trails=sanity during covid

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realtrailclown
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Joined: January 27th, 2021, 4:59 pm

trails=sanity during covid

Post by realtrailclown » January 27th, 2021, 5:16 pm

Hey there. I've been using the fine directions on this board to discover Oregon, after hiking around western Washington for awhile. I'm loving it all, but sadly im.having to avoid Tillamook due to the critters (crows?) eating my windshield wiper strips. Three different times I've had to replace them, and it's only ever happened at Tillamook (Summit and Idiot Creek).

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Don Nelsen
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Re: trails=sanity during covid

Post by Don Nelsen » January 27th, 2021, 5:33 pm

That's a new one. Usually, they've only eaten my weather stripping on my windows and sometimes off my rear view mirror. Only in the gorge, though, and I've seen reports posted here about this happening to others in the gorge too. Those Tillamook crows must be really hungry!
"Everything works in the planning stage" - Kelly

"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller

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retired jerry
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Re: trails=sanity during covid

Post by retired jerry » January 27th, 2021, 5:54 pm

Wow, what a weird one, I've never heard of it

I've heard of marmots eating hoses and wires in people's cars in Yosemite. Some people cover their car in chicken wire. (Sounds sort of like an urban legend though)

realtrailclown
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Re: trails=sanity during covid

Post by realtrailclown » January 27th, 2021, 6:29 pm

I've got photos of the first time, at Summit Trailhead...there were scratch marks on my door handles and the whole blade apparatus had been peeled off my car (driver's side). Honestly wasn't sure it wasn't people at first, but upon examination it was clearly some kind of animal. The other two times were just rubber strips. This does not seem to happen to most other people. Maybe I buy the yummy kind of windshield wiper blades.

Webfoot
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Re: trails=sanity during covid

Post by Webfoot » January 27th, 2021, 6:35 pm

That's the first I have heard of this happening in Oregon. Kea are notorious for it however.

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rubiks
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Re: trails=sanity during covid

Post by rubiks » January 27th, 2021, 8:57 pm

realtrailclown wrote:
January 27th, 2021, 6:29 pm
I've got photos of the first time, at Summit Trailhead...there were scratch marks on my door handles and the whole blade apparatus had been peeled off my car (driver's side). Honestly wasn't sure it wasn't people at first, but upon examination it was clearly some kind of animal. The other two times were just rubber strips. This does not seem to happen to most other people. Maybe I buy the yummy kind of windshield wiper blades.
I've returned to my car at the Rogers Camp TH and found some weather stripping chewed away. The scratches and muddy prints on the door strongly implicated some critter was responsible.

Had I known I could have fed them wiper blades instead I would have gone that route.
You know exactly what to do.
There's no need to be afraid.
Keep walking.

djfalls
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Joined: February 4th, 2021, 1:18 pm

Re: trails=sanity during covid

Post by djfalls » February 4th, 2021, 1:27 pm

Back in the 80's Marmots were eating wiring under the hood of cars in the Olympics.

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adamschneider
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Re: trails=sanity during covid

Post by adamschneider » February 4th, 2021, 8:40 pm

djfalls wrote:
February 4th, 2021, 1:27 pm
Back in the 80's Marmots were eating wiring under the hood of cars in the Olympics.
It's still a problem in the southern Sierra Nevada. Google Image Search for "marmot proof car":

marmot proof car.jpg

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retired jerry
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Re: trails=sanity during covid

Post by retired jerry » February 4th, 2021, 8:57 pm

If you parked at a trailhead and all the other cars were protected it would make you uneasy

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