We had decided the year before to try Swamp Creek one more time. The elk would be there if the weather would cooperate just a little bit. The area Prime summer range with lots of grass and water. There were large timber stands scattered between the lowlands and the timberline. Large stands of aspen trees dot the landscape in brilliant yellow leaves. This year, 1979, we would plan the trip in October′ around the fifteenth′ for rifle season. Harry, Bud, and. I started making plans to go but before long the word got out about a trip to Swamp Creek again. Uncle Charlie and his son-in-law Tex Taylor invited themselves along. Since this was not a closed party anyway, we invited Uncle Lewie and Cousin Ernie Daly to go also. Montie Davis could not make the trip this year. Uncle Lewie brought his truck and camper for Ernie and himself to sleep in. Uncle Charlie brought his cab-over camper and truck for Tex and him to sleep in, also. We had our trailer house all to ourselves for a change. As usual, the outside lean-to was put up for a cooking area. Tex was a day late in coming up and brought his Plymouth Buster four-wheel drive. l took my pickup along to pull a small trailer with the motorcycles in it.
We had a large camp set up in a secluded area all t○ ○ourselves. There was not anyone else camped anywhere around this year. It took us several hours to cut enough firewood for the campfire to last a week. Uncle Charlie could burn more wood than anybody we know of. The campers had heat of some sort in each one of them. Our trailer house has a furnace in it so we could stay warm no matter what the weather was like. The weather was great when we arrived at Swamp Creek. After the camp was set up and comfortable, all the firewood cut, and everything in it-s place, we went out to scout the area for fresh deer and elk signs. There were a lot of fresh tracks everywhere. Deer and elk have been staying around the area all summer.
The next morning everyone spread out in all directions Looking for something to shoot. After pooling all the information from each group of hunters, we found where we should hunt the next day. At night, each group fixed their own Supper in their own campers. We planned on hamburger patties and hash brown potatoes with a can of peaches for dessert. This was an effortless way to make a quick supper because we were too tired to fix a large meal. Other nights we would cook full course meals. After playing some Pinochle, we turned in for the night.
We were up early the next morning to hit the slopes. After a good breakfast of bacon and eggs′ everyone headed out in different directions hoping to be the one that finds an elk. Harry and Bud would hunt together while I teamed up with Uncle Charlie and Tex. Uncle Lewie and Ernie were not able to walk much because of their health and age, they just drove around in a little jeep they had towed along. They had fun, being along in the hunting party this year. We always enjoy their company whether it is a hunting trip or at the family picnic at home. They are great guys to be around. They always have a positive attitude. Everyone hunted hard that first day, but nothing was found to shoot. As each group came back to camp the reports varied as to where the tracks that were found seemed to be the thickest. The best reports came from the guys walking back towards Copper Mountain. The next day we would all go back into that area. That night we fixed a large community supper of meat and potatoes and all those good things. Everyone was hungry as a bunch of bears, so we had to fix quite a lot to fill everyone up. The evening was spent just gabbing, Storytelling and plain old shooting the bull. We turned in early so we could be up at first light the next morning.
l fixed pancakes and eggs for the three of us to have a good start on the day. We always take a couple of jelly sandwiches and some cookies in our backpacks. Usually there were Several candy bars hid away in the pack somewhere. Everyone must have a canteen of water with them. We planned to be out all day so by noon a sandwich and drink of water tasted good. Harry, Bud, and I headed up towards Copper Mountain that morning. The weather was starting to c○○l off and some clouds were building up in the west. We really did not worry about the weather because it looked like light rain would fall. We usually dress for all types of weather anyway. We were not out too long when Bud spotted a nice two-point buck. He proceeded to shoot it just to have some meat hanging in camp. We pulled the buck down to where we could get the motorcycle to him, then getting him the rest of the way to camp was a snap. Back at camp, we skinned and bagged him up to keep him clean, there were not any flies around, then we hung him in a tree next to camp to cool.
Later in the week, if we had time left of our vacation time, we planned to stop at the Banner Creek campground and hunt up Bench Creek for a day or two. A quick camp was made by parking the trailer house and Uncle Charlie’s camper side by side where the lean-to could be stretched over the top of both. This way we could go back and forth between the two of them. There were a few trees nearby where we hung the deer up as close to camp as Possible. The weather was cloudy and cold, about 20 degrees above zero during the day. We had not received any more snow but some more could fall at any time. Uncle Lewie and Ernie had had enough snow for one trip. Their wives were at a cabin site near Lowman, therefore they left to be with them. We were on the edge of having enough Ourselves, but we would hunt a day or two more. There were some tracks in the snow on the way to the campground so maybe we would get lucky and find an elk. Evening was upon us by this time, all we could do was sit around in the campers trying to keep warm. Plans were made to go out early the next morning.
Morning came as usual, cold as it could get. The sleeping bag just begged me to stay in it, but I managed to get up. I had to fix breakfast because I was the cook. I fixed a g○○d breakfast of bacon and eggs then made each of us a couple of sandwiches for our back packs. Tex decided to stay at camp that morning to wash his hair. The rest of us headed up Bench Creek to see what we could find. We hunted all day, getting nothing but wet from wading the deep snow up to our knees. We were back at camp before dark because when darkness comes in the mountains it was dark. In the meanwhile, back at camp, Tex was proceeding to wash his hair around noon. He heard a noise outside the campers. He went out to investigate what the disturbance was and as he went out the door, he grabbed his pistol to take it with him. Outside were four guys trying to untie the ropes on the deer to steal it. He hollered at them with pistol in hand. They made a hasty retreat′ falling in the Snow and running for all they were worth. I think Tex should have at least fired in the air to get their attention. We have heard of people so desperate for a deer to stoop that low, but this was the first time anyone had tried it on us. They had parked on the main highway and walked into the camp thinking everyone had gone out for the day. They had gone out of the area before the rest of us returned so we could not turn them in to the sheriff.
The weather did not get any better that night, the decision was to break camp the next morning. This time we would head home as soon as possible after breakfast. This would be our last trip to Swamp Creek, it had defeated us. We will find a better place closer to home next year. The trip home was uneventful with no problems with trucks or weather. We washed and cleaned everything up for the next trip. Where we would go next would be anyone’s guess.