Seeking advice on early season trip planning.

[AidanDawn2000]

What level of backpacking experience do you have?
Level 3- Numerous backpacking trips, some x-country travel

What terrain are you comfortable with
- Class 2 terrain/pass/x-country
- River crossings

What is your main interest?
- Lakes
- Big Mountain scenery
- Fishing

When is your trip?
June 1st ish
How many days/nights is your trip, not including travel to the trailhead?
Flexible

How many miles did you want to do a day, any layovers?
Max 15 miles/day

Have you hiked at elevation before? Any prior issues with Altitude Sickness?
Yes, no problems

Hi wise ones!
I have never tried an early season trip in the Sierras but summer time planning and low snow year are pointing me in that direction.
Currently, a June 1st trip to I'va Bell via fish creek trail is top of my list (going there last August via Graveyard Lakes blew my mind). But open to suggestions if I'va Bell doesn't make sense.
Really looking for advise on predicting that golden window (often described as a 2.47 hour period) between the melting of most snow and the mosquito apocalypse that is sure to follow soon after.

Fish creek trail out of reds medows looks to only see a maximum elevation of 7,700. This seems pretty low, will the mosquitos already be darkeining the sky around here by june 1st? I know thats hard to predict, open to gueses!

These threads give some hope
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=17932
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=19204&hilit=early+june+mosquitos

[Gogd]

If it doesn't freeze at night, you may have a mosquito problem.
If you are in a location notorious for mosquitoes, you may have a problem.
If you are at mid to lower elevations, you may have a mosquito problem.

That all said:
It probably won't freeze below 8K at night.
The trail isn't as bad as Western Sierra trails can be for bugs, but does has pockets where mosquitoes are an issue.
This is a low trail by Eastern Sierra standards.
Therefore I believe you're in for some bugs.
You may also have stream crossing issues @ Crater Creek, Fish Creek, and Sharktooth Creek.

Ed

[Wandering Daisy]

Hard to predict. Look into the "conditions" sub-forum. I think Maverick just set up the 2022 format for entering trip conditions. Another source of information is the PCT journals and blogs. Some early PCT hikers may have gone that far by then. I had pretty thick mosquitoes at Ediza Lake last year 6/12. Yet none other drier locations. It is very site-specific.

Road usually does not open until mid-June. Only 3 years it opened by June 1. You can walk the road to Reds Meadows but it is a long walk.

[c9h13no3]

Isn’t Fish creek a tough crossing early season? Course, this year there may not be enough snow to matter.

https://jimmyjamhikingclub.com/2019/06/ ... killed-me/

[Wandering Daisy]

2019 was a 176% snowpack. Quite different from this year's 39%. On any early season trip, you need to anticipate not being able to cross and just accept that you may have to turn back. Lots of nice hiking and such in the area even if you do not get to your destination. I think the road opening may be more of an issue. A closed road only adds a few an hour if you are going to Thousand Island Lake or other lakes in the Minarets. If you could get a permit for that trip, you would not have to worry about the road opening.

I think it is a good bet that the first few weeks in June this year are going to have mosquitoes at 7000-9000 feet elevations. You need to be prepared.

[tim]

There’s a large bridge on Fish Creek at Island Crossing. And IIRC a log bridge across Sharktooth Creek and a similar bridge on Cold Creek. Crater Creek was the only slightly tricky crossing going from Reds Meadow, there were some random logs when we did it many years ago but I expect these shift each winter. If you get turned around there then it will be a very short and disappointing trip.