High above the tree line, summer is a brief window of survival. This video brings you onto the rugged, boulder-strewn slopes where the American pika works tirelessly to prepare for the brutal winter months ahead.

Watch the incredible focus of this small mountain dweller as it carefully selects, cuts, and carries bundles of alpine flora back to its rocky fortress. Known for their distinct high-pitched warning calls and remarkable "haymaking" behavior, pikas do not hibernate—making every single harvest run a critical race against time. This field footage captures the raw determination, lightning-fast movements, and immense character of the alpine tundra's smallest resident.