Mount Evans Mountain Goats: July 2017, Part II

My mountain goat wish definitely came true on my visit to Mount Evans. I saw lots of goats, including several kids. I had great light, little wind, and comfortable temperatures. The goats were calm and unperturbed. There were few other photographers, at least at first. And I was in no hurry. Those elements added up to about three hours and nearly a thousand pictures. And I can't wait to do it again next year. :)

I'm a sucker for portrait poses like this one.

Whatever the joke was, it must have been really funny ...

... because by the time I re-positioned to shoot in different light, the goat looked like he was still laughing!

I know it looks like I only got the head of this goat, but it's actually two-thirds of The Beast.  Bonus points if you get the (admittedly lame) joke.

Did I mention how much of a sucker I am for portrait poses?  The feet look quite coquettish.

The kid looks like it's pondering whether or not to attempt the jump from one rock to the next.  In truth, they were pretty fearless.

I am slightly disturbed at how this goat appears to have no legs.  Like some sort of Weeble.

I mentioned that I spent about three hours with the goats.  That followed about an hour shooting landscape around sunrise and through the golden hour.  So by the time the goats reached the summit parking area, and the kids started playing on the rocks, and I had a chance for some really great action shots of adorable subjects with a clear background ... my battery ran out.

I was so desperate to catch the action I even asked other folks with Nikons if they had spare batteries, but without luck.  So I only managed a couple of shots of the ridiculous cuteness -- the only real disappointment of my outing.

On the plus side, I did get to meet FRWP Eivor Kuchta in person for the first time.  I've enjoyed her work in the group for years, and it was wonderful to learn that she's tremendously friendly, too!

As if to spare me too much frustration, the goats didn't linger too long before heading back down the mountain away from where the road ran.  So I couldn't have shot them for much more even with a battery.  And since there's no sense wasting time being disappointed anyway, I'll just be grateful for the time I did have with them!

And I'll buy a spare battery.  Just in case.

Related Links:

• Mount Evans Mountain Goats: July 2017, Part I
• Grays Peak and Torreys Peak
• Mount Evans: July 2014, Part II

Mount Evans Mountain Goats: July 2017, Part I

I'm mildly obsessive about things I could see in Colorado that I can't see in Texas. Maybe more than mildly. Regardless, while I enjoyed the sunrise and marmots on my recent visit to Mount Evans, the whole experience was going to be made or broken by one subject and one subject alone.

Mountain goats.

On my visit last year, I saw none.  Nada.  Zilch.  I told myself the bighorn sheep were a nice consolation prize, but that was a lie.  I can see sheep in Waterton Canyon.  Mountain goats are what I was after, and a visit without them this year would be a disappointment,

So this year, I planned.  The Front Range Wildlife Photographers Facebook group has been full of mountain goat pictures since early June, and I scoured the comments for details on where the shots had been taken.   I checked the weather forecast for a day with clear skies and light winds.  Then, I made my move.

This time, I was not disappointed.

I saw my first few while the sun was still fairly low in the sky, and even though golden hour had technically passed the light was still warm.  This scraggly fellow did me the favor of facing right into it.

I tried to anticipate where their grazing would take them and positioned myself where I'd get good light if they moved like I expected.  I didn't approach them, and they had the option not to approach me.  But they hardly paid me any attention at all, content to shuffle along nibbling at the carpet of wildflowers.

On the rare occasions when they did glance my way, it was usually with just mild interest before they resumed their feeding.

Eventually the kids started to make their appearance.  I love how these two posed as if they had commissioned a portrait for their formal living room.

Shots of behavior always have a better chance of being special.  This one of a kid with an itch doesn't quite get to that level, but it's still plenty cute.

Grazing is apparently harder work than it looks, because these two quickly needed some rest.

Rest didn't last for long, though.  I imagine you've got to eat a lot of wildflowers even to fuel tiny bodies like these.

I didn't even notice that their little horns were already starting to appear at first.  They grow up so fast... *sniff*

This fellow presented me with a challenge.  He was between me and the sun, and stubbornly (though unintentionally) refused to turn his head to the left so I could get better light on his eye.  But I liked his face so much that I had to shoot him anyway.

I was reveling in the time I was getting to spend with these beautiful creatures.  Conditions were comfortable, and I was in no hurry.  I became just another mountain goat, moving idly up the mountain along with the small herd.  I didn't sample any wildflowers, though.

Mount Evans Mountain Goats, July 2017: Part II

Mount Evans Marmots

Mountain goats were my main photographic quarry on my trip up Mount Evans last week. But I was also looking forward to shooting yellow-bellied marmots, even though they typically flee from my camera.

I did indeed see plenty of marmots.  And this time, many of them actually didn't scamper off before I could take their pictures!

I like the "silent sentinel" vibe of this one.  Like he's on guard duty.

It was nice to get some colorful wildflowers in this shot, as opposed to just rocks.

Fairly standard marmot pose here.  Looking at something that is not me.

This one I really like.  I think this little guy had an itch on his belly, because he curled up rather suddenly and dug at his stomach with his teeth for just a moment.  I love how he's sitting, and the isolation from the background on his little summit.

Sort of a combination of the silent sentinel and standard poses from earlier.  Soaking up some warmth from the sun, perhaps.

This fellow got into a pretty predictable rhythm with his little barks.  So much so that I was able to time one right and get him in this apparent snarl.

Pleasantly surprised to have so much success with these furry little fellows!

Related Link:

• Booth Lake Marmots

Mount Goliath Sunrise

Besides climbing another 14er, the other outdoorsy thing I really wanted to do on our recent trip to Colorado was get some good mountain goat pictures on Mount Evans.  The Front Range Wildlife Photographers Facebook group had been blowing up for a few weeks with shots of kids; it seemed that 2017 had seen a bumper crop of babies, and I wanted in on the action!

During our visit last summer the goats had mostly eluded me.  So I did a little research and realized that I'd probably gone up a little too late in the morning.  If I was going up early in the morning, I might as well go up a little earlier and shoot the sunrise, right?

Of course, right.

The chosen sunrise location: Mount Goliath Natural Area.  The bristlecone pines fascinate me, and I thought I could get an interesting shot with one in the foreground.  Unfortunately, after a little scrambling around I couldn't quite find the spot I'd envisioned in my head.  Fortunately, there was no shortage of spots that were beautiful in their own right.

Smoke from the Breckenridge wildfires to the west not only added nice color but also drew the sunrise out longer than normal.

The scene didn't suffer from the relative dearth of clouds, like a sunrise and sunset often can.  Again, the smoke in the air ensured there was plenty of color even without many clouds.

The previous two shots are both three-exposure composites.  But as the sun climbed higher the contrast between sky and foreground lessened, and I found I liked this single shot better than the bracketed blend.  The composition seems to lend itself well to a magazine cover!  So if you know anyone at Outdoor Photographer, please have them give me a call. :)

Once the sunrise show had ended I turned my attention to the bristlecone pines, looking for some dramatic views of these ancient giants in the warm light of golden hour.

Even downed trunks still possess a quiet strength and majesty.

I would have likely benefited from a scouting trip to identify some striking subjects, but still found some nicely gnarled specimens.

The oldest living bristlecones here are estimated to be about 1,600 years old.  Impressive, but mere babies compared to some true old-timers in California believed to be have been growing for 3,000 years -- albeit slowly.

I'm no arborist, but I'm fairly certain this tree is dead.  Still cool-looking, though.

I had the subjects and lighting I wanted up a little higher.  In hindsight, I should have dropped my perspective to isolate this tree and the previous one from their backgrounds a bit more.  But the whole process of researching, shooting, evaluating, and then hopefully improving my technique the next time out is what I love about nature photography!

Related Links:

• Mount Evans, July 2014: Part I
• Mount Evans, July 2014: Part II
• Mount Evans: July 2016
• Mount Evans: September 2013

Mount Elbert, Part II

I always hope to see some wildlife when I hike a 14er. Last year on Grays Peak and Torreys Peak, some mountain goats were my unexpected treat.  This year, I was pleasantly surprised by pikas!

I was resting at the summit when one came out practically at my feet!  My past experiences with them had all been from a distance, chirping at me with what always seemed like annoyance before disappearing into their rocky labyrinths.  This one, however, was completely at ease.  I almost had too much lens to get a good shot!

And it wasn't just one!  A buddy -- or girlfriend, or spouse, or possibly even a rival I suppose -- poked its head out shortly after the first.  I noticed its coat was much more brindle compared to the predominantly gray fur of the other one.

I only saw the second pika briefly, and it didn't return.  But the first one came back repeatedly.  Even gave me a pretty serious stare down.

Seriously, this pika was braver than any little begging ground squirrel I'd ever shared a summit with.  I couldn't believe how he moved around among the other hikers and our gear.

Wikipedia describes pikas as having a "very round body."  Not this one.  Not from where I was sitting.

Heading back down the mountain I heard the telltale chirp I was more familiar with.  And sure enough, I was being watched by a little tough guy who seemed to be making it clear to me that I was in his territory.

I felt pretty hardy, summiting another 14er.  Then I saw butterflies like this Edith's Checkerspot, and thought if they could make it up there me doing so probably wasn't all that special after all.

We stopped at treeline again for a break, and another hiker pointed out this red baby fir cone.  The afternoon light was hitting it just right, and it made a fitting final shot for a fabulous day!

Related Links:

• Mount Elbert, Part I
• Grays Peak and Torreys Peak
• Mount Sherman, Take One
• San Luis Peak

Mount Elbert, Part I

Back in Colorado for our annual summer visit, which for the second year in a row also included a 14er. This year the choice was Mount Elbert, the tallest peak in the North American Rockies at 14,439 feet.  I wondered if this would be the year that living practically at sea level would finally catch up with me and I wouldn't be able to summit.  Time would tell...

I left at about 4:30 in the morning to make the two-hour, 15-minute drive to the trailhead for the peak's north route, where I connected with a small group that included my former co-worker and frequent climbing partner Alicia Miller.  We were off before 7 a.m. and breezed through the fairly moderate section below treeline.  Emerging from the forest, the first false summit came clearly in view.

The weather was perfect, and the view of neighboring Mount Massive to the west was our constant companion.

I was really glad I'd read about the false summits along this trail, although by now I pretty much expect every climb to have them.  Kind of reminds me of that line from The Lost Boys: "One thing I never could stomach about Santa Carla -- all the damn vampires."  Except replace Santa Carla with Colorado, and vampires with false summits.

The final ascent to the first false summit was the most challenging part of the entire hike -- steep, rocky, and fairly exposed near the end.   But folks on their way back down were very encouraging, telling us that the trail got easier.  As the second false summit came into view, it was clear to see they were right.  A much gentler ascent with fairly solid footing and no exposure to speak of.

The views only got better as I got higher, like this look at Twin Lakes to the east ...

... and this vista to the southwest.

I forgot to mention that those view weren't even from the summit!  There was one final push to still be made, though it was admittedly short and not very steep.

I reached the top after a little more than five hours on the trail.  The altitude did affect me -- I had a hard time catching my breath once I passed treeline.  But my energy level, hydration, and muscle fatigue were all fine.  I was the third out of our six-person group to summit, which made me feel pretty good about my fitness level.

I know I keep harping about the views, but they really were tremendous.  Gorgeous sights in every direction, with the perfect amount of fluffy clouds in the sky.

Related Links:

• Mount Elbert, Part II
• San Luis Peak
• Mount Sherman, Take One
• Grays Peak and Torreys Peak