High Sierra Topix

Friday evening 9pm two of us night hiked 2 miles 1000 feet up from Wrights Lake to lower Twin Lakes in Desolation W. Trailhead is about a rather marshy lodgepole pine zone behind the reservoir and after noticing a few squeeters while getting our gear out of the Subu, put on some 100% Repel DEET on our hands and face, the only uncovered skin. As usual, we stopped alot on most every convenient thigh high trailside boulder or log and did not notice any as they probably flew away as soon as they got a whiff.

Arrived at Twin Lakes midnight, high 40s temps, slight breeze and left my tent in the pack. Just slept outside atop a ground sheet, balaclava on, head out in the fresh air with the residual DEET from the trailhead enough to deter any squeeters all night. In the morning after the sun came up, noticed a few buzzing about so put on some more DEET and that was that. Midday washed off the DEET, never put any on the rest of the trip. Later noticed a few buzzing around at times as there was a lot of wet areas and meadows all over, but never got a single bite until Sunday morning while hiking out. One bit my hand while I was taking a pic and another drilled into my scalp where my hair is thinning, while I was focusing my view camera under my dark cloth. So generally a 2.

Darwin Canyon 6/22-23

Mosquito rank easy 3, but they weren't biting very much even though they were EVERYWHERE from the late afternoon until it cooled down.

June 20-22:Shadow Lake x-country to Nydiver Lakes, Whitebark Pass, Garnet, 1000 Island and out.

Mosquitos were horrible (stop walking, look down and 10-15 on one leg) at Garnet and backside of 1000 Island Lake during typical skeeter times of the day. However, slight breeze in the afternoon helped a bit.

6/22 Cottonwood Pass, Inyo Natl - 0
6/22 Chicken Spring Lake, Golden Trout Wild - 1 A few mosquitos one or two bites in late afternoon and then none in evening.
6/23 Lower Soldier Lake, Seki - 0
6/23 Cottonwood Lakes - 0

I'm thinking of doing a hike next week north from Sonora Pass to Wolf Creek Lake & Boulder Lake .... anyone know what the mosquitoes are like now? Thanks!

Well to answer my own question, during our hike 7/4-7/6, mosquitos were 0 - 1 on the PCT heading north from Sonora Pass, but there was a goodly breeze which might have been keeping them away.

Monache 1, templton meadows 1, overall very few bugs. Monache has a bunch of flys. We were up there June 19th-23rd.

Mokelumne Wilderness June 28-30
Granite Lake Trailhead (off hwy88)
Day 1: Hidden Lake (2-3...no bugs until around 6, then they came out in droves...was still hiking and even while moving along the trail they were biting, put on 100% deet and they quit).

Day 2: Beebe Lake, Black Rock Lake, Cole Creek Lakes and camped at Long Lake (2-3...morning was bad, had to eat while walking fully clothed gloves and all...not so bad for most of the day managed a couple sit down breaks at Beebe Lake and Cole where they were tolerable and even got out on granite where they seemed not to be at all in direct sun. At Long they were around, but in tolerable numbers).

Day 3: Back to Granite Lake TH via Plasse TH and connecting trail around Silver Lake (UGH this day was like a 4. In the morning at Long Lake I almost didn't eat breakfast....estimated about 50 on/around me broke out the 100% deet when the face mask when full clothing wasn't cutting it and they stopped biting but were still hanging around. Couldn't really take any breaks today because they would come around).

It was a gnarly weekend bug-wise. I think dealing with this year after year gets me more mentally prepared but it's still rough when you can't stop and enjoy views. I Have a solid early season sierra tramp stamp of bites.

On the plus side, weather was amazing and saw a bear near Cole Lakes this morning on my way out!

Hi SueD,

Welcome to HST!

Headed out on the JMT this week and looking for a bug report, any information will be greatly appreciated and we thank you in advance ; )

Leaving Reds Meadow on Sun 7/7 & finishing at Happy Isle VC on Wed 7/10. Anyone who has been in these areas as of late and can give us a report will have great karma for the rest of the summer.

Last weekend at Vogelsang Area: hellish. Dropped a few hundred feet and it was better. Even had skeeters on top of Vogelsang Peak. Pretty miserable; and I don't react to them and I have a high tolerance for their annoyance.