Kevin is shooting in the Eagle’s Nest Wilderness, near Silverthorne, Colorado. Yesterday he had an enjoyable experience with Mountain Goats! After hiking up into the backcountry to Upper Willow Lake, he heard a strange whining sound. Suddenly a small herd of Mountain Goats came running towards him, up to just about three feet away. He greeted them with a happy sounding, “Hey buddies! How are you doing?” He knew from experience they meant no harm; they were hoping he would drop his sweaty backpack and hiking poles so they could lick the salt! The whining sound he heard was the young goats calling for their mothers.
He said it was nice having the company…. they stayed with him for over an hour, never straying very far away. He suspected they also felt safe being near a human, possibly knowing predators would stay away. However, this may just be anthropomorphizing on his part. In any event, they were quite comfortable and seemed accustomed to people (many hikers go up to this lake).
