High Sierra Topix

I was planning a hike along the Dinkey Lakes Loop Trail. My friends and I want to avoid mosquitoes as much as possible, and hear early in the hiking season (May?) or late (September?) for this elevation. Is the first lake accessible in late May/early June? Is it better to wait until August or September?

If you really want to avoid mosquitoes, later in the year is better. Right after the snow melts, there is a brief window where the mosquitoes are few...but you really have to be lucky to hit it just right.

IN September, no luck is involved!

After the roads open, before the snow falls.

Mosquitos are variable - it's a very dry year, and while I have seen one or two of them, it's not yet gone to swarms. There's so little snow that runoff may be done in a few weeks to a month. In a normal year, May and June are often mosquito-y.

If you don't have a high clearance vehicle, you'll want to start hiking from Courtright. The road to Willow Meadow is atrocious. While I have seen many kinds of cars up there, it always leaves me wondering how much their mechanic is pulling in, after they get home.

So it's possible that the trail will be accessible the last week(s) of May this year? I mean coming in from Rock Creek Rd.

bsd,

you could just go.. hike it.. and post a TR and tell us?!?

other than that, i would go with balzaccom's approach, but it'll be even more dry.

Given the reports (read them on the other threads), it looks like just go and do it.

Hi BSD,

Welcome to HST!
Would recommend you watch for TR's posted here, also check with the ranger
station and NFS website for updates/current conditions to this area. Sept this
year will be very dry, and May could be just right.

bsd
I was up there with Dad last May and the mosquitoes were NASTY. From the time we got outta the tent in the AM to the time we went back in it was headnets and long sleeves/pants. Eating was a chore, heck everything was geared around the bloodsuckers, but I did know what fly to use...
I have also been up there in early August on a very low snow year. Zero mosquito factor. Fishing was fair and there were few people.
The first time my buddies and I went up there there was no HST, just the ranger station, a compass and a map.
Good luck

bsd wrote:So it's possible that the trail will be accessible the last week(s) of May this year? I mean coming in from Rock Creek Rd.

You have to check on the road status with the national forest service office.

I know the website says May 20, but I was told Kaiser Pass would be open last week. It wasn't. It now says May 20 on Kaiser Pass.

The Rock Creek route has semi-paved road with bathtub sized car-eating holes in it. It's fun trying to see them through the dust and patchy shade.

The road to Courtright is closed, and the road to the other trailhead is often blocked by fallen trees until the jeep club goes up with chain saws. (Yes, I said the jeep club. We locals often are doing things all by ourselves and the sequester ain't helping.)

I've gone onto that area both early and late and will never go back early the skitters were just to numerous. It was wonderful in September. We went in from the Courtwright side both times.

August/September it is. Now I need to plan another trip for May/June. Suggestions? I was thinking Pryor Lake (too high for May?) or Nellie Lake. New post?