Now I've seen everything!

[Tom Rankin]

Pamola, Melissa, Marchowes, Laurie and I spotted a car yesterday at Big Hollow Road, and drove to Elmer Barnum Rd. PA to do a traverse of the Blackheads. The weather was a little above freezing, and the sun and clouds fought for dominace during the day, with the clouds usually winning. A mild breeze blew once in a while. There was 1-6 inches of powder on the trails. About an hour into the hike, while going up Thomas Cole, we saw an eagle! No, this was not 'everything', it gets better!

We made it to Camel's (sort of a prophetic name!) Hump and enjoyed a few views, then pressed on to TC, and Blackdome. Coming down, we met Mountain Meijin, and offered him a ride back to his car. We had seen some 'deer' tracks up high, and Laurie commented that this was a little unusual. After we dropped down the the BD/BH col, we were chatting and having a quick break. Laurie pointed to what she at first thought was a dog coming down the BD trail. Then she said, 'No, maybe it's a bear!'. Then she said, "IT'S A GOAT!!!". It WAS A GOAT! Not just one, but three!

http://viewsandbrews.com/temp/goat.jpg

Notice the trail marker in the picture, this is not a joke, nor a photo-shopped picture!

The goats fled up the trail when we tried to take their pictures a few more times. We realized that the deer tracks were goat tracks at this point, and we saw the tracks all the way to the summit. The hike proceeded w/o incident from this point on, but it certainly was memorable!

Here's the gang: http://viewsandbrews.com/temp/bh2.jpg

Afterwards, we returned to the Hudson Valley and made merry. More about that soon on http://viewsandbrews.com/forums.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Then she said, "IT'S A GOAT!!!". It WAS A GOAT! Not just one, but three!

http://viewsandbrews.com/temp/goat.jpg

Yup, those are females goats, or at least one of them is. Toggenburg? Used to know some of the breeds, but have forgotten.

Goats have one of the most amazing digestive tracts on the planet. Will eat, and thrive, on nearly anything, including your mother's prize rose bushes (I speak from experience).

 

[Mark Schaefer]

They appear very well tended, and probably out on an unauthorized hike from a farm on Big Hollow Rd. I was not aware of a goat farm up there, but it is the right kind of terrain.

The ears are very small and look like LaMancha goats, however, the horns appear more Alpine (a relative of the often hornless Toggenburg). Many horned goats are also shown hornless, so exhibition photos are often misleading with regard to horns. They may be a cross breed.

I photograph many goats (and other livestock) at county fairs. There is also a goat farm in a hilly ravine about a mile from my house. I think they enjoy watching me bicycle by as much as I enjoy seeing them grazing and climbing.

 

[Tom and Maria]

Wild Kingdom

What a wonderful adventure! Hawk and goats!!!
An unforgettable hike.

 

[Toe Cozy]

Lucky, lucky you guys. That's so excellent. I think goats are so funny and to see them on the trail is pretty cool. I've only seen them going for walks on leashes in town occasionally. Boring compared to trail goats. Just like in the Rockies!!! Thanks for sharing.

 

[marchowes]

This is the kind of excitement I have come to expect from hikes with Tom! Goats, (Bald?) Eagles, absorption of other hikers into our group. Good times!


The often elusive catskill mountain goats are timid but curious creatures

 

[NewHampshire]

Goats on the trail eh!? Well, you got to share trail with an Ox (at least thats what Marc looks like with a hundred pounds of gear on his back )

Brian

 

[sardog1]

Pack goats are the new "it" among packers out West. No, I'm not making this up. They require no feed to be carried for them, they can handle any terrain most of us have any business attempting, and they're entertaining.

 

[Jay H]

perhaps they were these Goats?

Do goat prints look like very small deer prints? I swear on Windham on sunday (12/9), we saw deer prints but they were smaller than usual...

Jay

 

[Hillwalker]

Service Goats

A few months ago someone was cited for using pack goats on the Appalachian Trail in the south. They were claiming that the goats were "service goats" so were exempted from the no pack animals on the AT rule. Their claim didn't fly in court. This information was from an ATC staff member.

 

[Pamola]

Good stuff. Not something I expected to see, that's for sure.

The tracks were slightly smaller than a deer's and they also seem to do their business every 3 minutes or so along the trail. Deer seem to have better control of their bodily functions.

Not bad for my first excursion into the cats.

 

[Tom Rankin]

The other TR is here:

http://viewsandbrews.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=422#422

 

[Jay H]

..also, didn't the Catskill Game Farm close down not too long ago? Maybe we will see elephants roaming the catskills too!

Jay

 

[DreamFarmer]

somebody in that picture has a goatee...maybe it draws in the goats ?

 

[Tom Rankin]

somebody in that picture has a goatee...maybe it draws in the goats ?

I'm on the left. Pamola, in the back, also has a goatee, but it's a little hard to te-e-e-e-e-ll, (that's goat noise onomatopoeia)!

 

[Big D]

Tom
I am glad someone in your group took some photos, I have some friends that thought we were seeing things. Grover and I had followed the goats from the summit of Blackhead and we were kicking ourselves from not having a camera. It was nice meeting your group in the col, we had a great day for our first hike in a while.
Dale

 

[Mike P.]

I did see a heron along the brook while I descending Black Dome this September. Will look for the elephants next time.

 

[kwc]

ah, this is nothing ... I know someone who actually went hiking with a goat in the southern Adirondacks a couple years ago!

 

[Gillian]

Very cute!

Lucky, lucky you guys. That's so excellent. I think goats are so funny and to see them on the trail is pretty cool. I've only seen them going for walks on leashes in town occasionally. Boring compared to trail goats. Just like in the Rockies!!! Thanks for sharing.

I did see goats on a trail once before - on the exposed section of the Champney Falls trail on Mt. Chocorua....but they were on a leash too, hiking up the mountain with a couple...I agree they are funny....

 

[ColdRiverRun]

Tom, amazing picture. How the hell did you get the Sasquatch to stand still on the right of this picture?