SummitPost.org

Tons of bugs, tons of snow. Made it to 9200' before heading down, but it was still fun. Paying for it today though.

http://mymountainsoregon.blogspot.com/2011/06/mt-mcloughlin-6-27-11.html

That was my experience too. Worst bugs I've ever seen. Anywhere. First time I actually had to DEET up in the car, as they were swarming around the car when I pulled up in the parking lot.

etsnyd wrote:That was my experience too. Worst bugs I've ever seen. Anywhere. First time I actually had to DEET up in the car, as they were swarming around the car when I pulled up in the parking lot.

yiiiiiikes!!!!
doesnt high concentration deet say 'keep away from upholstery?

"Oh there ain't no bugs on me,
There ain't no bugs on me ..
There may be bugs on some of you mugs,
But there ain't no bugs on me.

Well, the Juney bug comes in June,
The lightning bug comes in May ..
Bed bug comes just any old time,
But, they're not going to stay.

Oh there ain't no bugs on me,
There ain't no bugs on me ..
There may be bugs on the rest of you mugs,
But there ain't no bugs on me!

Well, a bull frog sittin' on a lily pad,
Looking up at the sky ..
The lily pad broke and the frog fell in,
He got water all in his eye...ball ..."

Yep, frickin' horrible, and I lived in SE Alaska where the joke is the mosquito is the state bird! Really a learning experience, what to take, what not to take, time, calorie expenditure, hydration. I'm still proud of 9,200'.

Same story here. Did it about 3 or 4 years ago on June 22 while wearing shorts, a t-shirt and hiking boots and that was about it.

Got eaten alive! But at least I made the summit, albeit scary intimidating on the upper portions of snow/snice without any way of stopping a slide.

I recall accidentally melting my car's dome light a bit when some DEET struck it, and wondering, this has to be one of the most widely accepted toxic agents.

The upper part didn't intimidate me too much, but I did have my ice axe out the whole time even if I ditched the crampons after the last stretch of rock near my stopping point. Anywhere I could stay on rock I did, but the snow was so iffy up there, solid in stretches or mush but not enough to warrant snow shoes or crampons most of the way. I took both, and probably didn't need to.

epicclimb wrote:

etsnyd wrote:That was my experience too. Worst bugs I've ever seen. Anywhere. First time I actually had to DEET up in the car, as they were swarming around the car when I pulled up in the parking lot.

yiiiiiikes!!!!
doesnt high concentration deet say 'keep away from upholstery?

Yes, luckily I have leather seats. But I've destroyed many an item (sunglasses, Swiss-Army knives, camera-viewer) with DEET. But on that particular morning, the sight was unbelievable as I pulled up in the parking lot. There was literally a cloud of mosquitoes hovering around the car. Even though I DEETed up, the cloud hovered around me all the way up to snow line, where they miraculously abated. I did make the summit, and on the way down, I was saved by an immense thunderstorm which kept all flying critters grounded. Also nicely washed off the DEET too.