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July 15, 2019  |  By Ben Ivers

Mountain Goat

Black and White Mountain Goat

There were 8 or 9 goats running about on the edge of the trail

I was on my way up to the summit of Mount Evans in the summer of 2014 when I came across a herd of mountain goats. The weather was absolutely perfect for a day in the mountains, and the goats were making good use of it. There were probably 8 or9 goats all running about on the edge of this stretch of the trail. You could tell that some of them were less than a year old, and that some of the others were well aged and tenured on cliff tip-toeing. 

It was wonderful watching the goats run about on the side of the mountain. I took out my camera and framed them up with the sun shining behind them. It can be really difficult to take photos directly into the sun because of the exposure and the glare. To counteract some of these problems, I used the goats to block the sun. 

This made for a really fun silhouette effect that highlights the feature of the goats. Their horns were set pointedly in the center of the photo, and every tuft of fur was evident. In some of the photos you could tell the age of the goats by the matted state of their fur. With this goat, you can see the remnants of another goat’s coat on its horn from the playful behavior I had seen them exhibiting with one another.

In observing these goats, there is one thing that I didn’t do. I didn’t interact with the goats. Mountain goats are wild creatures, and it is safest for them and for us if they stay that way. This year, the mountain goats have started to show abnormal behavior of having become too habituated to humans. This is due to humans feeding them, trying to pet them, or trying to take pictures with them. These animals should be left to themselves so they can stay wild. I encourage you to watch them, but let them be.

The mountain goats should be left to stay wild

Wise wisdom says that you should be at the summit by noon

I had a bit of a late start that day, so I came across the goats around 11am. Wise wisdom in the Rockies says that you should be at the summit by noon or sooner in the summer. This is because storms frequently build up in the early afternoon, and you don’t want to be on a mountain when it is storming. I made it to the top of Mount Evans at about 11:30 and proceeded to make the poor decision to walk the saddle towards the next peak. 

Walking along the saddle between two mountains can be exhilarating, and for this mountain it was especially so. To the north, there was about a 4,000’ sheer drop, and to the south, there was a drop of a few thousand feet, but it at least wasn’t quite a sheer drop. With that being said, I was cautious with my steps, but absolutely enjoying the thrill of the hike.

It was to my misfortune that I didn’t notice the changing weather until it was upon me. The clouds formed in the west, as they tend to do in Colorado, and rapidly overcame my hike. The clouds let out thunder and lightning that was closer than I ever hope to experience again in my life. I quickly made my way down from the summit area, and the storm turned from a thunderous event into snow. It was the most peculiar thing; it was July, and I was able to make a snowball with all that had come down! In the end, I made it down from the hike having learned the Colorado wisdom to be heading down from the mountain by noon.

Here are some fun facts about mountain goats:

  • Female mountain goats are called “nannies”
  • Mountain goats are in the bovidae family, which means they are more closely related to cows, gazelles, and antelopes than they are related to goats
  • The horns on the males grow up to 12 inches
  • Mountain goats are only found in the U.S.A. and Canada

The clouds let out thunder and lightning

This Month's Gallery
animal b&w colorado goat hiking mountain sun

Article by Ben Ivers

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  1. Pingback: Mount Evans

    […] through the hike I was forced to turn around least I get caught in a storm (I still got caught in a storm). This photo was taken facing north, so I know that Gray Wolf Mountain can be seen in the […]

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Matt Hamas and Ben Ivers here. We are focused on fostering a greater understanding and appreciation of the environment. We endeavor to bring you a unique perspective of the wild. Our photos are being placed here for you to enjoy. Please feel free to download any of the photos for your personal use. We are currently seeking partners for printing and developing photos.

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