Mountain Goat was sad.
“Oh Draft Horse,” she sighed, sounding very much like Eeyore,
“I have to leave the Great Snowy Mountains. On Monday ”.
“Where you going?” enquired Draft Horse, who was also
feeling sad at losing a friend.
”Far, far away to the land of Tenny-see, to a lake in the
woods where there are hummocky hills but no pointy peaks and no snowy summits”,
she replied. “How I will miss the mountains!”
Draft Horse thought for a moment. How could she cheer up her
friend?
“I know, how about a final adventure?”
“Oooh, how exciting!” Mountain Goat perked up immediately. “But
where could we go?”
The winter has been deep and dark, and a thick mantle of
snow still smothered the slopes, even though it was summer. Draft Horse HATED
walking on the snow. It did not suit her hooves at all.
“Never fear, my friend, for I have a cunning plan,” Draft
Horse assured her. “I know of a wriggly ridge leading to a super summit called Pyramid
Peak, and the best thing is that it
faces the sunny south and so is SNOW
FREE!!”
“I do so love cunning plans! Can I bring my canine companions,
Aging Ace and Silly Tilly?” asked Mountain Goat.
Draft Horse considered this. She preferred feline friends to
canine companions, and besides, Silly Tilly liked to lick, especially earlobes (even
when Draft going squatty potty; that had not ended well). But she agreed because that’s what friends do.
 |
| Silly Tilly coming in for some earlobe licking |
And so it was that the four of them set off one Sunday morning in late June, teeny tiny Mountain Goat tripping merrily along beside the plodding and ponderous Draft Horse. Aging Ace trotted along doggedly, and Silly Tilly cavorted in any patch of snow she could find for her great-great-grandparents hailed from the far northern Land of the Huskies. Draft Horse led them up a rocky ridge, below a black bluff and up a gravelly gully.
 |
| Below the Black Bluff |
 |
| Up the Gravelly Gully |
 |
| Silly Tilly has found a patch of snow |
 |
| Still very snowy far below in the Lakes Basin with most lakes frozen or just thawing. Ansel Adams Wilderness behind |
 |
| The Mountain Goat with her canine companions, Silly Tilly and Aging Ace |
At the top of the gully, they gained the broad top of the
wriggly ridge and the way became easier. They sauntered along happily for a
while, admiring the wildflowers and the vast vistas. Aging Ace and Silly Tilly romped
and roamed while Draft Horse and Mountain Goat discussed the ways of the world.
Silly Tilly tried to hide in some bushes but she wasn’t too experienced with camouflage.
Mountain Goat had a couple of costume changes for a cool wind blew fitfully,
coming and going.
 |
| The broad top of the Wriggly (aka Sherwin) Ridge |
 |
| Penstemon |
 |
| Some type of lupin-related wildflower |
 |
| Silly Tilly is not too experienced in camouflage |
But soon enough, a lofty obstacle loomed large. It was the Mammoth
Nipple and it was right smack dab the in the middle of their route.
“Oh bother," exclaimed Mountain Goat, "Shall we go over it or shall we go around it?”
 |
| The aptly named Mammoth Nipple, steeper than it looks! Luckily, we could avoid the snow by going to the right. |
“Let’s go around it”, suggested Draft Horse, whose sturdy
legs were starting to ache. So they teetered and tottered around the side on
steep scree. Or rather, Draft Horse did. Mountain Goat danced and pranced gracefully
in her usual way. Eventually, they rounded a corner and saw the great gulch of
Solitude Canyon dropping away below them, and beyond, their first glimpse of
Pyramid Peak.
 |
| Pyramid Peak, 11,500ft, along the ridge to the left |
Crossing the saddle above the canyon, Mountain Goat and Draft
Horse spied cameras angled to capture the passage of wildlife. Surely they too
were wildlife? They struck a pose (Draft Horse proposed a rude pose but Mountain
Goat insisted on a silly one). They continued climbing along the wriggly ridge
which at this point became a rocky wriggly ridge. The rambling became
scrambling. Aging Ace was struggling to keep pace, and Draft Horse sympathized
with him as she lumbered along over the bulging boulders. Their legs were not
getting any younger!
 |
| The Mountain Goat and her canine companions skipping gracefully across the rocks with the Draft Horse lumbers along behind! |
 |
| Yes, they are ahead once again. Approaching our lunch spot |
Finally, enough was enough. The game group had not yet reached the tippy-top of Pyramid Peak, but they found a perfect perch on a point only a short distance below and sat down to savor some sustenance.
“Would you like some ripe, sweet, delicious, juicy cherries
from a towering tree in the valley below, dear Mountain Goat?” asked Draft Horse.
 |
| Mmmm, cherries |
The two friends feasted on this fine treat and chased it
with some of Mountain Goat’s chocolate-coated coffee beans. Yum! Aging Ace lounged
like a lizard in the sun while Silly Tilly sought shade. They all admired the
view. It was a lovely lunch.
 |
| Draft Horse and Mountain Goat enjoy the high point |
On the return, Mountain Goat proposed traversing the
opposite side of the Mammoth Nipple to avoid the steep scree slopes, and Draft
Horse agreed that this was indeed a fine idea. But they had forgotten that the
opposite side was also…… the SNOWY SIDE….. until it was too late!!! Draft Horse was obliged to ascend the slippery
snow slope, much to her dismay. However, Mountain Goat helped by kicking steps and
providing encouragement and the pair made it across safely while Silly Tilly
gamboled in delight. Aging Ace thought the snow somewhat soothed his sore paws.
 |
| Oh no, SNOW!! |
Further along the windswept ridge, they came across a curious rectangular pile of rocks upon which two old and weathered pieces of wood sat at right angles to each other. A short distance away was a deep depression in the ground.
 |
| Miner's grave |
“I do believe that is a grave of the departed Miner”, opined
Draft Horse, “and there is their mine”.
“What is a Miner?” enquired Mountain Goat.
“They were a tribe from the olden days,” replied Draft Horse.
“They were loud and they were proud, they were rough, and they were tough. They
were digging for gold but there was never enough. It was a hard life.”
Draft Horse and Mountain Goat gazed at the grave for a
moment while the wind whistled mournfully.
“Rest in peace”, said Mountain Goat.
Down the gravelly gully, below the black bluff and down the rocky ridge they trudged wearily. The imminent departure of Mountain Goat weighed heavily on the pair, and even Silly Tilly was subdued. It had been a grand last adventure together, but it had been bittersweet and neither of them want to say farewell as they approach the end
 |
| Down the gravelly gully.... |
 |
| Taking a break on the descent |
The following Friday, Draft Horse’s phone rang. It was Mountain
Goat.
“Hello Mountain Goat, are you on your way to the land of
Tenny-see?”
“Well, Draft Horse, there has been an itsy bitsy, teeny
weeny delay. I’m still here for another couple of days. Do you want to go on a FINAL, final adventure?”
“I have a cunning plan. Let’s go gallivanting!” said Draft
Horse.
 |
| Here's to more gallivanting in the Great Snowy Mountains with my partner in crime! |
