O ~ Oreamnos americanus, Mountain Goat

Despite its name, the Mountain Goat is not a true goat but is a member of the sub-Family Caprinae along with the goats. In the Cascade Mountains of Washington, Mountain Goat are at the southern-most tip of their natural range. It is possible to find these animals within 30 miles of downtown Seattle near Mt Si and along the I-90 corridor. Mountain Goats were introduced to the Olympic Mountain area where they are currently causing quite a bit of ecologic damage to the rare flora of the park.

Goats eat common vegetation along with moss and lichen. They migrate vertically to follow the snow pack. Padded, cloven hooves allow the animals to navigate rock faces that can be nearly 60 degree slope. Main predators, aside from man, are Golden Eagles, which will hunt the young kids. It is common to find both Mountain Goat and Golden Eagles in the Yakima Canyon between Ellensburg and Yakima.

The shed wool the mountain goat was collected and used by native peoples for textiles.

G ~ Glacier

Glacier


Much of Washington’s topography is due to the deformations made by glaciers of the Ice Age. These happened both directly and indirectly when a glacial dam burst in Montana several times over a millennium producing the Bretz Floods 13 - 15000 years ago.

Mt Rainier is home to 26 major glaciers. Nisqually, pictured here, is much diminished from 40 years ago when it was recorded advancing 29 inches in one day. I have been above this glacial valley and heard the booms and cracks of its movement. When the sound arises from a foggy misted landscape, you can believe in dragons.