[pct-l] Glacier Peak and mice

[Scott Diamond]

I had a hole in the netting of my  tent. Since there were no mosquitoes I
didn't think it would be a problem but in the Northern Cascades, for a
week, every night, a mouse would climb up the netting, in through the hole
and then scamper around my tent searching for my food bag. The worst part
was how I found out about it. I always woke up because a mouse had walked
across my face. There is little as eerie as being asleep and feeling these
small feet on your face.  It got to be a regular thing. I'd turn on my
light find the mouse, open the tent and shoo it out. The mouse never
returned the rest of the night but it was uncanny how this same process
repeated each night I camped at a different site.

So, I'll buy one of those mouse canisters next time they are available.

 -Rover

On Wed, May 10, 2017 at 10:42 AM, Barry Teschlog <tokencivilian at yahoo.com>
wrote:

> Mice - the "Yosemite Bears" of Washington when it comes to stealing hiker
> food and ripping up tents.
>
> Best get a "mouse canister" for the grub.  I can see an Glacier Peak Mouse
> Interagency Working Group (GPMIWG) in our future to certify the acceptable
> mouse canisters.  Please, think of the mice.  Problem mice will have to be
> destroyed if they get habituated to human food.
>
> Tongue firmly in cheek on the above.  ;-)
>
> But seriously, yes, mice are a pain in the neck in that area.  They'll
> chew through zip lock bags, stuff sacks and tents to get at the grub,
> especially if the food is directly against the netting or edge of a tent.
> I've not had a problem with mice chewing their way in when "hanging" the
> food inside the tent.  I've personally never had a mouse get into a hung up
> food bag, but I use very fine cord in a poorly executed "bear bag" hang job
> (mouse bag?, LOL) and they may not have been able to climb down that.
>
>       From: sdscpcts <sdscpcts at yahoo.com>
>  To: David Hough reading PCT-L <pctl at oakapple.net>; pct-l at backcountry.net;
> tokencivilian at yahoo.com
>  Sent: Tuesday, May 9, 2017 8:27 PM
>  Subject: Re: [pct-l] Glacier Peak and mice
>
> Two years ago I camped in the campsite on the south side of Suiattle River
> bridge and had a mouse chew through the side of my tent to get to some
> food. The next night I camped just west of the creek that is west of the
> junction of the PCT and the Suiattle River Trail. There I hung my food, but
> the mice climbed the tree and descended the rope to attack my food.
>       Mataguay Connector
>