[pct-l] peak mosquito season in Oregon

[david at emeraldlake.com (David Plotnikoff)]

Greetings from a long-time lurker and section hiker.

All this recent talk about mosquito resistance prompts me to ask a related
question or three that pertain to my 750-mile walk next year (Willamette
Pass to Manning):

1) I have no choice but to begin walking at Willamette Pass on July 15. (I
have a set date to cross the border, Sept. 4, which has some personal
significance.) So that's right around the time Oregon's fabled bloodsuckers
should be at their most intense. For those of you who have been there and
done that in mid-July, did it make any appreciable difference whatsoever if
you camped away from water sources? Or were the hordes just as bad if you
threw down in dry areas? I'd be willing to water up and put a few miles
between me and the nearest lake in the Three Sisters area if it meant some
respite from the little buggers.

2) Even with arms and legs fully covered, I'm expecting to give my share of
blood. I'll have the tarptent to retreat into at night. But as for the
daytime hours, there will probably be no respite, no relief except perhaps
the headnet, which is a real drag to wear when moving around. My Deet of
choice will be REI Jungle Juice unless someone can suggest a more
concentrated formulation. Does anyone have firsthand experience using
pyrethrin on clothing? The Backpacking Light list had a small thread on
this a few months back and it sounded as if I need to find the
garden-strength pesticide formula  -- a 2.5 percent solution -- and soak my
clothes in it. Between that and the Deet, I'll be a walking, talking
Superfund toxic cleanup candidate. Anyone have any experience with this?
I'm guessing it'll only be good for one washing, which would cover Odell
Lake through Sisters or maybe Timberline.

3) Finally, for those of you who have done this section in July, when did
the mosquito situation finally abate? Were they a plague through Warm
Springs and Jefferson Park or points north?

Thanks for your consideration,

DP