High Sierra Topix

7/11 Cold Water Creek Trail 4 HOT
7/12 Pika Lake 4 HOT
7/13 Pika - Virginia Lake 4 HOT storm clouds, drizzle and storm. Mosquitos bad in the rain!!
7/14 Purple Lake Partial sun and drizzle around the lake and on the way to Ram, 5. SE side higher camp, 4
7/15 Purple Lake to Cascade Valley 4 Mossies in the RAIN111
7/16 Purple to Crater Creek forest camp: JMT /PCT on the ridge 0, outlet of Duck Lake 3 + BITING black flies, Forest trail and camp 100’ above Crater Creek 3,
7/16 Deer creek junction with JMT/PCT 5
7/17 Crater Creek - Mc Cloud Lake via Mammoth Pass tr: 3
Did not respond to herbal bug repellent, wish I had brought Permetherin.

Red Lake Trail 07/17 and 07/18/24 - 0 to 1. Just a few came out as it was getting dark and I was getting into my tent at Red Lake.

Keasarge Lakes, Glen Pass 7/19-7/21.
Camped at Kearsarge Lakes for 2 nights. Day hiked to Glen Pass.

1 at dusk but barley. 0 the rest of the time.

Stayed at Glen Aulin backpackers' camp, temps were pretty warm (low 50s - mid 80s)

1

Probably would have had more if I'd camped lower in the trees. Very welcome relief after a rough time with mosquitoes in Desolation Wilderness two weeks earlier.

Mammoth Area
7/21 Horseshoe Lake = 0, McLeod Lake =0
7/22 Crystal Lake = 0

Little Lakes Valley 7/23 =1 in the afternoon

We sat by lakes and marshes and meadows over 3 days and were very surprised at the lack of mozzies.

Off the 108 just a few miles west of Sonora Pass.

Blue Canyon and Lake- 0

Virtually no mosquitos in this volcanic canyon, except a few in a marsh. This weekend had been particular stormy and windy, which helped.

Mosquitoes were biting in Frypan Meadow and Grizzly Lake during the day (between 9am and 2:30pm). Presumably they would be worse during the evening.

Not quite game on for DEET-less backpacking, but getting there.

Bench Lake 7/21: 2-3
South Fork Kings 7/22: 4
Lakes Basin 7/22: 1-2
Lake 10565 7/23: 1-2
Amphitheatre Lake 7/24: 1-2

South Fork was the only area where they were particularly notable. The rest of the trip mostly just saw them out at dawn and dusk, and they were easily repelled by picardin, no deet necessary. Bench was a bit worse than the others. Saw none at all on the climb up Taboose Pass.

Horseshoe Meadows to Long Lake - 2 when near wet areas
Long Lake - 0 (It rained most of the afternoon)
Upper Soldier Lake - 1
Hiking through Miter Basin - 0
Upper Crabtree Lake - 0 (slight breezes might have kept them away)
Above Guitar Lake and Hitchcock Lakes - 0
Consultation Lake - 0 (to be fair, the wind was 10-20 mph all evening)

I would rate the mosquito pressure along the route as basically non-existent.

Crabtree to Piute Lake 2
Piute Lake to Buck Lake 2
Buck to Latora 3
Buck to Emmigrant Lake 0 but a nice, stiff breeze. 2 in the forest on the switchbacks to Emmigrant
Lilly Pad Lake 2-