GOATS GREAT CLIMBERS
By Park Naturalist F. W. Schmoe

Last week with District Ranger Macy I crossed the Stevens glacier and climbed over Stevens Ridge in search of Mountain Goat. And goat we found, four of them.

No sooner had we reached the crest and looked down into the canyon beyond than Macy with an exclamation drew me back into the heather. Almost a quarter of a mile below, on a pumice ridge, were two mother goats, each with a little kid. As there was no cover we started working our way down in plain sight but moving slow and keeping as still as possible.

At our fist move however they saw us and got up. We remained still until they moved behind some low trees, then as rapidly as possible we descended the steep slope until only about a hundred feet from the nearest goat.

They remained behind the trees however so we were unable to secure any pictures from where we were and at our first move into the open they disappeared over the cliff.

Running to the edge we saw rocks rolling below and then located the goat perched upon the side of the wall a hundred yards below us. For the next hour, during which we travelled over country that man was never intended to travel over, these four goats were always just around the corner and usually only a few hundred feet away but we failed to get any pictures of them. I have never seen any animal, not even a Swiss Guide, traverse rock cliffs with the ease of the mountain goat.