High Sierra Topix

Yosemite Valley - Clark Fork: 2
Clark Fork - Merced Pass Lakes: 3-4
Ottaway Lakes: 2.5
Red Peak Pass & basin: 1
Upper Merced Peak Fork - along Triple Peak Fork: 3-4 and determined
Lower Merced Peak Fork - Merced Lake: 1-2
Echo Valley: 3 at times
Rest of the way back to Yosemite Valley: 1-2 and pretty feeble

At their worst, I'd have 20+ mosquitoes biting at once - through my clothes and regardless of Deet. A few even bit through my rain layer! Some those boots-off-sandals-on stream crossings (Illilouette Creek, upper Merced Peak Fork) were grim.

Just finished a trip in Emigrant.`(Trip report to follow)
Hyatt Lake 3
Louse Canyon 4
Studhorse Meadow 4
Chain Lakes 1 (but I was only there for lunch)
Now here is the thing I found amazing. The trail out to Box Spring TH is basically one graint meadow and the skeeters were O

Skeeters were pretty heinous at Muriel - probably 4 overall. We had a decent wind most of the afternoon that helped a bit, but they were still bad. Really bad at the normal dusk/dawn times too. Surprised by the number we encountered at Goethe too... maybe a 2-3 there.

Side note, if anyone finds a Thermarest NeoAir Xterm sleeping pad at Muriel, let me know. It seems to have rolled away while packing and just noticed it missing when we got home. It's in a dark grey sack that it came with. Posted elsewhere already, but never hurts to mention on a frequented post.

Jun 28 - Jul 1

Emigrant Wilderness/Latopie/Koenig/Leavitt Lakes

Latopie Lake via Sonora Pass PCT

Surprised to have a bug free weekend. Day hiked from Latopie (still half frozen) to Koenig to Leavitt, up the trail from Leavitt to the PCT and back to Latopie.

Sonora Pass Trailhead - 0
Latopie Lake - 0
Koenig Lakes - 0
Leavitt Lake - 0

Breezy on Thursday but calm Friday - Sunday. Lots of non biting bugs when walking through the grass but they didn't bother us.

Day-hiked the Tahoe Rim Trail on 6/30 from the Martis Peak road up over Mt Baldy and to a point under Rose Knob Peak, with elevations ranging from 8,000 to just over 9,000 feet. Light breezes. No mosquitoes.

Day-hiked from the turnout off I-80 at Donner Summit up the Castle Valley jeep trail and over Castle Pass to Round Valley, returning on the PCT. Elevations 7200 to 8000 feet. No mosquitoes in open sunny areas, but in the forested areas, they were landing and biting whenever I stopped - level 2.

6/29/18: Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead to Lower Soldier Lake via New Army Pass: They were mostly 0-1, but they were a 4 at Rock Creek and a 2 in the evening at Soldier Lake.

6/30/18: Soldier Lake to Joe Devel Peak: 0-5. They were mostly 0-1 except they were a 5 along the short section where the trail follows Rock Creek between the Soldier Lake Junction and the tarn (Lake) along Rock Creek where I left the trail to head up to Joe Devel Peak. They were also a 4 at Soldier Lake in the evening just after sunset, but otherwise about a 2 at Soldier Lake (0-1 with Deet on).

7/1/18: Soldier Lake to Cottonwood Pass and out: 0 but I did spray with Deet before leaving camp and was out by 1:30 pm.

Comments: There was a light breeze that helped and because it was really bad along the creek. Camping way up on the hill in the trees above Soldier Lake was reported to be pretty bad but I was lucky to get a nice campsite in the rocks just above the lake where there was a breeze.

6/29, 6/30, 7/1 Cottonwood Lakes trailhead to Muir Lake - 2
Hiked around the basin and up to High Lake. The only time I even noticed mosquitoes were near water and that was early am and at dusk. I sprayed all my clothing before the trip and did not get bit once. Used a head net after dinner one night. The next night just retreated to the tent at dusk. Light breeze most of the time helped.

6/27 - Wolverton to Buck Crk via Panther Gap - 1
6/28 - Tamarack Lake - 2
6/29 - Lonely Lake - 1
6/30 - Lake 11,200 - 2

Mostly it was breezy and skeeters not too bad, but they were definitely there when the breeze let up in the evenings.

7/2 - Leavitt Meadow Trailhead to Fremont Lake - 1 but 2 at the lake
7/3 - Fremont to Stella - 4 at Stella - tried to camp up high to catch the breeze
7/4 - Stella to Chain of Lakes - 2 - camped up high with a strong breeze
7/5 - Lane Lake - 1 on the mosquito but lots people.
Changed our route to stay in the lower elevations due to the mosquito's