Mountain Goat Quest Part 2
Ethan Ruby
Mountain Goat Quest Part 2: The Climb
With goats insight, we started making plans on how to ascend the mountain. Miles of ground needed to be covered before we would even be close. We decided the best plan would be to get above them, descend through the sparse timber and seal the deal. It sounded simple and easy at the time.
With the sun starting to open up through the clouds we meandered our way up the creek drainage, pushing through the dense brush. The farther we traveled the thicker it became, but the kilometers went by fast. Soon it was time to ascend. We hooked our way into a new drainage and side skirted our way up the mountain, following old game trails through the thick terrain. As we went the moss seemed to get thicker, the trees shorter and the brush denser. We were getting into the alpine. By now, it was the afternoon and the kilometers had caught up to us. Personally, I was beat. My shoulders ached alongside my back. Every 200 yards we stopped to catch our breath.
Finally, we reached a vantage point, staring straight up into a rock bluff. I stripped my pack and laid down. The only thing on my mind was making it to the top and setting camp, but that quickly changed. As we took our break, I spotted goats once again. This time skylined above us. We watched them intently as they moved across the ridgeline.
This only furthered the drive to get atop the mountain. Two hours later, we found a relatively flat spot and set up camp. It honestly felt like a celebration. Before the trip I was full of anxiety, the thought of getting this high seemed like an insurmountable task but here I was now.
It was about 4 in the afternoon now and we were exhausted. The tent was pitched and dinner was quickly prepared. After dinner, I decided to strip down out of my gear and opt for a nice dry set of sleepwear. Before I could get full changed though my hunting partner alerted my attention in a way I knew was serious business. I turned to look in the opposite direction and was shocked to see four sets of eyes peering up at me. Goats had stumbled through our camp, about 50 yards from the tent. We both quickly scrambled to our rifles with our hearts pumping. In all of this, two of the goats took off in a mad dash. The other two stopped about 75 yards out and gave us a look back. Through the shaking crosshairs, I quickly realized these were nannies, and better left untouched.
This only excited us for what laid ahead tomorrow, our first full day dedicated to the hunt
It was about 4 in the afternoon now and we were exhausted. The tent was pitched and dinner was quickly prepared. After dinner, I decided to strip down out of my gear and opt for a nice dry set of sleepwear. Before I could get full changed though my hunting partner alerted my attention in a way I knew was serious business. I turned to look in the opposite direction and was shocked to see four sets of eyes peering up at me. Goats had stumbled through our camp, about 50 yards from the tent. We both quickly scrambled to our rifles with our hearts pumping. In all of this, two of the goats took off in a mad dash. The other two stopped about 75 yards out and gave us a look back. Through the shaking crosshairs, I quickly realized these were nannies, and better left untouched.
This only excited us for what laid ahead tomorrow, our first full day dedicated to the hunt. Tune in next week for the final part of this three part series!
