High Sierra Topix

Rock Creek to McGee Creek
June 14 (Mosquito Flats - Mono Pass - Trails lakes) No mosquitoes
June 15 (Trails Lakes Pioneer Basin Junction) No mosquitoes
June 16 (Junction - Mono Creek - PCT - Pocket Meadow) Lower Mono Creek mosquitoes by downed trees, Pocket Meadows Mosquitoes 100% DEET worked
June 17 (Pocket Meadow - Tully Hole - Horse Heaven -right below McGee Pass) Mosquitoes the whole way. Really bad from Horse Heaven to below pass. 100% DEET didn't work at all. I counted over 50 on my husband's back. On a scale of 1-10 This place got a big 10
June 18 (below McGee Pass - pass- Big McGee Lake - trail head) Mosquitoes on the pass, wind helped, Mosquitoes at Big McGee, wind helped On a scale of 1-10 about a 7. The last 5 miles of the trail no mosquitoes.

crowley climbr wrote:Rock Creek to McGee Creek
June 14 (Mosquito Flats - Mono Pass - Trails lakes) No mosquitoes
June 15 (Trails Lakes Pioneer Basin Junction) No mosquitoes
June 16 (Junction - Mono Creek - PCT - Pocket Meadow) Lower Mono Creek mosquitoes by downed trees, Pocket Meadows Mosquitoes 100% DEET worked
June 17 (Pocket Meadow - Tully Hole - Horse Heaven -right below McGee Pass) Mosquitoes the whole way. Really bad from Horse Heaven to below pass. 100% DEET didn't work at all. I counted over 50 on my husband's back. On a scale of 1-10 This place got a big 10
June 18 (below McGee Pass - pass- Big McGee Lake - trail head) Mosquitoes on the pass, wind helped, Mosquitoes at Big McGee, wind helped On a scale of 1-10 about a 7. The last 5 miles of the trail no mosquitoes.

Strange that they changed so much in a couple days at similar elevations. Were the conditions different on the first few days (windy)?

Emerald and Pear Lake, Lakes Trail SEKI, June 21-22

The board next to the permit desk warned of bad mosquitoes. We stayed at Emerald for two nights. (When I was picking up the permit, a man was picking up a permit for a ten-person Scout troupe going to Pear so I changed our destination to Emerald). There were almost no bugs on the hike up to Emerald. There were some at Emerald, but the wind at our campsite (#6) kept them away. We day-hiked to Pear the next morning. One family told us that Pear was “mosquito hell,” but the wind kept them away while we were there. For those times the wind wasn't blowing, deet worked as advertised.

June 23-25 Mono Meadow Trailhead to Illilouette Creek
2 nights camping and fishing

Mosquitos were a 1, maybe a 0. I only saw 4 or 5 the whole trip, even in Mono Meadow with the standing water. It was a breezy weekend, but I didn't notice the wind much, so I'm not sure how much of a factor that was.

Courtright to Red Mtn. Basin -- 6/21 thru 6/26

Post corral Mdw. - 1, Camped up off the meadow.

Hell for Sure Lake, Devil's Punchbowl - 0 to 2. Both lakes were quite windy and the skeets didn't have much of an opportunity to make a strong showing.

Rae Lake - 1 to 3. Also a good breeze for most of my stay. The morning we hiked out was still and this was the only time i would call it a 3. Still very manageable with long clothes and a little DEET.

HST Members,

Went back and entered all the locations and dates into the "subject" column on
previous posts, please enter this info when posting your reports, it makes referencing
a particular area of interest for other member faster and easier. Thanks

Anyone been up and have a report for Shepherd Pass and the friendly little winged guys?

Mosquitos were present all along the trail, as was advertised at the Lodgepole visitor center, but I would estimate only around a 1-2 on the 5 point scale. Picaridin seemed to work pretty well as a deterrent.

Mosquitos were much better up on Silliman pass in the higher wind and worse around the lakes (Twin, Seville and Ranger lakes). Around dusk by Ranger and early-mid morning by Seville were the worst, maybe a 4. Covering up well and 98% deet only seemed to help mentally.

Kennedy Meadows TH to Summit Creek: 0-1
Summit Creek, Lewis Lakes, Granite Dome, Iceland Lake: 1-2
Lower Relief Valley, Relief Creek/Summit Creek Confluence: 1-2

All in all, very light and any wind kept them away.

Just returned from the 20 lakes basin:
In the 20 lakes basin near 2-3/5, but the PM wind kept them down. In the quiet AM or dinnertime/dusk, watch out!

Conness Lakes less so 1-2/5 don't know why.

up high away from the water or meadows, 1/5.