Mount Rainier is home to many hoary marmots. Marmots are the largest of the ground squirrel family and they are related to the woodchuck or groundhog. The word “hoary” means something white or gray with age. Marmots live in the mountains on rocky slopes where they can have access to alpine flowers particularly lupine and other vegetation since they are vegetarians. Marmots live in burrows dug under the rocks and hibernate under the snow in the winter. They are territorial and the burrow is often handed down from generation to generation. They live in colonies and are very social animals. Marmots are known for their love of basking in the sun on a warm rocks. They are not particularly shy among people as they quickly get used to be photographed. Marmots have a distinctive “whistle” that usually sounds an alarm. However, I often make the same “eeek – eeek” sound that I have heard them whistle and instead of running away as if I am danger, many times the marmots come closer to me. I really enjoy the marmots at Mount Rainier. My prize photo is the first one I have posted on this blog. I will always remember the day I took the photo because I was working hard trying to get the Tatoosh Range and the alpine flowers in bloom. This marmot was laying on the rock in the sun where I was trying to capture my photo. The marmot’s rock was facing away from the view of the Tatoosh Range so I kept changing my mind and whipping the tripod around in circles snapping pictures of the marmot and then back to the Tatoosh Range view. The marmot seemed to object to all the commotion I was causing and kept turning around as if to say to me…….. “I’m resting – go away and quit disturbing me.” Here are pictures of my many attempts to photograph marmots. They enjoy standing still while you get your camera out but then they quickly move away just as you snap a picture. This is the reason I have so many marmot photos. It has becomes a game to see if I can find another marmot with personality that will lay still like the first marmot on the rock photo I posted.
Sally Johnson
The summer visitor guide book – Mount Rainier DRIVE or HIKE to SEE tells where marmots can be found along different trails. 
Summer Guide book is $18.00 here ONLINE!
