Unexpected company
The trail bends around the north side of a small hill. To my delight, I see a mountain goat! It's grazing just over the brow of the hill behind a small clump of pines. In years past I've watched from afar as goats glued impossibly to the sides of a cliff graze on air. Late one memorable evening Steve and I encountered a lone billy walking the trail between the summit and the glacier. I still have the picture Steve snapped on my office wall; it is one of the prized memories of past trips up this mountain. But I have not encountered a goat this low in the meadows. Perhaps with the drop in hikers the goat has become more bold about grazing the succulent grasses before winter buries the opportunity.