Mosquitos still bad in Indian Heaven?

[rhettlawrence]

Am I fooling myself that because it's past July that the skeeters won't be so bad in Indian Heaven Wilderness? I was thinking about taking my 16YO daughter up there for a quick and easy backpacking weekend this coming weekend, but am concerned that the bugs haven't dispersed yet. Anyone up in the area this week or this past weekend?

[drm]

Everybody is afraid to even go and find out. The late snow melt this year probably means they will be bad well into August, but maybe the incessant heat waves will change that. You might try to find a PCT blog because they have to go through there. I gave a ride to a PCTer off road 23, and he had just come from IH and said they were "horrific." But that was two weeks ago.

An alternative easy backpack next to water without bugs would be the Lewis River Trail.

[johnspeth]

I have not been in Indian Heaven this summer. I was close at South Prairie about a month ago. Evening brought a punishing wave of mosquitoes, no surprise.

For a more relevant reference, I can vividly remember on one early August day 10 years ago setting out on the East Crater trail to go backpacking with my son and getting chased away within the first mile. That's after three separate applications of mosquito repellent that worked well for about 30 seconds and hardly at all after that. I only had a tiny bottle. I needed gallons.

So I'm one of those afraid people. I'm also pretty sure you won't escape mosquitoes if you go now. It's been a bad mosquito year in many places I've hiked this summer.

[rhettlawrence]

OK - thanks. I think y'all have persuaded me it's too risky to try to get up there this early in the season!

[Walkin' Fool]

I have the FarOut App (formerly GutHook), and in the past few days several thru-hikers have commented about the hellacious mosquitoes and flies in I.H. I'd give it a few weeks!

[johnspeth]

Here it is September and I'll ask the most popular FAQ: Does anybody have any recent Indian Heaven mosquito information?

In past years, September was a reliably safe month but this year the little devils have been much worse. I'm planning a short backpack trip and wanna pack light with no tent.

Thanks - JJS

[retired jerry]

bring head net just in case

very few mosquitoes on Mt Hood a couple days ago. or flies.

one morning I kept having to spoon out bugs out of my coffee but they didn't bite me

[Don Nelsen]

We hiked in from the East Crater TH yesterday, Sept. 4th, passing by Junction Lake. I did a loop around the rim of East Crater and not even one mosquito! Kel went on to do a loop around Clear Lake and she didn't see any either.

[johnspeth]

We hiked in from the East Crater TH yesterday, Sept. 4th, passing by Junction Lake. I did a loop around the rim of East Crater and not even one mosquito! Kel went on to do a loop around Clear Lake and she didn't see any either.

Thanks for the good and recent news!

[Don Nelsen]

We hiked in from the East Crater TH yesterday, Sept. 4th, passing by Junction Lake. I did a loop around the rim of East Crater and not even one mosquito! Kel went on to do a loop around Clear Lake and she didn't see any either.

Thanks for the good and recent news!

I should add: We were there mid-day, 11:15 to 5:00. Probably the least likely time for them to be out.