2011 Skeeter Reports

[wildhiker]

July 24 - Tahoe Rim Trail east of Martis Peak lookout in the Mt. Rose Wilderness area (north end of Lake Tahoe) between 8000 and 9000 feet in forest and on open ridges, light breezes, few snow banks left - 0 mosquitos (this is a well-drained area).

[jfelectron]

July 17th-25th

Piute Pass Lakes and Humphries Basin: very windy, no to low bugs

French Canyon: low to moderate, wore headnet in early evening

Salie Keyes Lakes: Horrendous, just bloomed....scramble to get inside tent, eat inside...leave early in the morning

Lake Edison: light to moderate

Lk. Viriginia: lots of gnats and flies, immature non-biting skeeters

1000 Island: very low bugs

[hiker00]

July 24-28
Long Lake-2 on the west side, about a 3 on the south side.

Soldier Lake-5 be afraid very afraid...gave up my netting to some gentleman on their way to the lake.

Chicken Spring lake-2 if you stay high.

Patty

[trailnerd]

July 23-24 Elizabeth Lake, Nelson Lake, Upper Echo Canyon -- 2 1/2, heavy in the evening, moderate in the morning and during the day

[gary c.]

Dinkey Lakes 7/23 to 7/26 - 2 at Mystery Lake where we camped and worse the higher we went to day hike the upper lakes. Two different sets of hikers moved down to Mystery lake while we were there to get away from the skeeters at the higher lakes.

VVR, 7/26 - 2

Devels Bath tub, 7/27 to 7/30 - 2 the entire time we were there.

[copeg]

July 28-13

Lower Dusy Basin: 3-4
Upper Dusy Basin: 1-2
Palisade Basin: 1-2
Bishop Pass Trail (east side): 3+ during the day (only hiked through so take this rating with a grain of salt. If I stopped and there wasn't a breeze they swarmed like mad)

[ManOfTooManySports]

Rae Lakes Loop, July 24 -30.

At camps, meadows and stream crossings, level 2-3 for the whole trip. Wind was a break from the skeeters.

On the drier parts of the trail, level 0-2 depending on elevation (higher is better), breeze, and proximity to water.

[LAA]

Any guesses as to the probable skeeter situation in mid-Sept?

Lyell Canyon
Rock Creek drainage (over 9000')
Big Pine Lakes

Thx,
LAA

[SSSdave]

Ebbetts Pass region generally 1 or 2. Only applied sunscreen then DEET atop at dawn each day. Saturday afternoon, temp of about 75d minor breeze, layed out wearing just t-shirt in shade of lodgepole making lunch and napping at about 8.5k just 150 feet from a willowly lush stream for a couple hours and just one mosquito visited. Lush meadow early morning before breezes came up, several buzzing about but did not like my DEETy smell.

First time up in the snowy high country this summer since mid June and I'm guessing the odd weather has stunted populations in many areas so that their below normal levels are only going to decrease. A few weeks ago I posted an expectation of major outbreaks as the high country melt peaked leaving lots of standing water. Would speculate there were low numbers of squeets to breed in all that water so it never happened. Earlier in late June through mid July when they might have picked up in numbers, they swarmed up into the high country and tended to die of cold because during clear nights radiation cooling combined with abnormal snow covering the ground created many below freezing nights in the meadow canyon bottom places they tend to thrive in. So put on your t-shirts and enjoy.

[LAA]

Thanks, David! I trust your instincts -- we've corresponded before on SummitPost & CalPhoto, & I am pleased to be the beneficiary of your experience. And, as ever, I look forward to your photos.
LAA from Santa Cruz aka inconsolable on SP.