"The winter of 1837-38 in the Rocky Mountain wilderness was the worst in memory. Deep snow and brutal cold lasted well into the spring. Zach and his partners were desperate to find food; their horse herd decimated from starvation. Star had dreamed of the birth of a white buffalo, a sign of hope and prosperity. Will Taggart, a sea captain, had left the sea to take his family overland to California. The long winter had kept the buffalo from returning...