High Sierra Topix

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.

Big Pine Creek last Thursday through Sunday. A 1 at the trail head, stayed there overnight(7700 ft.). A 2 all the way to the top(11,200 ft I think), except around some boggy stream areas, where there were some skeeters during the day. My daughter and I both came back with no bites.

this is from my trip last weekend to the silver lake area (june lake loop):
- agnew lake 1
- gem lake 2
- billy lake (only there during the day, 3)
- clark lakes (only there during the day, 2)

I got about 11 mosquito bites, and i'm guessing almost all of them came in a swarm around billy lake/rush creek before i was able to get my DEET out.

From this past weekend July 19-21

Pioneer Basin: 4+ (Hard to rank based upon the rank descriptions because the wind was blowing them away our first day - when it stopped blowing they came out of nowhere in a frenzy. The following morning all was still, they were biting through 40% DEET, I inhaled more than I'd like to count, and I would describe it as a 6)

Fourth Recess Lake: 2

I heard from two parties that the skeeters in Hopkin's Basin were horrible, and based on the descriptions a 5

Hi TB

How was the smoke during the days? Okay for photography?

maverick wrote:Hi TB

How was the smoke during the days? Okay for photography?

Hey Mav, didn't even notice any smoke. Driving Fri night there was a strip of smog across the SJ valley, but it didn't seem to effect much of anything.

That is what I wanted to hear. Your report and CG's make it time to hit the
mountains again. Posting some pic's and TR soon? Thanks TB

Heading to Twenty Lakes Basin Monday, any report from there?

Glen Aulin 7/19 = 2
Young Lakes 7/21 = 3

Smoke was pretty much nil. Dark clouds and rain kept us off Conness tho (we made it to the marsh at the cirque below the plateau and turned back), guess that happens pretty often around Conness... next time!