lake where the camp was at about one that after noon. After firing up the stove and setting down to a good meal. I staked my horse out in a meadow North of the lake. The rest of the afternoon the fishing was really good. Sometimes we would catch two at a time using two flies on our lines.
Needless to say, we slept like a couple of logs that night. After breakfast the next morning, I watered Brey Bird and then staked him out in a diferent place in the meadow about two hundred yards north of the lake. While we were fishing at the outlet where Krebs Creek comes out, Marvin pointed and said. "Whats that back thing up in the meadow just west of the horse?" I looked to where he was pointing an excitedly exclaimed. "My, hell thats a bear." About that time, Grey Bird either smelled the bear or seen him. You could hear him squeal as he reared up on his hind legs and at the same time pulled the stake that rope was tied to out of the ground and here he came towards us at a fast gallop. He was headed for the trail which was near where we were. When he got to within fifty yards of us, I threw my arm in the air and hollered whoa thinking that would stop him. But, he kept coming, the dragging rope raising the dust. The stake had been shaken off. I always charried a ten shot 22 automatic on my belt. So as Grey Bird started to swing out around to go past me. I fired a shot into the ground in front of him. That stopped him in his tracks but as I slowly walked toward him to get hold of the rope he swung and started to go around me on the other side. I fired another bullet in front of him. Again, that stopped him. Well, to make a sad story short, that same thing happened again and again until I ran out of bullets. Then as the horse ran past me for the last time, I dove to the ground and grabbed hold of the rope which ripped through my hands and the horse disappeared down the trail in a cloud of dust. All I could think about was those seventeen miles to the U-Bar ranch and here we were with a sheep camp which had to be taken out of here. Winter was coming on we just couldn't just leave it here. I looked at Marvin and he was standing thre shaking his head. I said. "Come on let go fry up some of those fish and after eating we have got to get down out of here. We gotta catch that horse. No telling where he'll be. Then we'll have to get back up here and get the camp." He didn't say nothing so after eating, we hit the trail.
I was the first week of October now and the wind in the trees and the cold air made one realize that Fall was upon us and winter was soon to follow. We didn't meet anyone coming up the trail and there were no tracks as the wind and rain had obliterated them. We arrived at the U-Bar ranch where my pickup was parked and there was no sign of Grey Bird. We got in the pickup and drove down the road a couple of miles to where we came to a large grassy park off the right side of the road and there out in the middle was the horse with his head down grazing. I drove out into the park toward him. As we got to within fifty yards he took off running. Luckily the ground was fairly smooth so I stepped on the gas and as I caught up to him I could see the long rope snaking across the ground. Keeping my foot on the gas pedal, I opened the door and reached far out. I got a hold of the rope and stopped the horse.
It was getting close to sundown so I turned to Marvin. "It's too late to do anything more today so we'll stake the horse and come back in the morning to go get the tent." Marvin shook his hea and said. "I'm not going to come back with you. I'm bat. You'll have to come back by your self or find someone else thats willing to tag along with you. That thirty four mile round trip is too much for me to do again." So, we drove to town and I let him off at his place and drove home.
Next morning I called my brother Loran and gave him a big story of how good the fishing was in the Chain Lakes and that I needed someone to go up there with me to get the camp I had left. I also told him that we would only be taking one horse and that he could ride and I would walk. When I mentioned fishing, he was all for it. He grabbed his fishing gear and we were off.
As we left the U-Bar ranch it was a bueatiful day. Loran followed after me on the horse and I led the way walking. I wanted to surprise him so I hadn't told him about the deer that I had roped and tied up. I waited until we were about to turn left around the large pine tree where the buck had been drinking when I spotted him. Then I stopped and went back to Loran and said. "you know, I have seen some of the biggest deer right along here that I have ever seen before in my life." He said "oh, is that so."
Well, I walked around the pine and went up the trail. When I spotted the deer off to the left of the trail, I stopped to let Loran catch up. He had no more than caught up and stopped behind me than he caught sight of the deer who was making a fuss and stirring up a little dust. Loran's mouth dropped open as he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Off on the other side of the trail was a little grassy place which had a puddle of water standing that had seeped out from under the bottom of the rock ledge. I said to Loran. "Lets see if we can undo that rope and drag that deer across the trail and tie him up in that grassy spot so he can have something to eat until we come back." Well, we untied the rope and stretched it out toward the grasy spot. The deer kept an eye on us but didn't move. We both took hold of the rope and attempted to pull the deer toward us. He wouldn't have any of that. Instead he suddenly lowered his head and charged us. We hurridly ran around a tree so that when the rope tightened up he couldn't reach us. Several times that happened until we finally got him where we wanted him and we tied the end of the rope to the bottom of the tree and left him there.
Before we left there to continue on up to Chain Lakes to do a little fishing and then bring the camp down to the pickup. I said to Loran, "You know I'm pretty mad at this horse and I'm not gonna take pity on him. When I take off up the trail I want you to keep up with me and not lag behind. Ok?" "Well OK he said." Grey Bird was sort of a lazy horse and so I hadn't gone up trail more than a quarter of a mile before having to stop while he caught up. There were some willows growing by the river so I went and broke off a good stout branch and gave it to Loran and told him to use it on the hors so he could keep up with me. You know, when that horse knew Loran had a willer in his hand he was more than willing to keep up. A little farther on, we came to the sheep bridge where the trail forked. The trail straight ahead would take one to Fox lake, Kidney lakes etc. We crossed the bridge to the left and started the long climb upward wher the trail followed the switch backs. There were 21 of them some being as long as a half mile. I really poured it on, not stopping once before reaching First Water. A cold wind was blowing from the South and I could just barely hear the river far below. Loran came riding up and Grey Bird was breathing hard and was lathering between his hind legs.
The fishing in Island Lake was only fair and the thin clouds in the sky blocked the sunshine making it pretty cold. We decided to break camp and get down out of there.
The pickup seemed so far away and we dreaded the long walk. I was a little tired after exerting so much energy coming up. I thought I was punishig the horse for running away. But I guess he got the last laugh.
After we had finished packing the camp and lashing it down. We took one last look at the lake where the wind was lashing the surface in dark sheets. We left the park as Grey Bird grunted in protest at the heavy load on his back. As we walked down the trail we got to wondering what to do with the deer we had left by the trail. We didn't like the idea of trying to get the rope from around his horns as he wss rather viscious when we had tried to move him into the little grassy sport. I came up with an idea that sounded like a good one. "Today is the 8th of October. Thats just 11 days before rifle deer season opens in Utah. Ashley Valley Sports Shop always have a big deer contest during that time. Lets leave the deer on that grass and water and the first day of the season I'll come up kill him with a Bow and Arrow and take him down and win the prize away from the rifle hunters." We entertained that thought until we came to where the deer was. He didn't move when we walked up to him. He was dead. Looking the scene over, we could see why. He had backed away from the tree where the rope was tied and as the rope came taut he had reared up in the air and half turned and came down on his side. Laying like that, his nose was jammed in the puddle of water and he suffocated and or drowned. What a bad feeling I had. When we had tied him up I had a feeling of ecstasy. Now all I felt was sadness. He had such a magnificent head that I wish we had brought it out with us. But the horse was over loaded as it was so we retrieved my lariat and moved on down the trail with sadness in our hearts. I can still remember that day as if it happened just yesterday instead of 56 years ago.