This is classic, although subtle, Trailhead Marmotry.
Its a graduate level skill acquired by lowland marmots who are more comfortable in heavily vehicle-infested areas, than in talus-and-summit-pack terrain. A more common form of the art involves ignition wires: the use of the insulation shows a restrained, subtle, more impressionistic touch, probably the work of a younger, more avant-garde and perhaps next- generation Marmota flaviventris.
At Horseshoe, the Mineral King School of Trailhead Marmotry may have indeed taken hold, and this leans heavily toward electrical work: crude, aggressive, unimagnitive, but reliable. Sort of the Elvis on Black Velvet of Marmot art.
I have always wanted to wrap chicken wire or that really tacky highway orange plastic safety fence that all of the better ski areas and road crews love so much around the tires and underbody of a rental car. Or a good, heavy spray of fresh Stoddard solvent on every accessible surface under the hood
Or maybe if you leave a bag of Skittles on the exhaust manifold (don't forget its there)they'll leave your wires alone.
I have no idea if any of this will work: I just bet you are dealing with marmots and wanted to get the conversation started on a positive note.
