{"id":780,"date":"2013-12-16T10:50:37","date_gmt":"2013-12-16T16:50:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shawnbeelman.com\/?p=780"},"modified":"2020-11-24T18:24:27","modified_gmt":"2020-11-24T18:24:27","slug":"pinnacle-peak-trail-pika","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shawn.photography\/pinnacle-peak-trail-pika\/","title":{"rendered":"Pinnacle Peak Trail Pika"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hiking down from Plummer Peak, we were on Pika alert. As we walked past rock fields on the hike up the mountain we kept hearing their high-pitched “eeeek” calls, but the little critters were elusive.<\/p>\n

It was my trip to Mount Rainier National Park in August and we had just spent a productive afternoon on Plummer Peak shooting Rainier. The critter is the American Pika<\/a>, and our guide, Aaron, told us that the little animals were a threatened species. We heard them at every scree<\/a> we passed but they were hidden from view or too far away to photograph\u2014until the hike down the mountain on Pinnacle Peak trail when one of us spotted a Pika down below us. I assumed that by the time I hiked down to his location he would flee, but Aaron encouraged me to try. I slowly made my way down about 50 yards until I was close enough to get my first shot of him peeking out from under a rock:<\/p>\n

\"An
An American Pika peeks out from under a rock, Pinnacle Peak Trail, Mount Rainier National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As I stood there and waited, he seemed to accept the fact that I wasn’t a threat and started to resume his foraging.<\/p>\n

\"Pika,
Pika, Pinnacle Peak Trail, Mount Rainier National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"An
An American Pika surveys his surroundings, Pinnacle Peak Trail, Mount Rainier National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He was amazingly tolerant of my presence, and eventually Aaron and Mick made their way down to join me.<\/p>\n

\"Aaron
Aaron getting some shots of the Pika (photo by Rodrigo Salazar)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

American Pika, a close relative of rabbits and hares, spend much of their time gathering vegetation that they store as haypiles for winter. Because they don’t hibernate, they need a stockpile of hay to last through the cold months.<\/p>\n

\"Pika
Pika chewing grass, Pinnacle Peak Trail, Mount Rainier National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Before the adorable little guy scurried up the mountain he seemed to pose for me one last time:<\/p>\n

\"Pika,
Pika, Pinnacle Peak Trail, Mount Rainier National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hiking down from Plummer Peak, we were on Pika alert. 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