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Show WASATCH Timpanogos Continued from page 11 of control. In 1967, 10 goats were shipped from the Olympic peninsula and released near the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon. That operation was successful. In 1981, 60 goats were counted in the Little Cottonwood Canyon area. So later that year, another ten Rocky Mountain Goats were transferred to Timpanogos. By the summer of 1993, 76 goats were seen grazing at the higher elevations of Timpanogos, says Dave Stricklan, Forest Service wildlife biologist. Oddly enough, the greatest risk to the shaggy white animals, outside of avalanches, are domestic dogs that some hikers bring along. And annually, the State Division of Wildlife Resources issues about 4 goat hunting permits Although most hikers enjoy the sight of the shaggy white goats clinging to the cliffs, some purists don’t like the idea of artificially introduced wildlife. But Stricklan says that goats did inhabit Timpanogos as recently as the Wisconsinian Ice Age, 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. some “Goats have appeared and disappeared regularly in this area during geologic time,” he explained. Although the Timpanogos goat herd is growing rapidly, Sticklan says it isn’t too big yet. “We are watching the habitat closely to see how many goats it can support.” A variety of wildlife lives on Timp elk and several moose, Outdoor who can on to Steve Lewis, for this article, some While taking Timpanogos peaks of that photos wildlife. of from the the moun- tain’s northern-most reaches, Lewis ran into a mountain lion. Or vice versa. “It was about 4 a.m. and I was hoping to catch the majestic view of Timpanogos as sunrise,” Lewis recalls. “I looked to my right, about 10 feet away I saw a crouching mountain lion . . . I thought to myself, 'm going to witness a cougar attacking a deer.” But soon Lewis became suspicious because there were no deer around. That cougar appeared ready to pounce. “I looked that cat in the eye and it looked back at me. I thought, this cougar is going to have me for breakfast!” Cautiously, Lewis picked up his tripod and pointed its three legs at the crouching mountain lion. a while, it snarled at —— Stricklan Timpanogos is every bit as interesting as the animal population. There is everything from sagebrush to alpine tundra. “Hiking up Timpanogos is like taking a drive to Canada,” Stricklan says. “You can definitely tell when you change zones.” There are several rare plants on the mountain that may one day become listed as endangered. Several types of asters as well as a plant called “Garrett’s Bladderpod” are very susceptible to erosion. “We monitor those and it looks like they are doing all right for now,” Stricklan said. Vegetation at higher elevations is particularly susceptible to impact from hikers. “When you get into the high alpine, that is the stuff that as There the climb, he recalls. Timpanogos, insists Kelner Timpanogos Cave, as he one, has written several ski hastens to add, however, on Timpanogos. but I’ve Timpanogos seen the signs. It’s crosses some _ big avalanche zones.” Summer is nothing skiing new. on Timpanogos During the 1940s, skiing was popular during the annual Timp hikes. And, at one time, Kelner says, there was a Days of ‘47 ski race on the mountain. Kelner has toured the Wasatch Mountains extensively on skis. He and co-author, Dave Hanscom, are now preparing their third volume of Wasatch Tours. During July and August, Kelner made several ski tours of Timpanogos. The last outing was marred by an accident. Eric Kelner, the authors 32- was shown as a youngster. It may appear to some visitors as a red stalactite formation. But that doesn’t take away from the legend, he says. “Once you go through the cave and see the beautiful life-like heart, it becomes more than a myth . . . It’s nice to have an Indian myth There is more to life than ‘putting your shoulder to the wheel.” year-old PAGE @ on something you might not be able to avoid (in winter). Every route up the =u skiing “The avalanches down the Prim Rose Cirque from Robert’s Horn must be spectacular. I’ve never seen heart of the Indian princess is buried in who is extreme young- that suffered course, that the avalanche danger in winter a rather long and about Mount its beautiful watergoats. to the legend of Lewis of touring guides. “It’s excellent skiing, winter and summer,” he says. a youngster. There, is, Timpanogos. And summer may be the best season for it, says Alexis me Part of the annual event included a campfire sing-a-long the night before sters would sing involved song Timpanogos and falls, flowers and No stranger down a snowy slope into rocks. He Skiing Timpanogos can be dangerous Kelner, Hikes, Vincent, climb Timpanogos with skis. Lewis is quick to add, that, no, he Timp me Alexis Kelner, right, son, Eric, left, and Pam did not get a photo of the mountain lion poised to pounce on him. The photographer says he had other things on his mind. A native of Utah Valley, Lewis remembers taking part in some of the historic vegetation enthusiast shot the photos attest “After added. The Breakfast for a mountain lion and then left.” But beyond goats, the mountain supports a variety of wildlife, including a nesting pair of golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, and turkey vultures. And of course, the area supports a herd of mule deer, a herd of TIMES evolved without disturbances,” Stricklan explains. “When people step on those plants, it takes them years and years to recover.” Although Timpanogos sees a lot of human traffic and some definite impacts, the mountain’s wildlife, for the most part, remains in good shape. “There are some impacts, but on the other hand, nature is resilient,” Stricklan noted. “Both the wilderness and the people have to make accommodations. I am not pessimistic for the future.” on Timpanogos. MOUNTAIN 15 at Poe son, fell and tumbled a broken finger, lacerated nose and dislocated shoulder. Kelner said it could have been much worse. “He is a very experienced skier. We had just skied all the 40-degree slopes .. . it was the last slope that got him . it wasn’t very steep,” Kelner noted. “There was absolutely no indication that what he was doing was unsafe.” After falling, Eric Kelner slid and tumbled about 150 feet on the hardened snow into rocks. “He was lucky he didn’t slide further,” his father noted, because, generally, the farther a person slides or falls, the faster they go, making eventual impacts more damaging. The younger Kelner was able to walk out, where the Timpanogos Emergency Rescue Team provided first aid. The elder Kelner says Timpanogos is a good experience because it is a larger mountain than most in the Wasatch. “There is an element of mountaineering : nothing very hazardous, but a lot more exciting than just another boring ski tour.” Timpanogos is many things to many people. Boring, is not one of them. @ |
