Mike Hughes/Special to the Sun

Back in the late eighties I rode with a group of horsemen based out of the Tehachapi area. We traveled a lot throughout the central California area; in fact, they were the ones who first introduced me to Nightmare Canyon, Mountain of Gold, Glen Aulin and Galileo Hill. This was a diversified group both in age and cultural background. Two of the group were born in England and had learned to ride in the high English style. Well, Pam Ronning had never been weaned off of her postage stamp saddle but Sylvia Mabee made the transition to full western regalia somewhere along the way.

Pam’s husband Arlee was a master storyteller and he would regale us with his high country adventures during story time around the evening campfire. In Arlee’s younger days he had been an avid backpacker. It seems he used to have Pam drop him off at the edge of the wilderness and a few weeks later pick him up at the other side.

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I remember one of his most enjoyable stories was about a big rack. One night he had camped next to a group of horsemen in the high lonesome. Sometime after midnight a large, horned buck came snooping into camp. Unfortunately, some less than attentive wrangler had left grain in the bottom of a five-gallon bucket. Mr. Stag felt it was his for the taking; however, he got his antlers caught in the bucket handle during the attempt. The deer didn’t care much for the bucket following him around camp so he tried to scrape it off using the trees. Of course, this commotion woke up the entire camp; horses included who wanted their bucket back. After a short session of the wranglers imitating Keystone Kops the buck got frustrated and jumped into the lake swimming to the opposite shore. Just be aware that the deer exited the water carrying his own five–gallon canteen.

On a different trip Arlee, again walking solo, had spent some time traversing a narrow trail stapled to the side of the mountain, way up above the clouds. You know the type, just forward or reverse, no up or down, left or right. Arlee comes around a large rock outcropping and who should be sitting in the middle of the trail but a full-grown black bear. Arlee knows there is just enough food in his backpack for one but he is just not sure if it’s going to be for him or the bear. Carrying only a walking stick and not wanting to turn his back on the bear he becomes somewhat concerned about the eventual outcome. Time passes, sunset is coming on and there is not a lot of give from either side, man or bear. Well, of course, we listeners were not worried because here is Arlee right in front of us recounting the saga; we knew it had turned out okay for Arlee. However, we never were too sure why he kept repeating,“I sure lost a lot of weight on that trip.”

As I have said a few times before, any trip to the high country where wildlife is involved, always adds a deeper dimension to the experience, whether it be with stock or on the ground.