La Plata Dall Sheep

[brett.t.burch]

In Gerry Roach's book he alludes to a likelihood of seeing goats if you descend Belford via Pecks Peak / north ridge. I don't recall ever seeing goats in the Sawatch but they're definitely there.

[myfeetrock]

We all know what it was......

[uwe]

[quote]My apologies it was a mountain goat. But from the posts I read here seems to be a bunch of pricks. I would not want to hike with people like that. Thanks Bill for the correction.[/quote]

Folks here used to be nicer and less caustic and less 'manly' back in the day. Not sure why the change. A national psychosis resulting in lost civility and poor manners? The age of Trump? Much of this falls under trying to be cute and clever, and one up. Don't take the cuts seriously. They are picking, having fun and all I have met in person are good folks. If you still don't like the forum slicing and dicing crowd on display here, take heart. It is a tiny sliver compared to all the great folks that are on the trail and I'm sure you'd love to hike with.

[Sean Nunn]

My apologies it was a mountain goat. But from the posts I read here seems to be a bunch of pricks. I would not want to hike with people like that. Thanks Bill for the correction.

Unfortunately you have to carefully couch any post you put on here, or someone will jump on even your minor errors. Sorry it is that way. Some people seem to think the anonymity of a forum is an excuse to be rude. IMO it is an easy mistake to make.

[Derek]

In Gerry Roach's book he alludes to a likelihood of seeing goats if you descend Belford via Pecks Peak / north ridge. I don't recall ever seeing goats in the Sawatch but they're definitely there.

Old photo I took of a (far off) herd of goats...on the slopes of Pecks Peak appropriately enough.

[Greenhouseguy]

Goat guarding the summit of Grizzly Peak A, not far from La Plata.

[Scott P]

My apologies it was a mountain goat. But from the posts I read here seems to be a bunch of pricks. I would not want to hike with people like that. Thanks Bill for the correction.

I wouldn't take it so hard. Other than the spat between Richard Derkase and Le Marmot, I don't think anyone was trying to be unfriendly. Some of us were just looking for the whole story, that's all. I suspected that there was either more to the story or there was a punchline in there somewhere. If there were photos, the story would be even cooler.

[onebyone]

My apologies it was a mountain goat. But from the posts I read here seems to be a bunch of pricks. I would not want to hike with people like that. Thanks Bill for the correction.

Don't take it personal. Thanks for the laughs though. Could have been worse like when my mother in law saw a bobcat and said that she saw a jaguar.

[Count40]

I've also seen goats on Harvard. Whenever goats follow me they are not aggressive, just waiting for me to pee so they can lick it for salt. Next time try peeing on a rock, then maybe they will leave you alone.

Yes, that is one of the reasons, which may explain some situations.
But, usually, they do not follow you that close for that long if they are after salt. Mostly, they mind (or pretend to mind) their own business from afar, and then swoop behind if they spot that business was done.


As for aggressive or not.... Depends on season and individual. Went through exactly same stalking experience as bigtruckerman on Maroons about five or six years ago. Goat waited on perch high above, went down to trail and then followed me up, came eye to eye when I decided to retreat, and circle back, did not want food (containing salt, btw), and then I just gave up. Ranger said the same thing as you did, that is, that goats are after salt in urine.
Sounded like another take on "guy and goat story", but it is not all that simple.

Sounded like a good story, but did not feel like that when you were there. Then I asked that same "cool when I am in my toll booth, but really do not feel like doing anything" ranger if he knew that there were two fatal incidents with goats in USA in past season. Sure he did not know about it.
Well, there were two goring deaths that past season, one on Hurricane Ridge in Olympics in Washington state, and one in Colorado. In both cases, bled out to death when horns hit the inside of the thigh, the sartorial probably.

Going down from Maroon, another hiker came down, and he told me that he was charged by a goat on Capital just couple of days before.

So, here comes another set of pics showing Sawatch goats. That was a bunch of about 20 on Columbia summit few years ago.

This spring saw some on Princeton and Belford.

For other readers, check this big scarred William the Goat from Columbia, and don't laugh at bigtruckerman. Ignorance may not always end up being bliss. Do your thinking. Factors change. Cannot always rely on luck and "it happens to Others only".

Bigtruckerman, hike on, and, yes, those were condescending insults. Don't let such ruin your love for hiking.

Col goats 1

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[Chase_Rowdy]

I saw what I thought was a bunch of cotton balls, which were actually ~100 goats, this weekend near Grizzly peak. I'm sure a few of them wander that direction