What a poser! This handsome fellow looked fantastic yesterday at 14,000 feet and is very worthy my pic for #MountainGoatMonday.

The road to the top of Mount Evans will be closed after today so I knew if I wanted to see the mountain goats before next spring, it had to be now. My destination was set and I was greeted with some pretty nice weather given the altitude. At 40 degrees it was chilly but the wind was actually not that bad, a rarity up there.

Not truly goats, these handsome creatures are found from Alaska down to the Rocky Mountains of the United States. Found at high altitudes, they are sure-footed climbers and built to withstand the alpine areas that they typically inhabit.

Mountain goats are actually not native to the Centennial State. They were brought here over six transplant operations from 1948 to 1972 as game animals and as tourist attractions. Those 50 or so mountain goats grew to numbers in the thousands today.

Two mountain goat kids have a bit of a game of king of the mountain recently. The sun had just crested the horizon casting everything in a beautiful, golden glow. This pair took it as a sign to begin playing and they were a ton of fun to watch. Taken on Mount Evans in Colorado.

This mountain goat nanny seemed less than thrilled about the blustery winds atop its 14,000+ foot high home.

The last vestiges of its winter coat were holding on tightly and billowing in the wind behind it. Of course wind at that altitude is pretty much a given with few breaks and daytime temperatures consistently chilly if not cold, even in July.

Not long after I was on Mount Evans getting this picture, word came from Colorado Parks & Wildlife that they were having issues with people and the mountain goats. Bad human behavior including feeding the goats, getting way too close to the animals, trampling the alpine tundra, etc have all been witnessed lately. It is a shame and folks need to respect the creatures and the landscape up there!

With conditions finally improving in Colorado’s high country, I took advantage and headed to Mount Evans on Independence Day. As always, the highlight was the mountain goats and in particularly the new babies.

It is amazing how fast they learn to maneuver the rocky terrain and they are highly entertaining as they bound around. This little one was keen on jumping from rock to rock while its mom licked minerals from the ground below.

With the weather here in Colorado slowly starting to turn warmer, I can’t help but be anxious to return to all the places and critters of the high country. The mountain goats of Mount Evans are always a highlight and I always make it up there a few times each year.

They are so beautiful and the kids are cute and entirely entertaining. There are down times, such as this, taken last July around mid-morning. The kid had been playing with its friends for much of the previous two hours and finally decided it was time to take a break. A spot on the tundra among the wildflowers and boulders was a good place for them to lie and made for a nice capture.

Mountain Goats are actually not native to the Centennial State. They were brought here over six transplant operations from 1948 to 1972 as game animals and tourist attractions. Those 50 or so Mountain Goats grew to numbers in the thousands today.

In terms of just ‘fun wildlife viewing’, it is hard to beat mountain goat kids. Their antics provide an abundance of smiles and entertainment and let’s face it, they are simply adorable.

When the herd shows up at the top of Mount Evans in the mornings, there is little doubt who are the stars of the show. Tourists and photographers quickly focus their attention on them and the little ones seem to relish all the attention.

On this morning back in July they seemed particularly rambunctious as they bounded around, jumped from rock to rock and play fought each other. Despite being one of the smallest kids, this one was not about to be shown up by the slightly older ones. Here. It takes a bit of a leap between boulders, showcasing how even at a very young age, mountain goats are extremely agile.

Or, he could be checking out that picture and making sure he knows the proper way to headbutt a human. 😉

Was looking for a pic to share today and came across this one from back in July taken atop Mount Evans in Colorado. Kind of a fun one I hadn’t shared before.

More of these cool, high country residents here.

A fun capture from back in July on a visit to Mount Evans, Colorado. These two were walking around the remnants of the Crest House, a restaurant that used to operate up there until a fire burned it down in 1979. Needless to say, I did not try to enter while they were in the way. 😉 The road to the 14,271 foot high mountain is now closed for the season but I am, as always, anxious for spring when it opens again.

Such a cute little one, eh? Taken back in July, this kid was hanging out near the top of Mount Evans in Colorado with the rest of the herd. The sun had just crested the horizon and it turned its head just right to allow the soft light to hit it perfectly.

I probably won’t get to see another one of these beautiful creatures until the spring but at least I have lots of pics and memories of this past season with them.

Mountain Goats are actually not native to the Centennial State. They were brought here over six transplant operations from 1948 to 1972 as game animals and tourist attractions. Those 50 or so Mountain Goats grew to numbers in the thousands today.