By late afternoon the next day, they had gone 12 or 15 miles from Skillet Gulch. They were long, warm, jiggly miles. All day, the sun burned down through a yellow hole in the sky. The hills and mountains marched on and on; some of them with white heads, some with their arms full of trees. Ernie Brett never could have guessed what surprises lay in store for his family when his father moves them from the shanty mining camp of Skillet Gulch over the hills to Nugget to settle on a new ranch. 

Set in the high Rocky Mountains of Colorado Territory during the gold rush years, this novel explores some of the risks, hardships, joys, and pastimes of the era. Through hard work and ingenuity, Ernie and Papa are able to provide for the family and improve the farm. When tragedy strikes, will the Bretts have the courage to stay on their beloved ranch?