High Sierra Topix

June 12th- McGee Creek alongside the creek and near wet areas climbing up to the lakes -- 3
We did not want to stop long. Most put on Deet or Picardin at this point

June 13-14 Big McGee Lake -- 2
and the breezes sure kept them at bay

I ended up with about 12 bites on exposed areas before relenting and applying Picardin and they bit me through my lightweight wool shirt!

June 12>14 visited Desolation Wilderness areas from Wright's Lake at 6950 to Island Lake at 8100. Sunny fair weather balmy temps, light night breezes, calm thru mid mornings, increasing up canyon breezes to moderately windy afternoon. Backpack night hiked in and mosquitoes were a 1. Next morning about a 2. Afternoon with breezes 1 with most day hikers coming up just in shorts and t-shirts. Able to lay out in sun at lake edge after dip in water without any. Evenings 1>2. Wore full clothing and headgear and did not need to use repellent. Bitten once or twice all trip. Lots of water still draining down off talus and north-facing snow fields so plenty of standing water and potentially could get worse. Also plenty of standing water down in flats of Wright's Lake. However mosquito eating damselflies are already making an appearance.

David
http://www.davidsenesac.com/Spring_2015 ... 015-1.html

June 14. Kaiser Wilderness, George and Upper Twin Lakes. Lower area of the approach (north, Sample Meadows side)=3. There seemed to be little breeze blowing down there. Higher areas more like 2 owing to the fairly consistent breeze, with Upper Twin being breezier. George's swampy inlet side was about a 3, although even there things weren't so bad when the breeze picked up.

June 13-14

Saddlebag Lake 3-4

We arrived Saturday afternoon at 4 and left in the morning by 11, so I can’t say if they calmed down in the middle of the day, but during the daylight that we were there it was a constant annoyance. We all wore long sleeves, pants and head nets and while hiking you could see the guy in front of you with 5-10 sitting on his pack / hat / shoulders. There are still patches of snow and the ground in the entire valley is very moist from runoff.

June 13-14, Granite-->Grouse Lakes in Mokelumne Wilderness. 2 to 3, hardly any with a good breeze on the walk in, a little over 3 with no breeze at dusk. Happy to have headnet at camp at dusk.

June 12-14
Lyell Canyon - 1
Higher up the trail towards Donohue Pass - 3

Grand Canyon of the tuolumne June 11-14

Pate Valley June 11th - 2 They were there but not really biting
Muir Gorge Cathedral Creek area June 12th - 2-3, smalls swarms would come and go, a little feet and they left us alone
Glen Aulin June 13th - 3 About the same amount as the day before but more hungry. Deet kept them at bay
Tuolumne Meadows - 1 Not an issue and not sure I even saw 1

Overall there were blood suckers present but defiantly not that active...phew

Some areas 1, but 2 near lakes or ponds.

Dusy Basin: 2-3.5, the lower elevation the worse, the last day the upper lakes became 1 with wind.
Palisade Basin / Barrett Lakes: 2-3.

Loop in Emigrant Wilderness from Crabtree trailhead to Emigrant Lake via Piute Meadow and Deer Lake, return via Woods Lake and Grouse Lake. Mosquitos were a 4 on the above scale. Within a few miles near the trailhead where it is drier, they were fine/absent. However, elsewhere where it is quite wet they were constant throughout the day and night, even some at 5:00 am but worst in the evening. Bearable during midday. It was warm and fairly windless this weekend, so that didn't help.