Footprints on Mt Whitney, what animals left them?

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clmbr

 
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Footprints on Mt Whitney, what animals left them?

by clmbr » Wed Feb 20, 2013 7:42 pm

Can anyone tell what animals left these footprints (just for curiosity)?

The small one was very active looking for any food sources (including my garbage). Fortunately did not get in to my tent.
Image

The bigger one had to be close too but I saw only one path of its existence.
Image

Thanks

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clmbr

 
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Re: Footprints on Mt Whitney, what animals left them?

by clmbr » Wed Feb 20, 2013 8:55 pm

The closest pattern to the small tracks I was able to find online may belong to a rabbit. So it had to be there a few rabbits running around or, if one, a very active one because I saw these footprints at elevation range around 10K+ - 12K.

I’ve not been able to find any close match for the other tracks, but it aims for some cat.

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boyblue

 
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Re: Footprints on Mt Whitney, what animals left them?

by boyblue » Wed Feb 20, 2013 9:02 pm

Just from the patterns (hard to see the individual prints) the top does looks like a hare. The bottom looks like multiple animals (coyotes?) following their leader.

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Re: Footprints on Mt Whitney, what animals left them?

by Marmaduke » Wed Feb 20, 2013 10:31 pm

The bigger prints I believe are from The Chief, the smaller ones that are trailing? Vitaliy. :wink:

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Re: Footprints on Mt Whitney, what animals left them?

by mrchad9 » Thu Feb 21, 2013 12:19 am

LOL that was good.

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Greg Enright

 
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Re: Footprints on Mt Whitney, what animals left them?

by Greg Enright » Thu Feb 21, 2013 1:06 am

Those are rabbit tracks. In the upper photo, the rabbit was traveling from right to left. Rabbits put their forefeet down first, one a little ahead of the other, then they bring their hind legs forward and plant them ahead of their forefeet. There is no other animal track anything like that in the Sierra.

The lower photo shows the rabbit climbing steeply, so it was unable to bring the hind legs past the forefeet. All four feet planted close together until the angle lessened.

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boyblue, lcarreau, Sean Kenney

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Princess Buttercup

 
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Re: Footprints on Mt Whitney, what animals left them?

by Princess Buttercup » Thu Feb 21, 2013 1:16 am

It's just a bunny!!

http://youtu.be/cCI18qAoKq4

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boyblue

 
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Re: Footprints on Mt Whitney, what animals left them?

by boyblue » Thu Feb 21, 2013 1:25 am

Greg Enright wrote:The lower photo shows the rabbit climbing steeply, so it was unable to bring the hind legs past the forefeet. All four feet planted close together until the angle lessened.

Yup! Didn't see that until you pointed it out. :)

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clmbr

 
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Re: Footprints on Mt Whitney, what animals left them?

by clmbr » Thu Feb 21, 2013 5:13 pm

Thanks guys for satisfying my curiosity.

boyblue wrote:
Greg Enright wrote:The lower photo shows the rabbit climbing steeply, so it was unable to bring the hind legs past the forefeet. All four feet planted close together until the angle lessened.

Yup! Didn't see that until you pointed it out. :)
That may be but as I remember they were a bit bigger that’s why I fought it was a different creature (Yeti perhaps???). :roll:

I like Marmaduke’s suggestion though. It closer explains what happened up there on my first night.
Marmaduke wrote:The bigger prints I believe are from The Chief, the smaller ones that are trailing? Vitaliy. :wink:


While sleeping well, at certain moment I heard some human voice and soon after footsteps. Every fraction of a second the footsteps were becoming louder, clearer and closer. At first I thought that some late climbers were approaching (so late?), but as the footsteps got closer the walking pace dramatically increased like they were about to walk over my tent (not noticing it?). At that moment I got nervous and figured out that that noise could not be from humans but some animal and I was under attack. I immediately attempted to get up but was imprisoned in my sleeping bag zipped in all the way to the top, to my neck (it was a cold night). In the last moment I furiously liberated my arms and did shake the tent as noisy as possible to scare away whatever it was outside trying to conquer me (eat?). And the silent returned to the surrounding. I was not sure where the line was between the dream and reality, but was certain the final approaching noise was real. In the morning, however, I did not notice any new or suspicious marks in the snow. Strange!!! And I had only a loaf of garlic bread bought at Vons in Bishop that day. :shock: :lol: :oops:

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Sean Kenney

 
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Re: Footprints on Mt Whitney, what animals left them?

by Sean Kenney » Thu Feb 21, 2013 8:49 pm

MooseTracks wrote:It's just a bunny!!

http://youtu.be/cCI18qAoKq4


Pooka!
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Re: Footprints on Mt Whitney, what animals left them?

by lcarreau » Fri Feb 22, 2013 12:15 am

Image
"Turkey Vultures always vomit when they get nervous."


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