Marmots at Silver Crk/Grizzly Gulch TH

bigDmulc009 · Post by **bigDmulc009** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 11:54 am

I am planning on hiking Redcloud/Sunshine and Handies this weekend, camping at the trailhead Saturday night. Pretty standard plan, but I can't seem to get a definitive on the marmot problem.

Is there an expectation of marmot interference when going to grab these peaks? I have a roll of chicken wire in the car ready to go but wanted to poll the people to see what experiences others have had.

bergsteigen · Post by **bergsteigen** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 12:01 pm

I've camped there periodically over the years since 2000, and haven't had a problem. That's not to say you won't have a problem. The first time I had a porcupine in the underside of my truck, was annoying at best and dangerous at worst. But that was in a different part of the SJ's. It's usually better to take precautions than not.

hoff_hikes · Post by **hoff_hikes** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 12:08 pm

I camped at the trailhead last August and didn't have any issues. My biggest issue was with the bees and flies. As for the rodent issue, I placed moth balls underneath each axle of my vehicle and never experienced an issue. Saw a few porcupines on my up Handies and that is it.

xcrunner365 · Post by **xcrunner365** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 3:23 pm

I was up there earlier this month with the same concerns as you. I brought a roll of fencing and placed it around my vehicle, but I experienced no problems/ damage. I was the only one at the TH that had brought fencing that I saw. No one else at the TH (that I talked to) had any damage. I don't think it's a huge problem, but better safe than sorry.

huffy13 · Post by **huffy13** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 3:51 pm

I've parked at that TH three times and I have never had issues.

lukedog · Post by **lukedog** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 4:08 pm

A few years ago I had a mouse (or chipmunk?) apparently sneak into my vehicle while I was unloading my gear. At the end of my day summiting Redcloud and Sunshine, I returned to find a hole in virtually everything I had in my car (backpacks, duffel bags, etc.), as well as bites taken out of any food within. With rumors about marmots, etc. on this site and my own experience, it seems there are probably some cunning rodents there. Worth taking a little extra care. I never found the animal, although I did have more food eaten from my car a week later - I know he went home with me.

RJ_Greenhorn24 · Post by **RJ_Greenhorn24** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:12 am

I took a roll of wire to the Uncompahgre TH last weekend just in case (somewhat close) but didn't have to use it. None of the other cars were wrapped and I didn't encounter any damage. Below treeline seemed to be safe from the varints, I only began seeing them once the trees stopped and the talus started in the basin.

Better safe than sorry but you should be fine, have fun!

E_A_Marcus_949 · Post by **E_A_Marcus_949** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 8:21 am

I was at Grizzly Gulch/Silver Crk a few weeks ago, and I might be back again Saturday night. I brought chicken wire and didn't use it, though I did have a bunch of bags of mothballs I put by each tire under my car. It may have stunk up the parking lot a bit, but I was glad to have some preventative measure. I'm also going to be going to Wetterhorn, and I may use the chicken wire there. I'd rather not have to deal with any wire issues... Like other have said, better safe than sorry, even if you are the only one doing it. When I was at Grizzly a few weeks ago I saw one other person with mothballs and the few people I talked to didn't bother with anything, as they've never had issues. I'd rather not even give the marmots, porcupines, etc. the opportunity though.

hoff_hikes · Post by **hoff_hikes** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 8:27 am

E_A_Marcus_949 wrote:I'm also going to be going to Wetterhorn

Thanks for the reminder to bring along my mothballs as I am also heading to Wetterhorn TH this evening.

BuckTurgidson · Post by **BuckTurgidson** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 8:41 am

I've used a combo of mothballs near each tire, and coyote urine sprinkled around the truck at the same TH. Impossible to say what the outcome would have been if I had not used them. Mothballs are cheap. Coyote urine, available at garden centers, is a bit more expensive. Supply and demand I guess....

Wish I lived in CO · Post by **Wish I lived in CO** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 9:16 am

I'll be up that way this weekend as well. Happy climbing to all.

bigDmulc009 · Post by **bigDmulc009** » Mon Sep 04, 2017 1:30 pm

Happy to report back no issues! I moth-balled each tire and ran chicken wire around the entire car. Only one or two other vehicles were wrapped with wire and I couldn't smell any other moth balls. Didn't hear any issues reported and there was no "messing" with my set up. Moth balls and pantyhose to hang them with were cheap and available at Walmart

Marmots at Silver Crk/Grizzly Gulch TH

Marmots at Silver Crk/Grizzly Gulch TH

Re: Marmots at Silver Crk/Grizzly Gulch TH

Re: Marmots at Silver Crk/Grizzly Gulch TH

Re: Marmots at Silver Crk/Grizzly Gulch TH

Re: Marmots at Silver Crk/Grizzly Gulch TH

Re: Marmots at Silver Crk/Grizzly Gulch TH

Re: Marmots at Silver Crk/Grizzly Gulch TH

Re: Marmots at Silver Crk/Grizzly Gulch TH

Re: Marmots at Silver Crk/Grizzly Gulch TH

Re: Marmots at Silver Crk/Grizzly Gulch TH

Re: Marmots at Silver Crk/Grizzly Gulch TH

Re: Marmots at Silver Crk/Grizzly Gulch TH

14ers.com

Social

Mobile App