[pct-l] Rodents

Howdy listers,
I've had more problems with rodents or similar sized vermin than with
bears.  On the PCT, pesky marmots chewed on my salt encrusted shouler
straps.  No serious damage.  Also, in the Palisades during my noon time
lunch/nap break, I couldn't sleep as the brazen little devils would zoom
in as soon as I nodded off.  I awoke one time to find 5 of them checking
out my stuff.  I took to throwing rocks but even that didn't discourage
them.
    A squirrel near the Feather River got part of my favorite freeze
dried meal I'd been hoarding and dreaming about - lasagna with cheeze
that actually was stringy.  The squirrel got about 1/3 and I ate the
rest.  I figured cooking would kill any plague germs transferred.
   The worst rodent seige though was in the Grand Canyon.  I awoke to
the sound of a rodent (I thought) onslaught of my food bag.  In the
dark, I began tossing rocks and boots while grabbing my flashlight.
SKUNKS!!!  Three or four at about 5 feet!!  Now what do you do about
skunks.  I hung the food in the small scrub trees and they still
persisted.  I put it in a rock crack and piled rocks on it. Exhaustion
finally led to deep sleep and they got most of the remaider of my food.
It was a long hungry hike out.
              Jeff Jones


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