High Sierra Topix

NFKR: 8200 to 9000 ft.....3-4
Higher up the NFKR heading to Portal Lake 5+ Miserable
B Cap Basin Lakes: 3-4 depending on wind (very little) and time of day.
Overall....our worst encounter w/the swarming hoards

July 4th holiday
3 Big Arroyo to Black Rock Pass via Little Five Lakes
1 Nine Lake Basin

Just returned 21 days, backcountry Yosemite: just a quick stop home to mow the lawn, a few chores, and back up – solo trip report to follow soon.

Mosquitoes are horrific above 9,000 (Tuolumne/Ireland)...increasing numbers at 10,000, (Bernice)…worse at 11,000 (Upper Harriet), but, good news - decreasing as you go lower…Valley is hot and bug free - mostly.
Great fishing though, and with this heat, all the buggers will soon be gone.

Because of the swarms, had to dine “in”, the last few days…spent the time doing an hourly count of the number of bugs “landed” on a “square foot”, outside panel of my tent door.
FYI …count was: 217 – 257 - 193 (at dusk).

Nobody in the backcountry…smoke from local fires comes and goes…no rain yet.
Sure is beautiful.
Mark

Meiss Meadow/Upper Truckee basin yesterday: 3 near streams/marshes, 2 elsewhere.

Just got back from a 4 day trip to the Minarets --- I would rate it as a strong 4 on the skeeter scale. I brought Cutter (23% DEET) repellant and it kept them away from me the whole time. They were extremely annoying especially at dawn and dusk.

The key was finding camp sites that get a good breeze --- once the wind got going, the mosquitos were pretty much powerless. This was much easier said than done!

I was between 8000 ft and 10,000 ft and they were equally bad at all elevations. I found the key was to wear long sleeves and pants -- I saw a few people with head nets and I would've used one had I brought it along.

If you even think of going up to the high country without repellant then you are going to go absolutely insane. It was pretty stunning to watch these clouds of mosquitos descend on anything that didn't have a whiff of DEET.

Whitney area, dabbed a little Off unscented on my face in the morning going up the North Fork. Coming back on the main trail I would rate it #2 from Outpost camp down. Sprayed arms/face with Off twice going down the main trail and old trail. Only got 2 bites this trip. Wore long sleeve shirt and long pants, cycling gloves and hat.

Just back from a trip over Duck Pass out of Mary Lake, Mammoth, down Fish Creek and out to Reds Meadow. Went over Tioga Pass to get there. Stopped at the pass and hiked over to Gaylor Lakes for acclimatization to altitude effect. It was 4 to 5 there. Next day did a day hike to Duck Pass with some fishing along the way--about a 3 especially in meadow areas and near lakes. Next day started main trip, over Duck Pass to Purple Lake--about 3 there. Tulley Hole and Cascade Valley ran 3 to 2, getting better the lower we got. The last night down in Fish Valley near Island Crossing, it was not quite down to 1, but almost.

Mike

Just returned from Pear Lake and it was a 3 there. Mornings were the worst and not even the daily rain kept them away. I would imagine with all of the rain there this weekend that the near future will be even worse.

Southern Clark Range, Ansel Adams Wilderness.

7-8000ft.......I'd give it a four. Bug spray required and they were still annoying. Thought about the headnet, but didn't use it.

8-9500ft........I'll give it a 2-3.....long sleeves and pants were all that were needed and although some bug juice would have helped, it was not necessary.

All in all....not too bad for mid July.

Eagle Lake, Mineral King, last weekend. Maybe a 2. Rained at the end of the day, off and on. They were only a little problem on the last steep wooded section on the trail.