Across the street from the Tundra Communities Trailhead...

An impressive view...

... filled with impressive animals.

In the mid-1800's, the population of bighorn in the area numbered in the thousands. As hunters and settlers arrived in the early 1900's, the number of bighorn declined rapidly. Encouraged by the high prices paid for the horns and meat, people slaughtered them by the hundreds. Ranchers moved into the mountain valleys and altered the habitat, as well as introduced domestic sheep. These carried scabies and pneumonia, which proved fatal to large numbers of bighorn. In the 1950's, only about 150 animals remained. Their range was limited to the isolated, high country. Slowly populations have been increasing, and today, approximately 350 bighorn sheep live in park.

A four-part stomach allows them to extract important nutrients from hard, dry forage. They are able to eat large amounts of food rapidly, then retreat to the cliffs to rechew and digest their food, safe from predators.

These are all rams (males). Both male and female bighorn have horns, but the female's horns are much smaller and never make the big curl. Unlike antlers which are shed yearly, sheep retain their horns throughout their lives.

Joined by a sun-bathing marmot

Enjoying the view

A pika surveys its domain.

Pikas are not rodents but rather members of the rabbit family (hence their nickname of Rock Rabbit).

Their long rabbit-ears have evolved to small round ones which are less likely to freeze.

This pika bounds from rock to rock with a large mouthful of grass. They store this vegetation in small piles called haystacks which they later eat throughout the long winter since they do not hibernate.

Gathering more food for winter

A young marmot ventures forth.

Several bighorn were busy licking a bare patch of ground. Apparently this area was a natural salt lick. In the spring and summer, the bighorn seek these out in order to replenish mineral deficits.

A marmot runs in, apparently unhappy with this.

Having 'words'

Confronting one of the sheep... it didn't do much good though!

A ground squirrel watches from afar.