bug report (really talkin mosquitos, right?) in jeff park 7/13-14/18

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Water
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bug report (really talkin mosquitos, right?) in jeff park 7/13-14/18

Post by Water » July 15th, 2018, 11:04 pm

from breitenbush TH: just a few at TH, nothing to really concern oneself with. Heard they were heavy at Breitenbush Lake tho—not confirmed. Mostly absent until somewhere half way or more to Park Ridge. Once things start opening up into sub-alpine with tarns and little streams and patches of snow, the skeeters come along a lot more.

Plenty on Park Ridge - if I kept moving, I was largely in 'tolerable' range for mosquitos. But even with slight breeze, a stop moved them into unpleasant levels. The trail down to Jeff Park, they were pretty bad if you stopped.

Did not visit the lakes specifically, but in some clearings of Jeff Park they were not terrible, with a slight breeze. They were however horrific in the dense trees on the northern side of the mountain, including at an alpine camp a thousand or so feet up above jeff park. thankfully wind and night kept them at bay the first night. the next morning, still, windless, and hundreds were parked on the mesh above our heads (did not sleep with rain fly). Cloud level, absolute hell. Like having to take down camp in heavy rain.. i think it was more tormenting with the skeeters, because otherwise the flowers, the views, the stillness.. but they ruined it all. Rain at least you aren't distracted with the vistas or taking your time to 'soak' in the moment so to speak :lol:
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retired jerry
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Re: bug report (really talkin mosquitos, right?) in jeff park 7/13-14/18

Post by retired jerry » July 16th, 2018, 5:05 am

Yeah, there's this other bug that's not a mosquito but just as bad. Except there are huge swarms.

I was 6600 feet on Three Sisters. Bugs in my oatmeal. I just packed up and left, forget the coffee. Long pants, long sleeve shirt, bug net over my head, DEET on my wrists, neck, ears,... There were also mosquitoes. The DEET works pretty good on the mosquitoes but maybe not so good on those other bugs.

At least at 6600 feet it was maybe 75 F rather than the 95 F down below.

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retired jerry
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Re: bug report (really talkin mosquitos, right?) in jeff park 7/13-14/18

Post by retired jerry » July 16th, 2018, 12:15 pm

Image

Maybe those other bugs are midges

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Water
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Re: bug report (really talkin mosquitos, right?) in jeff park 7/13-14/18

Post by Water » July 16th, 2018, 3:07 pm

other bugs can be bad but it seems like skeeters distinctly the worst, no? do midges bite? we were dealing with swarms of skeeters! :(

yeah we ate in the tent in the AM, allowed shoes in the tent, and skipped coffee.. it was lackluster on that front. would have been a beautiful morning to enjoy the view and a coffee sitting on a rock.
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retired jerry
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Re: bug report (really talkin mosquitos, right?) in jeff park 7/13-14/18

Post by retired jerry » July 16th, 2018, 3:17 pm

those bugs (midges?) are much worse than mosquitoes. I've encountered them before. Must be a July thing.

it seems like they all come out in a short period. There are more of them. Mosquitoes aren't as many at one time, but they're around longer.

Mosquitoes leave a swollen bite. Midges(?) leave a red mark.

There were a few Mosquitoes on me at one time, swarms of Midges at the same time.

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