High Sierra Topix

Lillian Lake: 7/2 to 7/5

Mosquitoes were moderate during the day, very heavy at dawn and dusk. Mosquitoes present the entire hike to Lillian Lake on the Walton Trail and then on the way back using the Vanderburgh route they were only bad in a few spots.

Overall, mosquito levels were lower than I expected. Light breezes kept it manageable. This is my first trip using Picardin-based repellent, and I think it works!

* Big McGee Lake: 2-3
* Tully Lake: 4
* Above Ross Finch Lake: 1-2
* Laurel Lake: 2 (with a breeze)
* Mono Creek, 2nd Recess Junction: 3, but 1 in the breeze.

Snow Lake 3 (pretty annoying at night)
lower Slide Canyon 3 during day (bad in shade, ok in sun)
Doe Lake 4-5 (unbearable at night)
Tallulah Lake during day only 2
Mule Pass area 0

We did a 5 day loop via the Glen Aulin trailhead in Yosemite, north through Cold Canyon, west over Benson Pass to Smedberg Lake, south to Pate Valley, and back East through the Grand Canyon of the Tuolomne. Overall mosquitos were not bad except for the low elevations.

Cold Canyon north to the junction with Return Creek (~8700’): 1
Return Creek west over Benson Pass to Smedberg Lake (~9200’): 1
Smedberg south to Pate valley (~4300’): Mostly 1 until you hit the Tuolomne River where it hits 3
Pate Valley to Waterwheel falls (~6500’): 4 (hard to tell if they were small mosquitos or gnats/flies, didn’t really land but they would swarm us in every foresty section — the headnets were worth their small weight in gold)
Waterwheel falls to GA trailhead: 1

Location: Maxson TH to Portal, to Finger Col, Finger Peak, then to Reinstein Pass, over Valor, back to Portal via Blackcap Basin Lakes, out Maxson.

1-2 everywhere except the swampy bits of Goddard Creek and some still lush spots either side of Maxson Meadow, where they were 3 enough to make me not want to stop hiking.

2 most everywhere, including night one campsite near Marmot Lake and night three campsite at Lower Golden Trout Lake. Worse in the upper portions of French Canyon -- a 3 at our night two campsite near Paris and Puppet Lakes. Lower French Canyon and Hutchison Meadows were better.

2 during the day (light-to-moderate, esp. with wind). 3 in marshy/tarn/willowy/lake areas (heavy at night and in morning--eat with headnet in these areas).

2 most of the time. We had a nice breeze/wind while in Pioneer Basin, so barely noticed them. Flared to a 2/3 when it was calm. Not bad at all and no complaints. Were the worst in the forest up to Pioneer Basin, but only if you stopped.

No bug issues from Mosquito Flat - Mono Pass - Golden Lake trail junction for reference too. It was toasty though!!

3, except in passes etc.

“lollipop” circuit start/end Maxson TH:
2-3 through lower-elev. sections of trip; level 4 in boggy forest area just before (west of) Fleming Lake, also 4 (on my way out) in a broad area around Hobler Lake and Maxson Meadow. Few to none at Hell-for-Sure, Horseshoe, Blackrock Lakes.