OK, on to more trip pictures. My sister had researched this place near Glacier National Park called Goat Lick. Below is information I copied off the informational sign that was posted near the goat lick site. (that I thought you'd be able to read, but you can't!)
Mountain goats prefer the rocky cliffs at higher elevations. Yet each spring goats descend from the high country to natural mineral licks along the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. Apparently the goats need the salts and minerals in these eroding banks. The main lick is the gray section of the cliff visible from the viewing platform. Goats can often be seen at a secondary lick located in the gray rock directly across from the river. Specially constructed fences direct goats under the highway,providing safe passage to the lick. Before the fences were built, vehicles
posed a serious threat to the goats.
So, we first got there and went to the "viewing platform" specially constructed for viewing. We were thrilled to see a goat and her baby, but kind of disapointed that this was all we could see. The goat was really far off, but with my telephone lens (400 mm), I got a good zoom on it. So, we stayed around there for quite a while, hoping to see more.
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Everyone else had wandered off when I was looking up to the right of where the picture was taken and through the trees (and kind of up on a steep hill above the "viewing area" I saw a glimpse of some other mountain goats. I started looking and it appeared to me there were many of them...but you couldn't see them for the trees. So, I hopped over the viewing platform area.....it wasn't roped off, and you could tell other people had blazed a trail there as the ground was quite worn.
Well, I made my way up the steep slope to a clearing and my heart skipped a beat when my mind caught up with what my eyes were seeing. There were mountain goats EVERYWHERE. I mean EVERYWHERE. Probably 25 of them or more. The position I had climbed to was actually underneath the highway bridge and the goats were under the bridge and all over the cliffs there. You really couldn't see them FROM the highway, but from this vantage point, you could. I felt like I had just won the lottery!!! I started snapping pictures left and right...again with my 400 mm zoom. I was soo glad I had purchased this lens and it really came in useful during our trip. The only problem was, I wished I had had my monopod with me as a lot of the pictures came out a bit blurry. But, a lot of them came out good as you can see here.
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Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books
Look at this cute little baby!!! There were several mamas and babys. I just could not believe how sure-footed they are on such a steep mountain side. It was completely amazing (and a bit scarey actually) to watch.
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This was from another vantage point. After viewing for a while from the side of the cliff, we decided to hike up to the highway and down the side of the road on the opposite side of the highway from where we had been. I then saw this baby underneath the highway. Isn't he/she cute??
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So after we watched the Mountain Goats (and I took like 150 shots of them), we drove on. We then came across this deer that was just on the side of the road. Since there was no other traffic, we just stopped and I slid open the van door and shot this picture. The deer didn't seem too afraid of us.
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More mountain scenery we saw as we were driving near Glacier. I just loved the way the green fields and the fence accented the mountains in the background.
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Then, we headed into Canada into Waterton, which is also basically Glacier National Park, but on the Canada side. And wow, was it pretty! Brandon and I had to have the obligatory picture next to the sign marking the entrance.Um, and yes, he is now taller than I am.
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Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books
Beautiful Upper Waterton Lake. Just to the right of this, out of the picture is a beautiful hotel called the Prince of Wales hotel. Just gorgeous!
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And as we made our way into Waterton Park and were walking around, we saw this!!! A little fawn following its mom around. I jumped out of the car and again used my telephoto lens to get these shots. That baby would not stay still. It was trying to keep up with its mama.
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Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books
This last picture gives you an idea of the size of the fawn. It was tiny!!! And oh so cute.
Well, that is my pictures to share with you today. Of course, there are many more on the way.
5 comments:
Wow, those are increidble pics. The goats- and especially the baby deer. How cute he is.
Great pictures! When I was at Glacier National Park there were lots of fires burning so we couldn't see much. Although we did see a big horn sheep in a parknig lot. That was exciting.
Gotta love a telephoto lens!!!
I have to compliment you on your picture taking skills! You have really improved! It is so fun to get a glimpse of your life.
And your boy. Taller than you. For shame!
These are amazing photos! So sweet! I will definitely have to take the kids out there sometime in the next few years...
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