High Sierra Topix

A couple of us photogs went into the Velma Lakes basin in Desolation July3>6 and were mostly at the 7.5k to 8.5k altitudes. There were modest areas of snow in less exposed north facing areas above 8k that continued to feed many areas of standing water that skeets breed in. Vegetation skeets tend to live in was quite green and in marshy areas wet with many wildflower species near or at peak. Visiting areas I had previously been at during late August 2007, I found a great many more ponds about the glaciated granite bedrock landscape that skeeters will continue to breed in through July until they dry up. The main area we visited had lots of damselflies and dragonflies that were buzzing all about eating skeets during the day and keeping them stuck back in shady marshy areas we avoided. Overall mosquitoes were about a 3. We wore cool lightweight clothing they could not bite through like dense nylon shells, safari caps with neck and ear drapes. I got bit a few times on my hands after performing usual camp chores like washing eating utencils before reapplying strong DEET but otherwise was only annoyed with them. My friend never put on DEET the whole trip as it bothers his skin and got several bites on his face and hands at times. During the breezy days, there were times at our shady forest campspot only 100 feet from standing water ponds that we layed out for hours exposed without DEET or much clothing. However early and late in the day when dragonflies were sleeping they were out.

David

Ebbetts Pass area last Saturday & Sunday..Upper Kinney Lake were not that bad..I thought they would be a lot worse.

Tuesday Desolation Area..Grass lake/Glen Alpine area...we really had none of them....it was a bit breezy so I think that kept them away.

Today Friday..just got back from the Carson Pass area Winnamucca Lake....nothing there....but very windy ...sitting in the trees out of the wind we still did not have any.

I think they are getting less..as I have notice less on my walks along the Truckee River..and it is a very wet meadow area.

July 6th at Rae Lakes was horrible. Take a head net and plenty of Deet or whatever you prefer.

Oddly, Vidette wasn't that bad. Go figure.

Looking for an update in Yosemite, at any of the High Sierra camps.
Thanks
Steve

Weaver lake (Jennie Lakes Wilderness) July 10-12.
3-4 except at high noon. My wife and I used about the amount of deet in three days that I would normaly use in a couple of weeks and still got bit.

This past weekend the winds blew many of the skeeterz away, but when it was semi-still:

Sonora Pass Area:
Leavitt Lake area (off Sonora Pass): < 2

Hoover Wilderness:
Green Creek/Hoover Lakes Drainage: 2-3
Return Creek/Upper Virginia Creek: 4-5

ANYBODY KNOW THE SKEET CONDITION ABOVE LAKE THOMAS E EDISON, JUST BELOW THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL? ABOUT THE 9K FEET MARK..

July 19; 4 along the South Fork of Cottonwood lakes during the early morning, late morning in the breeze up in the Basin was maybe 1-2, Non- existent during the afternoon deluge.

Got back last night.
Ashley Lake 3
Minaret Lake 4
Ediza Lake 3
Garnet Lake 3
1000 Is Lake 3

We just got back from five days up on the LeConte Divide out of Courtwright Reservoir. Flowers were stunning, great weather, some amazing fishing, brutal bugs.

North Fork Kings River (8200 ft) on July 17--first time I have ever used a head net. Got into the tent at 8 p.m and watched clouds of them batter the bug screen until after dark. 8
Devil's Punchbowl on (10050 ft) July 18--not bad during the afternoon. THe rest of the day was 7-8. Tiny and persistent. And we camped on out the ridge above the lake, to avoid the worst of it all.
Rae Lake (9900 fot) and Lower Indian Lake *(10,050 ft) , July 19. unbelievable. I caught about seven nice trout in half an hour and then quit fishing because the bugs were so bad at LIL. This was at 3 p.m. with a 15 mph wind! 10! Again, we camped 200 yds. away from the lake towards the breeze...
Post Corral Meadows (8200 ft) , July 20 Bearable during most of the day, and not bad at all in the early morning. But dinner time was exactly that, for them and for us 7+
Trail out to Courtwright on July 21--at least two places, the bugs were so thick that I actually swallowed some as I was hiking along. But only in the swampy places. 7.

Great trip, glad we went. Really glad when we got home and didn't have to wear DEET, long sleeves, head nets, and grimaces.