Hiked up the river trail (mostly) to the fourth camping area, about 10.5 miles in. This trip really left me sore, and for only a 21 mile RT. I'm in the worst shape in a long time and have my work cut out. It rained most of Saturday night, but didn't start until after I got in the tent and stopped an hour or so before sunrise, so that was perfect. And sun slowly came out to full sunshine by midmorning.
Anyway, my reward for my early season training hike was seeing two sizable herds of goats up on the hillside on the way back. It would have been easy to miss them up there. The goat photo is pretty lousy, but phone cameras were not designed for wildlife!
Deschutes - Bighorn Sheep
Deschutes - Bighorn Sheep
Last edited by drm on March 25th, 2019, 2:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- retired jerry
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Re: Deschutes Goats
cool
I saw three herds on my side a couple years ago. They crossed the trail right in front of me. I was a bit scared, except they just continued on their way, seemed to be avoiding me.
I saw three herds on my side a couple years ago. They crossed the trail right in front of me. I was a bit scared, except they just continued on their way, seemed to be avoiding me.
- adamschneider
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Re: Deschutes Goats
Mountain goats?? Not bighorn sheep?
Re: Deschutes Goats
To be honest, all I could think was that they looked like caribou! But if they do not have their big rounded horns this time of year, I guess they could be bighorns. None of my pics is any better than the one posted.
- retired jerry
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Re: Deschutes Goats
yeah, bighorn sheep, at least that's what I've seen before, never goats
- adamschneider
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Re: Deschutes Goats
OK, sounds like it was definitely sheep then. They're tan with white butts.
Re: Deschutes - Bighorn Sheep
Title and labels corrected - thanks.
Re: Deschutes - Bighorn Sheep
My partner and I did an in-and-out to Gordon Ridge Rapids on 3/30 (just over 11 miles R/T)... in on the railbed and back out on the river trail.
We also saw the sheep way up on the ridge, only their silhouettes.
As well as a trio of river otters about a mile or so south of the trailhead.
It's generally much greener than this time last year, thanks to the burn. I plan to be back in a couple weeks for an overnight.
We also saw the sheep way up on the ridge, only their silhouettes.
As well as a trio of river otters about a mile or so south of the trailhead.
It's generally much greener than this time last year, thanks to the burn. I plan to be back in a couple weeks for an overnight.
instagram: @remyodyssey
- Sean Thomas
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Re: Deschutes - Bighorn Sheep
Great sighting drm! The ewes(females) have much smaller/straighter horns than the rams. Bighorn don't shed their horns either, so it was probably a group of females.