2017 Mosquito Reports

Questions and reports related to Sierra Nevada current and forecast conditions, as well as general precautions and safety information. Trail conditions, fire/smoke reports, mosquito reports, weather and snow conditions, stream crossing information, and more.
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travelingclouds
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Courtright to Hell For Sure Lake 8/12-13

Post by travelingclouds »

Did a backpacking trip leaving from courtright to hell for sure lake. Mosquitos not really a problem until you hit about 9500 ft.

Started getting bit prob from the last 3 miles before you hit Disappointment lake (level 1)

Disappointment Lake: 3 (quite a bit during dawn/dusk, definitely had to wear long sleeves or be in the tent
Hell For Sure Lake: 0 (didn't see any mosquitoes there in the morning)
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Bedbug
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Ansel Adams Wilderness - Aug 7 - 12

Post by Bedbug »

Mosquitoes were not bad, which was a pleasant surprise

Day 1 - Agnew Meadow to Thousand Island Lake - Level 1
Day 2 - Thousand Island to Shadow Creek - Level 2 (around marshy areas on trail)
Day 3 - Shadow Cr to Iceberg Lake - Level 1 (there was lot of wildfire smoke when we were circumnavigating Ediza which helped keep the bugs down)
Day 4 - Iceberg to Minaret Lake - Level 1
Day 5 - Layover at Minaret - Level 2 (when wind died down in sheltered areas)
Day 6 - Minaret to Postpile - Level 2 (around marshy areas on trail)
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SirBC
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8/14-8/16 Little Lakes Valley

Post by SirBC »

Ranged from 1 to 3. They were mostly tolerable throughout the day but at dusk (but not so much at dawn) they were quite heavy, requiring a head net. All in all I wasn't too bothered by them other than at dusk and only have a few bites.
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kenjones234
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South and West Tahoe Rim Trail - Aug 7-13

Post by kenjones234 »

Day One - Big Meadow to Showers Lake - mosquitoes at 1.
Day Two - Showers Lake to Tamarack Lake - mosquitoes at 1 during the day, 2 at dusk.
Day Three - Tamarack Lake to Gilmore Lake - mosquitoes at 1 during the day, 2 at dusk.
Day Four - Gilmore Lake to Fontanillis Lake - mosquitoes at 1.
Day Five - Fontanillis Lake to Eagle Falls picnic area, then return to Middle Velma Lake - mosquitoes at 1 during the day, 2 at dusk.
Day Six - Middle Velma Lake, through Campers Flat and China Flat, over Mosquito Pass, and to Echo Summit trailhead - mosquitoes 2 in the wooded valley of Campers/China flat, 1 everywhere more exposed.
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Solace-seeker
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Little Pothole Lake 8/11

Post by Solace-seeker »

August 11, 2017by
There were Mosquitos at Little Pothole Lake. It was heavy at dust and some at dawn too. I wasn't bothered by them other than that.
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Wandering Daisy
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Re: 2017 Mosquito Reports

Post by Wandering Daisy »

8/10-8/18
Note that I purposely stayed high and camped at exposed windy places. If there were no wind, then I suspect the mosquitoes would be worse. In general things were very green and wildflowers just past peak. In spite of a lot of standing water, the mosquitoes were not a problem. Some slopes are really drying out- lots of grasshoppers.

Heart Lake- 1
JMT to bench below Forester Pass- 1-2 (Vidette meadows worse, but I did not stop there)
Upper lakes on south side of Forrester Pass- 0
Swampy area along the trail to Lake South America - 3
Lake South America - 1
Upper lakes south of Lucy's Footpath- 0
Unnamed Lake east of Mt Jordan - 0
"Casper Lake" 1-2
upper valley (sometimes called Rainbow valley) with Thunder Mountain at the head- I stayed above the immediate drainage 1-2
Trail up the Kern River back to Lake South America - 2
JMT to Bighorn Plateau - 0-1
Upper Wrights Lakes 0-1
Wallace and Wales Lake 0-1
JMT to Crabrtree Ranger Station - 0
Upper Crabtree Meadow - 2
Lower Crabtree Lake - 1-2
Upper Crabtree Lakes - 0
Arctic Lake -0 (very windy- 2 if wind died down, but not mosquitoes, but little gnats)
JMT to Trail Crest - 0
Trail Crest to Consultation Lake- 0-1
Outpost campsite - 0
trail to Whitney Portal - 0
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Wandering Daisy
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Re: 2017 Mosquito Reports

Post by Wandering Daisy »

Second hand information, but I ran into two fellows who had hiked up the Kern River and said the mosquitoes were horrible all the way up until they reached the upper basin, just below Lake South America.
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tmorton23
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Re: 2017 Mosquito Reports

Post by tmorton23 »

Just completed a trek from Kennedy Meadows Pack Station (off Hwy 108) to Tuolumne Meadows. Mosquitoes were levels 2-3 most of the way. Ran into a level 5 event crossing the Emigrant Meadow basin where we had to run to get away from them.
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Desolation W - Rockbound Pass to Leland Lakes, 8/20-22

Post by wildhiker »

Backpacked to Lake Lois over Rockbound Pass from Wrights Lake on west side of Desolation Wilderness, then dayhiked north to Leland Lakes. The whole area was very green with profuse wildflowers and water everywhere - many very wet and boggy meadows. We also got a lot of rain. I was surprised that mosquitoes were not bad. Mostly level 1 (none to very few) during the day, except in very damp forest or meadows some would land on you while hiking and bite (if you didn't swat them first) - up to level 2. At dusk at the lake campsite, level 2. Just got a few bites. Did not take any special precautions - no deet, mostly wore short sleeved shirt and short pants.
-Phil
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Dave
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2017 JMT Mosquito Reports

Post by Dave »

I begin my hike of the JMT September 8 from Happy Isles. I am experienced in Sierra backpacking, and I know that in a normal year, that would mean few to no mosquitos the entire length of the JMT. It sounds like this year is very different, though.

Can anyone comment on the current mosquito conditions (late August)? I am debating whether to take my tarp without any netting (my original plan), or if I need to take my tent with netting.

Thanks!

Dave
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