High Sierra Topix

I'm thinking of leaving my car three days in Cold Spring parking in Mineral King to go hiking first days of July.

Reading '' Each spring and early summer, the marmots of Mineral King dine on rare delicacies in this alpine valley. Their fare includes radiator hoses and car wiring! In the parking areas some marmots feast on car hoses and wires. They can actually disable a vehicle.'' makes me think I should change my destination...

Any experience/comment on this issue?

I think I recall a couple of threads on this topic from a while back. You might try searching "mineral king marmot" at the top of the page and see what comes up.

Beware of exaggerated stories, trolls and Snopes events. There are residents, store owners and even rangers up there for most of the livable season. Wonder that there would be any marmots left after the current residents were to respond to the invasion.

Check with the rangers up there before you go and find out if a current problem, what you can do about it, and if it is a local problem perhaps you can park elsewhere. I know they would take a dim view on a chemical response to the critters.

Scattering Decon around under your car would be frowned on; is probably a federal offense (National Park); would only knock off the random marmot and probably not have an affect on the entitlement they have discovered and enjoyed.

I have read a couple things from Colorado where this is an issue too. Most think the Marmots like the salt from salted roads that collects on the wires and hoses. Not sure though.

I have heard about folks using chicken wire around their vehicles to keep the Marmots out.

On a hike near Crested Butte, we came back a few days later and the deer had licked the grime off the car. There were tongue marks and hoof prints all over.

Hi Flux

Try: viewtopic.php?t=277&highlight=marmots" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, and
http://sierra-nevada-ramblings.blogspot ... rmots.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There are only, what?, 4 roads that go over 10'000 feet in the Sierra? Marmots are not a problem, bears are. That's why there are metal boxes to store your food in at trailheads.

Note that it says spring and early summer. The marmots are a problem in their time. I was down there in October last year and didn't see any, but wouldn't doubt they are present in spring.

Marmots are not just above 10,000 feet, I have seen plenty between 7-9,000 feet, in and around campgrounds at Courtright, Yosemite, etc. You're thinking of pika, which ARE only present at high elevation - right alongside the marmots.

The Courtright campground host spoke of marmots eating the hoses and wires under the hood of his truck. He swears by dryer sheets at regular intervals around on the engine. Others use the blue tarp/chicken wire, others swear by simply leaving the hood open, claiming the critters don't like the light of day. Talk to the rangers to find out what to do when you go.

A dear friend has a cabin at Mineral King, and agrees that early in the season at the trailhead, marmots are a problem. And yes, chickenwire and other solutions seem to work.

There are far fewer marmots near the residents. Partly because they don't like people. Partly because people don't like them. And own 22s.

I have a terrible story - when I was the ranger at Upper Piute Mdw, which I believe is about 8,000' (I could be wrong about that), a marmot came into my cabin one night, and my dog at the time, now deceased for many many years, attacked and killed it. It was tragic. But marmots certainly do live mostly in the sub-alpine, rocky areas, or higher.

I camped at the road's end for four days early just after the road just opened in 2006 and had no problems. I would call and see if they are having any currently reported problems. It would not hurt to throughly wash the underside of your car to get any salt off it if you live near a coastal area or where roads are salted.