The Sawtooths Are Home to More Than Me and You

By: Hannah Fake

 

Sockeye are red,

Lupines are blue,

The Sawtooths are home

To more than me and you.

The salmon that swim

From nine hundred miles away;

Return to these waters,

So their eggs they can lay.

 

The osprey and eagles,

Rely on these fish,

Awaiting their return

To have their main dish!

 

The black bear live here too

So don’t leave out your snacks,

Keep a clean camp,

And hang up your packs.

Chipmunks and ground squirrels

Can be seen all around.

Another good reason to pick up

What you drop on the ground.

 

Ungulates live up and down

The mountainsides too.

From valley to peaks,

Do you ever wonder who is who?

 

The climbers are mountain goats.

Look up towards the sky,

And you may see their white coats,

As they scramble on cliffs up high.

 

Dark brown, with a white rump,

Elk are the biggest of deer.

And in mornings or evenings,

Their bugle you may hear.

Pronghorns like the plains,

and wide-open spaces.

They graze on sagebrush,

and will beat any animal it races.

 

Mule deer are abundant

With a brown coat and big ears.

Be careful when driving,

They cross the road with no fears.

 

There are many more creatures,

You’d be lucky to see,

As they tend to be elusive

To you and me.

A few packs of grey wolves

Hunt and roam,

In these mountains

They again call home.

 

Mountain lion, cougar, or puma

Many names for this big cat,

But likely all you will ever see

Is a track or pile of its scat.

 

Another fabled predator,

Prefers the alpine scene.

Known as a glutton and scavenger,

It is the wolverine!

 

Among the alpine flowers,

Scurrying all about

Is the little pika,

Listen for its shout!

 

With so much to offer,

So much wilderness to explore,

The Sawtooth Mountains

Are out our back door.

The little pika,

And all other critters,

Would really appreciate

If we did not litter.

 

Take only pictures,

Of plants and creatures,

So we don’t disturb,

Nature’s many features.