SummitPost.org

I'm planning to get out again this equinoxal week and was wondering if there is any reason at all to believe that mosquitoes will be a problem, or evident for that matter, anywhere in the high country (Sierra) after more than a week of freezes above 10K and snow above 12K.

There were clouds of 'em in the Velma Lakes basin in Desolation this week

They're pretty well cleared out in the areas around Bishop. Those that remain are hardy but pretty slow from the weather.

There were some at Anvil Camp (Shepherd Pass) on 9-15. Only a couple (now dead) stragglers higher.

There's one visiting the "Skeeters Gone" thread ..



SQUISH THE DARN THING !!!

No mosquitoes in the Mineral King area this weekend.

Thanks. Surprised about Desolation. Keep the reports coming. Someone is likely to hit upon a destination I'm (or anybody else) is interested in.

Surprised about Desolation.

The parts of Desolation that anyone cares about were skeeter free. (Or at least the winds were keeping them at bay)

They were problematic in the forested ridge between Velma Lakes and General Creek- and I think only PCT/TRT through hikers ever bother to venture back that direction.

I heard complaints that they were bad at Spooner Lake on Tahoe's Eastside this weekend as well.

Not bad but had to spritz a little Cutter this weekend at Thousand Island Lake and while stopped along the river trail.

Flowers are still abundant, so I'd expect a few mossies to be hangin' around, too...

Went scrambling on Trapezoid Peak out of South Lake on Saturday and was rather surprised when a cloud of them descended on me near Margaret Lake. Still lots of wet boggy meadows over there.

Had moderate problems with mosquitos all along the JMT from Palisades Cr. to Goddard Canyon last week. Had major problems all the way up Goddard Canyon, in fact we were swatting bugs all the way up to the top of Hell For Sure Pass. Very few mosquitos on the west side of the divide, but experienced swarms of annoying gnats.

Well, I can report my own recent findings now. Unbelievably, mossies still active in wet–ish areas along the HST, Crescent Meadow to Kaweah Gap and along the upper lakes of the Great Western Divide to Mineral King last week. Not so bad that I ever used bug repellant or a head net, but mildly annoying yet in the evenings. Gnats were annoying for the first 7 miles of the HST (from the west) in SEKI. What is it with western SEKI and gnats? Same problem a couple of years ago from Road's End up Bubbs Creek...

Angel's Wings, Hamilton Creek (9/22/11)


Kaweah Peaks, Little Five lakes (9/23/11)