Belinda Neely is in the clerical department at DSG in Williston, ND. An avid motorcyclist, she and her boyfriend were riding through the Rocky Mountains outside Gunnison, CO, a few years ago when they got the surprise of their lives.
Knowing that mountain goats frequented that area, Neely’s eyes were fixed on the sheer rock walls that framed the road. As she rode on the back of the bike, she hoped to catch sight of the spry creatures as they hopped along the steep cliffs.
Suddenly, the motorcycle shook and her boyfriend jerked it under control with a startled sound. “I asked him what happened,” says Neely, “and he asked, ‘Didn’t you see that mountain goat?’” As it turns out, a mountain goat had actually jumped over the riders as they passed. In fact, Neely’s boyfriend raised his arm to deflect the animal, but only managed to graze its belly as it passed overhead.
“I thought he was joking,” Neely admits. “That is, until we pulled over and the cars behind us pulled over, too.” As it turns out, the drivers behind the motorcyclists had witnessed the gymnastic goat as well. One of them asked Neely, “Have you ever danced with a mountain goat before?”
In fact, mountain goats can jump nearly 12 feet in a single bound. Why one chose to perform a daredevil leap over a motorcycle that day – no one will ever know. “We were very lucky that day,” Neely says. “But it is a story that we love to tell.”