[pct-l] Mosquitos- How bad are they really on the PCT?

[Eric Lee]

Matt wrote:
>
I've camped/hiked/climbed/etc a fair amount in New England, and I was just
wondering: How bad are the mozzies on the northern (OR/WA) sections of the
PCT?
>

It depends on how the weather and the snow melt goes each year, of course.
The usual rule of thumb is that mosquito season runs from late June to late
July or early August.  Most "normal" thru-hikers will be doing Oregon in
August and Washington in September, and they usually miss most of the bug
season in those states.  However, above-average snowfall or a late melt
could significantly extend the mosquito season - last year was horrible with
serious bug issues all the way through the end of August.  And obviously if
you're a fast hiker you could easily wind up in Oregon before bug season
ends even in a normal year.

I guess "bad" depends on what you're used to, but last year on my Oregon
section hike the week before Labor Day I walked through some areas that were
bug-free and others where if I stopped for even a minute I would have
several dozen bugs on me.  It's not Alaska bad but it's no fun.
Fortunately, I normally wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and I had a
good headnet, so I did ok.

You'll probably want to carry a headnet at a minimum.  Some kind of bug
shelter like what's been discussed recently is worth its weight in gold if
the bugs are bad.  In the past I've carried a homemade tarptent with netting
that hangs down around the edges.  I set it up, crawl inside, and spend a
few minutes squishing all the mosquitoes that snuck in with me.  Next year
I'm thinking about trying a regular tarp and separate bug shelter, but
haven't decided yet.

Eric