TR: Brainerd Lake 6/21 > 6/22

[hikerdmb]

From the pics it looks like you still had a wonderful trip. I did the north fork a couple years ago and my dog couldn't wait to get in the creek when we reached Second Falls. That first couple of miles on the south facing slope can make for a hot afternoon after spending the morning driving up 395. I have not been up the south fork yet but it looks like a nice area to check out.

[lensman137]

That is one cool dog!

[schmalz]

That is one cool dog!

Yeah, she is pretty unique. We actually had someone in our neighborhood notice her in our yard and ask if she was Callie from the internet. Possibly a HST'er?

[SSSdave]

I've had plans to visit that basin for years but it is a long drive from Northern California.

Sounds like you need some advice on dealing better with mosquitoes as they ought not be an issue unless you are one of those people that refuses to use DEET. Probaly need to bring some extra netting to cover Callie or even better one of those cheap all net bug bivy's. And a prime directive we always have when backpacking is to rise at dawn on trailhead days and beat the heat. Hate hiking midday on a sunny trail with dark rock broiling in infrared heat.

[schmalz]

I've had plans to visit that basin for years but it is a long drive from Northern California.

Sounds like you need some advice on dealing better with mosquitoes as they ought not be an issue unless you are one of those people that refuses to use DEET. Probaly need to bring some extra netting to cover Callie or even better one of those cheap all net bug bivy's. And a prime directive we always have when backpacking is to rise at dawn on trailhead days and beat the heat. Hate hiking midday on a sunny trail with dark rock broiling in infrared heat.

Dave - Do I need mosquito advice? I carry DEET but don't like to use it. If you read my post carefully, you'd notice me mention that my clothing protects me but it does not protect Callie nor eliminate the mental aggravation of being swarmed. I will get a headnet for Callie, but to be honest, the majority of damage was done while we were hiking, as she was pretty well protected at the campsite. As far as I can tell, there is no way to protect a dog while it is hiking.

re: timing. I got to the trail as early as possible on Saturday. There is nothing else I could have done, and on Sunday, I was up before dawn and it did not help the bugs.

[Wandering Daisy]

I sympathize. Mosquitoes affect people differently. They hardly touch my husband, instead swarm me. He always says taking me along is better than DEET. There is a level of swarming that just undoes me mentally, regardless of head-net, DEET and not being bit. Bites also swell to large lumps on me, but not my husband. The intense mosquito season in the Sierra is relatively short, and lately, I simply sit it out at home. Dogs and small children should not be taken out in swarming mosquitoes- they simply cannot defend themselves effectively.

The most effective mosquito "repellant" is wind. The NWS "tabular forecasts" show hourly predicted wind. Granted it is a computer model that generates the values, but I found them fairly accurate. I hunt around for places that are going to have high winds and go there. All predictions are only good for a few days, so this, of course, does not work for a long trip, but is really helpful for a weekend trip. Mosquito season is also a good time for high ridge-runs and camping on peaks and plateaus. Kuna Crest traverse is a good example of this. Even when Tuolumne Meadows is swarming, after the first few hours, once you start climbing up to the crest, mosquitoes are gone.

[hurricaniac]

Willow Lk. and the trail to Brainerd is a well-known mosquito swamp. The only relief in that area is to go up to Finger Lk, which is well worth the scramble from Brainerd. The dog may have to struggle a bit on the talus, tho.

Finger Lk., July 2011

[JackiC]

Brainerd is spelled correctly. Lawson Brainerd was head ranger at Muir Woods and was a volunteer for many years after. I can vouch for the spelling as he was my dad's brother (my Uncle) and a pretty amazing man.

[Wandering Daisy]

Although I have not used it, there evidently is bug repellant for animals - they use it on horses, more for flies than mosquitoes. You could try to find some at a feed store. Or ask your vet if there is something that would work.

My poor dog got swarmed and blood-sucked by black flies last year in Wyoming. Since she as black thick long fur, and black flies are black, we were not even aware that there were armies of black flies crawling on her skin until it was too late. She was actually acting sick so we came out a day early. Once we got out of the flies, she was OK and the bites healed up quickly.

There were also mosquitoes. We put a head net on her but that did not last long. If you are thinking of a head net, you may have to try it at home and get Callie accustomed to it.

[schmalz]

My current technique for Callie is to just avoid the mosquito season. I've gotten better at that in the last couple of years and we haven't had any incidents since this trip. I hate dealing with bugs too so I don't consider myself to be sacrificing much. I'll be doing most of my Sierra trips with my young son soon, so it's good training for that.