King of the Mountain
by Weldon Lee (text and photo)

           Short summers, winter winds exceeding 100 miles per hour, blizzards lasting weeks, 50-foot snow drifts, and temperatures dropping to 50, 60, and 70 degrees below zero – this is the world of the mountain goat.
           Mountain goats inhabit some of the most inhospitable regions in North America. They are at home among precipitous mountain terrain and alpine meadows.
           Feeding on a variety of forage, including grasses, sedges, forbs, shrubs, and lichens, they have little competition from other species.
           Breeding takes place between November and mid-December. Nannies usually breed during their second year, giving birth to a single kid; they give birth every other year thereafter.
           Following a 150-day gestation period, the young are born in late May or early June. Twins, though not common, occasionally come into the world.
          The newborn goats begin exploring their rocky home with a few hours of birth.
           When fully grown, they’ll weight anywhere from 200 to 325 pounds, with the females weighing about 20-percent less than males.
           Mature billies are loners, except during the rut. The immature males typically form small groups.
           During summer, nannies and their kids, along with a few immature billies, often form large nursery groups consisting of 15 to 20 animals.
           Goats, like sheep and bison, grow true horns. Both billies and nannies produce horns. In fact, both sexes are so similar that many people have difficulty distinguish males from females. Fortunately (since their survival depends on it), goats do not share this difficulty.
           The horns of the billy are wider at the base and more sharply curved backward than the somewhat gently curving horns of the nannie.
           Mountain goats are not true goats, but instead, more closely related to the antelope of Asia and eastern Europe.
           Only an hour's drive from Denver, Mount Evans offers some of the best summer-time mountain goat viewing found anywhere in North America.
           To reach Mount Evans from Idaho Springs, go south, 13 miles, along State Highway 103. Just past Echo Lake, turn right. This road will take you to the summit, 14 miles away. Like Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, the road from Echo Lake to the Summit, is usually open from Memorial Day until the first heavy snowfall, usually sometime in October.
           Goats are common sights along the road between Summit Lake and the summit of Mount Evans.
           Don’t forget to take a warm jacket and gloves. At over 14,000 feet above sea level, Mount Evans can get cold . . . even in the middle of summer.
           Unlike deer and sheep, goats are not intimidated when approached from above. In fact, I’ve found them to appear more comfortable when approached in this manner.
           By moving slowly and avoiding sudden movements, you will be accepted in a relatively short time.
           With their white coat and beard, shoulder hump, and muscular build, few animals appear as stately as the King of the Mountain.