Peter Crane Mountain Goat: A Story of One Mountain Goat’s Journey to Lead His Herd to a New Territory While Overcoming Adversity

By Karen R. Maharaj

Little Peter Crane Mountain Goat is living his best life on Mount Sopris, learning how to survive the harsh environment of mountain life. As he ambitiously conquers his fears by climbing small slopes, his mother encourages him to continue taking risks, even after a near-miss with a mountain lion.

When the most revered elder in the herd recognizes a leader in Peter while he is still a kid, he calls on the goat to lead the herd to a new territory. The herd strengthens as warrior goats sharpen their skills alongside Peter, preparing for the passage up Snowmass Mountain where they will claim their new home. As the journey begins, the elder imparts wisdom and continues to guide Peter throughout their quest for a new home. But as danger and challenges loom in the distance, will Peter be able to overcome the perilous environment and face the darkness within himself in order to lead the goats to safety?

In this allegory about life, a young mountain goat must lead his herd to a new territory while overcoming adversity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Aug 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9798765243435

Karen R. Maharaj

Karen R. Maharaj worked in the healthcare information technology field for over twenty-five years. Karen is also the author of Struck by Reality—A Journey of Awakening, which was written after tragedy catapulted her into becoming an author. In this easy-to-read story, Karen explores overcoming adversity as she parallels her life with the mountain goats who face challenges in their environment and lean on each other as they navigate life.

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ISBN: 979-8-7652-4344-2 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-7652-4343-5 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date:  08/02/2023

To David Cavill for being my

inspiration to write.

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Preface

Somewhere between 2012 and 2015, I met my friend David at a local Barnes and Noble. David inquired about a major goal I would like to accomplish in my lifetime. I shared my desire to be a published author. He shared his desire to inspire people to live to their fullest potential, to reach for their biggest dreams. My 101 life goals included being a published author. That dream came true in 2020 when I published my first book, Struck by Reality: A Journey of Awakening.

While having coffee, David urged me to write a story with life lessons embedded in it. He mentioned I could reach a far greater audience by doing this. He asked if I had read Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. I had not. David shared it was a book about seagulls, which was really about life. I was intrigued by the idea as we sat there brainstorming what I could write about. I mentioned I was researching mountain goats. My interest in mountain goats stemmed from a conversation with an astrologer many years ago. She shared I could understand my life’s purpose by studying mountain goats, since my ascendant was in Capricorn. The symbol for Capricorn is the mountain goat. The ascendant in one’s astrological chart is symbolic of the transformation that will occur in one’s lifetime. It is a representation of the individual I would become, and so I began researching mountain goats. After sharing this, David affirmed writing a story about mountain goats could work. Hopefulness flooded my senses, and I committed to this challenge.

We finished our coffees and proceeded to leave, as I waited while David checked for a book. A few minutes later, after checking out, he handed me a copy of Jonathan Livingston Seagull. He urged me to read the book and wished me luck on writing a similar story in which I could convey key life lessons. The years that followed were when I took on the challenge. I immediately read Jonathan Livingston Seagull twice, making notes the second time around. Unsure of how I would approach this quest, I leisurely gathered data about how mountain goats survived. As I learned more about mountain goats, I gained a deeper understanding about my own way of being in life.

In the years leading up to this, I had purchased a DVD about mountain goats and watched it several times. Creating an outline did not occur to me. Not knowing where to start, I reviewed the twelve stages of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey and began writing on fastpencil.com. In our conversations that day at Barnes and Noble, David had recommended this site as a place where I could easily write and eventually publish my story.

According to Wikipedia (n.d.):

The mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus), also known as the Rocky Mountain goat, is a hoofed mammal endemic to mountainous areas of western North America. A subalpine to alpine species, it is a sure-footed climber commonly seen on cliffs and ice.

I gathered most information about mountain goats online. Pertinent information came from a publication by Colorado Parks & Wildlife (n.d., p. 7), Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goats, including:

Mountain goats have thick coats of long, white hair with a woolly undercoat. Mountain goats stand about 3 feet tall at the shoulder. Males weigh up to 300 pounds, females 80 to 150 pounds.

Also from Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goats, some characteristics of mountain goats include:

Goats have evolved certain characteristics that help them take advantage of their rugged… and remote habitat where they have little competition from other animals. Spongy pads on their hooves grip the slippery rock surfaces. Their flexible toes spread to help them get traction on uneven terrain. Vertical climbing is almost impossible for most four-legged animals, but mountain goats make use of their strong hind legs to spring up steep slopes. If, in its climb, a goat finds itself trapped on a cliff, it can pull itself upward to a higher ledge using its forelegs and muscular shoulders. The goat’s thick coat of long, white hair is essential to its survival through severe winters at high altitude. Even with their many adaptations to mountain life, goats die each year from starvation, falls, rock slides and avalanches. p. 10.

They eat as they live:

The many cliff ledges and terraces hold just enough soil to grow the grasses, sedges and flowering plants that make up the goat’s diet. p. 9.

In addition:

They eat a broader range of plants, browsing on lichens, shrubs and conifers as well as grazing on grass. Goats are better able to move through, and find food under, deep snow. p. 10.

I printed all information I found online and attached these pages to a notebook dedicated to this story. Once I had some general information about mountain goats, I created the characters by looking up names. It was the easy place to start. The main character Peter, the hero, came into my imagination at birth in his native environment on Mount Sopris. I gave him the last name Crane, which was my pen pal’s last name when I lived in Trinidad. Some goats were given names of people I know. Some I made up. The story would trickle into my imagination. I waited for it. I woke up in the middle of the night enthusiastic about composing what was