Guardian of the Alpine

High among the granite ridges of Washington's Alpine Lakes Wilderness, marmots have made a life where few other mammals can thrive. From rocky outcrops like this one, they spend the brief mountain summer watching over the alpine meadows, sounding warnings to one another, and soaking in the warmth of the afternoon sun.

As ridge after ridge disappears into the blue horizon, this lone sentinel becomes a reminder that the mountains are more than places to visit. They are living landscapes, shaped not only by wind and stone, but by the creatures that have always called them home.