American Pika

A rare view of an American Pika on the South Gate trail on Mt Shasta; at an elevation of about 7800 ft.

Despite their cuddly appearance, American pikas—the smallest members of the lagomorph group—are among North America's toughest animals. Pikas are one of the few mammals in the lower 48 states that can survive their entire lives in alpine terrain, the windswept no-man's-land above tree line.

The National Wildlife Federation

In this area, chipmunks are a common sight, but this was the only time in all the years I've lived and hiked here that I've spotted a pika.