Another time that mountain goats leave the safety of high rock cliffs is during severe winter storms when the snow is soft and deep. They sometimes move down to the edge of timberline and feed on Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), and Horsehair lichen (Bryoria) that hangs from limbs of old-growth trees. Goats are one of the few animals that eat Western Hemlock needles.

Of course in the winter, the risk of predation is lower. Bears are hibernating and wolves cannot easily travel through deep powder snow, unless there are packed snowmobile or cross-country ski tracks nearby.

Local studies have shown that our mountain goats each stay in a home range that can vary from 100 to 500 hectares (250 to 1000 acres) which can be a small part of a single mountain.

The exception? Both males and females can travel up to 50 km cross country at sometime in their lives to establish a new home range on another mountain. They will swim large rivers and travel through wooded areas during such a dispersal and are occasionally seen crossing highways far from alpine.

Other than that, goats stay in a small home range and simply move up and down the mountain. They will move to the sunny south slopes in the winter and move to the cooler north-facing slopes on hot summer days to keep from overheating.