Marmot Mailbox

The marmot is the official mascot of Staunton State Park. These cute, furry mammals are found around the rock outcroppings and meadows in the Cabin District and the higher elevation areas including around Elk Falls Pond. Officially, they are Yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris), and are rodents in the squirrel family, with closer cousins including Hoary marmots, woodchucks, and groundhogs. They have local nicknames such as rock chuck and whistle pig (after which a large boulder in the Staunton Rocks climbing area was named). But in the Park, we just call them marmots. Our Visitor Center frequently has very interesting displays about their lives.

You may see them along some of the trails, but your chances are much better if you don’t have your dog along. You will probably hear them uttering their warning whistles, and may see them sitting in the sun on rocks some distance away. They hibernate about 8 months per year, so look for them from May through September.

Your task to log this cache is to answer three questions successfully, and use the information to open the combination lock on the door of the Marmot mailbox, located in the gardens of the Visitor Center. Visiting the displays in the VC will help you be successful with your quest, or you can also visit during Marmot Fest, a weekend long celebration of marmots held annually in late June. You may also be able to find much information online at the sites of Yellowstone or Rocky Mountain National Parks, or the U.S. Forest Service, as well as other nature-oriented sites, but that approach may give conflicting answers or probably won’t help you answer the first question.

Each of the following questions has one or two correct answers. Once you determine the correct answer(s), and you have found the mailbox (door is pictured below), you can try the combination. This is an actual door manufactured in 1964 from a Post Office somewhere in the U.S., and they operate with the following sequence:

Turn the top knob several turns clockwise to reset the mechanism.
Stop at the letter or letter combination (e.g. A and B, stop midway).
Turn the top knob counterclockwise one rotation (past the place you first stopped) and continue counterclockwise to the next letter or letter combination.
Turn the top knob clockwise to the next letter or letter combination.
Turn the lower knob counterclockwise, and the door should open.

Some reference websites for information on Yellow-bellied marmots

This is a list of possible references (in no particular order) so you can learn more than you wanted about marmots. As with any internet searches, you will encounter sites that overly generalize the information (like lumping marmots and woodchucks), and sites that give great detail. Unfortunately, you will also find inconsistencies among the websites, but what else is new? You may want to look at the questions below and do your research at home before coming to the Park, since you will probably have better and faster internet connections.

Colorado Central Magazine

Montana Field Guide

CPW species profiles (scroll down)

CPW Small Game Seasons & Fees

Ridding yourself of marmots

Your Challenge to open the mailbox

Good Luck, and here are the three questions that will give you the letters in the combination.

Staunton State Park has one or more stuffed marmot model(s) with the following name(s):
A. Randy
B. Charlotte
C. Raymond
D. Chubby
E. Frances
F. Archibald
G. Rachael
H. Sigurd
I. Gertrude
J. Billy
Which of the following are true about marmots?
A. Male and female stay together for life in a monogamous relationship.
B. Females are very territorial, and chase away other females.
C. Each marmot is in a separate part of the burrow during hibernation.
D. A marmot’s body temperature can fall below freezing when hibernating.
E. Other animals avoid use of abandoned marmot burrows.
F. Hunting marmots is legal in Colorado, but no hunting is allowed in Staunton State Park.
G. The average litter size is four to five, and only half are likely to live beyond one year.
H. Females are larger than males, and weight significantly more.
I. They occasionally sleep outside to enjoy the stars in the sky.
J. They mate during hibernation.
Which of the following do marmots not eat to store up fat for their long winter slumber?
A. raspberries
B. grasses
C. wildflowers
D. lichen
E. insects
F. bird’s eggs
G. seeds
H. amphibians
I. minnows
J. backpacker’s food

This cache is located within Staunton State Park, which has one public entrance along S. Elk Creek Road, six miles west of Conifer, about 1.5 miles off U.S. Highway 285. Parking along either side of S. Elk Creek Road and Upper Ranch Road adjacent to the park boundary is prohibited. All vehicles entering the park must have a daily park pass ($9) or a CO state park annual or special pass.

The Park is open year-round, and day use hours at 6:00 am to 10:00 pm. A walk-in campground (up to Ľ mile from parking) is open for public use, and overnight parking is currently permitted only for those staying in the campground. During summer and autumn weekends, the park may reach capacity, and cars are allowed to enter only if a parking space is available. Horse trailers are admitted if space is available for parking trailers. All Park trails are natural surface, some trails are hiker-only, but other trails are multiuse for bicycles and horses also. Information about the park can be found at Staunton State Park website

All visitors must follow park rules and regulations. These include dogs on leash at all times, clean up after pets, travel on developed trails to the extent feasible, leave no trace, respect areas closed for resource management, and be careful around wildlife (especially mountain lions, coyotes, and black bears). Fires are strictly prohibited, except for camp stoves with an on/off switch in the designated campsites and grilles found in the picnic areas. No motorized vehicles are allowed on trails within the Park. An exception is the special tracked chairs that the Park offers to visitors who cannot access selected trails on their own mobility. Pack your own trash out of the back country, and trash receptacles are located near the parking areas. Also, be prepared for changing weather, bring adequate water and footwear, and trails may be snow-covered or icy in winter.