Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Marmots a problem?

So ive read around that marmonts will just eat through all your stuff so just leave bag and tent opened? i also saw a video steve put up and the marmonts chewed through a guys pack. So ill bring my bear canister but will the marmonts eat through my stuff just to see whats inside without any food in my pack? i love most of nature but those little creature with spider, masquitos and flees i truly hate. ill be taking main whitney portal trail. any advice?

Respectfully

John

Yep, marmots are a problem. You'll want to keep anything and everything that has any smell to it in your bin if you've got one. And if you don't, it's best you don't let your pack out of your sight for too long. They seem to be able to find a way to things. And they can be bold.

I guess the best advice is to not bring too much food or stuff. Bring some food for camp and enough for you to carry. I put my stuff in a Bear Locker last year and yes, the bear was very happy I did. He took everything except my shoes.

Also, when you put your stuff in the bear locker, you need to remember, it's only as safe as whoever closed it last..... lesson learned.

> it's only as safe as whoever closed it last..... lesson learned.

Joe, I don't recall reading that story. Care to elaborate?

Make sure all your pack pockets are open when it is left out for the night. I've left this and that in those pockets over the years and the worst that has happened is there are a few ziplocks that have been chewed through.

If you leave anything out at Trail Camp for any length of time, it will disappear. I lost a gallon ziplock with all my breakfast food the only time I camped at TC.

Marmot chewed through the outer layer of a used wagbag at UBSL - that struck me as strange.

If there's no food in backpack can I leave my backpack inside tent with me? You said they just take gear, makes me not want to leave any thing outside. Makes my blood boil....

Very true. A man in the backcountry told me they were sleeping in Yosemite Valley the night before starting the JMT. He stuck his Bear Vault canister inside the bear box but had not screwed the lid all the way on since he didn't need to. He woke up in the middle of the night to find that someone had left the door open on the bear box and a bear was munching down on all his food in his canister.

When it comes to Marmots, Squirrels, Pika and yes the lovely Mice I always tell people that you don't have to worry about bears, you have to worry about those little guys!

> it's only as safe as whoever closed it last....

> He woke up in the middle of the night to find that someone had left the door open on the bear box...

> ...I always tell people that you don't have to worry about bears, you have to worry about those little guys!

Sounds like it's those absent-minded two-legged critters you need to worry about!

I'm not sure if it's people not closing the bear boxes, of if it's just people that don't know HOW to close the bear boxes.

I've been at the Yosemite Trailhead parking lot and walked down the row of bear boxes. I've found up to 4 of them closed, but not fully latched! The bears there know full well how to open those!

Some people are just as stumped as the bears about how to open the bear boxes. I'm not surprised they're stumped also on how to CLOSE them.

The marmots at Mineral King (west side Sequoia NP trailhead) have taken a peculiar liking to anti-freeze. They chew through hoses to drink the stuff - disabled many a car at this remote trailhead. They've also hitched rides into LA and who knows where else in engine compartments. Luckily, this behavior seems to be unique to this one area.

Mineral Kings Marmots

They sure are cute looking critters. They make me laugh, but maybe that's because they've never robbed me....yet.

Your pack has an odor of food plus it is salt encrusted from sweat, which will lure the marmots. The only time I bring my pack inside is when it rains...and only then because I have a single wall tent.

You seemed freaked by this. I've never had marmots chew through anything valuable in 15 years of Sierra backpacking.

The marmot at Hamilton Lake (High Sierra Trail) and I have a date... for dinner...

I still can't believe someone found my camera 10 months later...

So you have a special friend there at Hamilton Lake. And the story behind that relationship?

Go grab a full bottle of wine for this one:

http://moosetracksca.wordpress.com/2010/09/30/mooses-grand-adventure-iv-overloaded/

wbtravis wrote:
> If you leave anything out at Trail Camp for any length of time, it will disappear.

John Prietto wrote:
> If there's no food in backpack can I leave my backpack inside tent with me? You said they just take gear...

I think wbtravis meant, if you leave anything like food out. He didn't mean you shouldn't leave a backpack out. Backpacks don't disappear. (...although I DID have a bear drag my backpack away one night (not on Whitney), because I forgot to remove my snacks from one pocket. I recovered the pack, and learned my lesson.)

Lol I guess I have been paranoid lately, my wife says chill out. I guess it's because gear is expensive and moneys tight. All my stuff is kept in great condition, just my style. I never have had any problem else where in wilderness Yosemite , San jacinto. I usually always take mine in at night so no little critters crawl inside but never thought about the salt from sweat but then why not chew through my tent to eat me ( lol usually all sweaty). Yet again I tend to go where people arnt so the marmots arnt usually waiting for food from tourist.

One bottle of wine and a grand adventure story later... The Hamilton Lake entry explains where you lost your camera, and your post above indicates you got it back. So where does the marmot enter the story? Are you saying a marmot returned your camera and now you owe him dinner?

Ze marmot, he shtole my camera to chew on ze case.

Bloody Bahstahd. What a fine meal he will make.

I hear they taste like grouse . . .