[pct-l] peak mosquito season in Oregon

[Lonetrail at aol.com (Lonetrail@aol.com)]

long-time lurker 

I  reverse my hiking pattern in OR I usually climb high and camp low. I 
camped  high even in snow fields melted snow for cooking and water, but no  
mosquitoes. Melted snow water taste better then OR Lakes.
Lonetrail



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
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