"I don't know what it is," Smith said. "It's something about seeing all of those buffaloes together. It's just amazing."
At the next morning briefing, we were told that about a dozen bison still roamed the island. We would split up into small groups and track them down. A helicopter would search out any buffaloes we could not find.
I joined a group of about six riders and we followed dirt trails over the mountain to the island's western slopes.
For hours we rode in the warm sun, the Great Salt Lake shimmering in the distance. We spotted several antelope but no bison until we took a break in the shade of several low-hanging juniper trees. As we rested, we noticed something bulky and black under a tree about 50 yards away. The shadow moved, and we could make out the shape of a large bull, more than 6 feet tall, with horns that curled upward.
As I got off my horse and walked toward it, the bull trotted away until it reached the crest of a nearby hill. Then, as I raised my camera to my eye, it turned toward me, its huge frame silhouetted by the cornflower blue waters of the Great Salt Lake.
We mounted up and the bull disappeared over the crest. No one suggested herding that bison back to the corrals. We could tell by the look in its eyes that it wouldn't easily be fenced in. Maybe the helicopter would find it later, or maybe it would just run free until we return next year.
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hugo.martin@latimes.com
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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)
Bison Roundup
Each year, the Utah State Parks allows volunteers to help round up more than 600 bison on Antelope Island, the largest island in the Great Salt Lake. There is no limit this year to the number of riders allowed. Registration information will be available at www.stateparks.utah.gov beginning in mid-August.
Dates: The Bison Roundup will be held Oct. 31 to Nov. 2.
Cost: $25 per person to register for the roundup; $9 for park entrance; $13 to camp overnight on Antelope Island.
Horse rental: R&G Horse & Wagon Outfitter at Fielding Garr Ranch rents horses for the Bison Roundup at $250 a day, which also includes a guide and lunch. For reservations, call (801) 726-9514 or (888) 878-8002.
Directions: From Salt Lake City, take Interstate 15 north to Exit 332, then go west on Antelope Drive 8 miles to the park entrance.
