When it feels like you just woke up, but Hot Marmot summer is almost over. As summer is winding down, hoary marmots are preparing for a winter of hibernation. They hibernate in burrows for 7-8 months a year, so in late summer they are preparing for the winter ahead. Marmots do not store food for the winter, instead they rely on the fat stores they have built up during the summer months to survive the long, cold winter. How would you prepare for a long winter of hibernation? NPS Photos Photo one: a hoary marmot sitting upright in a grassy area looking towards the camera. Photo two: a hoary marmot sitting upright in a grassy area looking down to the left.