The last few days were wonderful daytime highs in the 60 light breeze life was good. This morning I woke up to what seemed like a awesome fall morning, which lasted all of three hours. By 11:00am this morning the cloud celling had lowered the wind started to pick up and the snow started falling once again. Don't get me wrong I love going for walks in the snow enjoying the peaceful solitude and the subtle squeak of the snow under my boots, but this is our 4th significant snow so far this fall and as far as I'm concerned it is a little too early for me to be seeing this much snow.
This somehow got me to thinking about animals who never EVER have to wake up on a particular cold morning stuff themselves into 4 layers of clothes and trudge off to work. Marmots and ground squirrels I salute you for being the smartest animals on the planet. Marmots and ground squirrels spend a whopping 8 months of the year in hibernation. Marmots generally crawl from their burrows in mid-May. From Mid-May through early September their days are spent eating food and catching some rays. About 44% of the time they are above ground in the morning hours is spent basking in the sun which helps them to get the most energy out of the food they eat.
Marmot awaits hikers on the trail.
Now life is not all rosy for my marmot friends since they are a little on the portly side, as far as rodents go, there are a bunch of animals just waiting to eat them for lunch. Hawks roam the skies waiting to catch one alone. Coyotes, foxes, and weasels looking for a snack sniff out their underground burrows and dig them up. Marmots are also trolling the talus slopes looking for nutrients just like all the other animals. Most of the animals nutrients comes from the food they eat or animals bones and antlers they gnaw on. However, there is the occasional added bonus from hikers who pee on the edges of the trail. Yes, marmots and other animals will eagerly eat your pee marked ground in order to get nutrients they need to survive. And I'll throw this out there as a word of caution yes, marmots are small other animals which will also go after your pee are not and are WAY more dangerous, so please no marking your territory along the edges of the trail.
Two marmots fight over pee soaked ground.
By mid-August my marmot friends are beginning to feel sluggish and by early September have crawled back into their burrows for the last time until next year. Around this time the weather starts to change in the high country. Stiff 45-50 mile an hour winds buffet the treeless slopes as the snow starts to fall from a cold grey sky.
Sleep well my marmot friends and may you safely avoid the weasels and coyotes who would love to eat you as you sleep.
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