Vandalism at Shingle Spring: A Poll

Poll

What tried to sabotage my truck?

Only registered users are allowed to vote for this poll.
18 votes were received.

A lost marmot, far from his home in Mineral King	5		28%
A pink Sierra "chick-on" (Pseudogallus roseus)	2		11%
A billygoat (they will chew on anything)	1		6%
The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog (Then, shalt thou count to three, no more, no less...)	1		6%
The Loche Tablae Monster ( "Tessie" )	3		17%
Other (post answer as response)	6		32%

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So, way back on Memorial Day, when I fired up my truck after my Cherry Creek Canyon trip, the check engine light was on. I ignored it for awhile (in the past it's turned off on its own--it's a Dodge...), but eventually I had a mechanic take a look at it. The problem: something had chewed through a sensor wire:



So, I offer a poll, not about some obscure lake in Northern Yosemite, but something more important: what--or who--attempted to disable my truck. For those who are not regulars on this site, a reminder: there is one party we know was in the area at the time of this incident. Oh, and the mechanic mentioned something about pink tufts of what he thought was insulation...

Anyway, I was able to return safely home from the trip, and the truck is running fine, but in the interest of preventing problems for others who park at Shingle Springs trailhead, I believe it's important to determine what this wire-chewing beast was--or still is.

3 words for you:

NOM NOM NOM!

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It quite possibly could have been one of those "Beaks".
They get lost all over The Sierra.

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Mouse

An animal.

I'm gonna guess a boy scout was there and got hungry...

I didn't see any boy scouts anywhere near Shingle Spring on the Memorial Day trip, but there was a bunch of kids associated with Camp Tawonga on the 4th of July who had probably been at Kibbie Lake, but their packs looked so overloaded they probably had enough food to last a week, and thus wouldn't need to chew on a wire for survival.

Odd that the marmots are getting the most votes... since I wouldn't expect that any self-respecting marmot would hang out at 5700', especially in a place without any domes or rocks to "litter" on.

The culprits could be squirrels or even porcupines. Try mothballs.

Rat species are a common cause of vehicle engine compartment damage in my experience. If you had some sensor problems before the trailhead, it is possible that the problem began before that trip.

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/2011 05:43AM by Frank Furter.

In addition to rats there are mice that chew through wiring also. We had that problem at a place in Napa that my parents had.

The marmots wish to inform you that they vote in favor of the RAMS (rat, mice, squirrel) Conspiracy.
(BeardbusterToldUsNotToChewOnRadioactivelyCoatedWiringly Yours)
The Marmots

I'm sure is was rats or field mice. I store a pick-up truck outdoors in Maine and frequently have mice getting in everywhere. Mothballs help but evaporate too quickly during long periods of my absence. I've found mice nests all through the ventilation system an even inside the air cleaner! Yes, chewed wires also.