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Mosquitos in Ten Lakes this season

PostPosted: Sat Jul 04, 2020 9:44 am
by Cee
If anybody was in the Ten Lakes area, or for that matter, anywhere in the high country in the vicinity this long weekend, how were the bugs? I know they were AWFUL on the Murphy Creek trail on the weekend of June 26. I was just wondering if they had gone down yet. We have a permit for the weekend of July 10 and are debating whether to go or to just hold off. First-hand information would be very helpful.

Thanks in advance and stay safe and healthy,
Cee

Re: Mosquitos in Ten Lakes this season

PostPosted: Sat Jul 04, 2020 1:58 pm
by Phil
There's the trip report from this:

https://www.yosemite.ca.us/forum/viewto ... f=7&t=4983

Haven't been up there this year, and wouldn't because of the bugs, yet. Ten Lakes usually clears up tolerably between the middle and end of July. You're on the cusp. Don't short the repellent and headnets.

Re: Mosquitos in Ten Lakes this season

PostPosted: Sat Jul 04, 2020 2:47 pm
by Cee
Thanks Phil. Looks like the trip report is from the same time we were on the Murphy Creek trail heading to Ten Lakes. Yes, the mosquitos were fierce that weekend. I was hoping they were down a little this weekend so we could actually make it next weekend. I am really hoping somebody has gone backpacking from one of the Tioga Road trailheads this weekend so they have a more recent report.

Cee

Re: Mosquitos in Ten Lakes this season

PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2020 9:03 am
by Phil
I hope a more current trip report comes in for you, but, they still haven't cleared the trail of downed trees (as of 07/01) from just past Lake #6 to the backside of Tuolumne Peak in the gorge of the south fork of Cathedral Creek, and then down to just above where you guys were on the May Lake/ Glen Aulin trail, likely because the aren't able to effectively hike-thru to access it due to at least some snowpack issues. Anywhere, once the snow starts to melt, it's usually about 3 weeks of heavy mosquito swarming. Like I said, your date is typically on the cusp of it, and if you were having problems at Murphy Creek at elev 8200-8700 a week or so ago, you're going to walk right into the thick of it as far as progression for altitude goes (passing by Lake #6 is going to be brutal). Although, your lower elevations should be getting lovely right about now. This time of year, the rule if you get into mind-numbing mosquitoes is to go down, not up. All considerations of season and snowpack aside, that's just how it is; not much variation in Ten Lakes to speak of year-over-year. You'll go in and out of mosquito zones with all the variations in aspect, drainage, and, with the huge elevation changes of the route.

There's also this, dated 07/01/20:

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/ ... MP_6191296

Extrapolate the mosquito commentary re: "Cathedral area" as it's similar elevation to the Ten Lakes Basin, and Cathedral usually clears of bugs long before Ten Lakes does for no other reason than the size of the drainage involved.

Re: Mosquitos in Ten Lakes this season

PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2020 9:19 am
by balzaccom
Cathedral Lakes also has a more southerly exposure, so tends to dry out a bit before Ten Lakes, which is nestled into the north side of the ridge.

Re: Mosquitos in Ten Lakes this season

PostPosted: Sat Jul 11, 2020 4:19 am
by Grzldvt
Great report. Since I am stuck in San Jose for awhile I am going to do Ten Lakes on the 18th. Has been 15 year since I have been in that area so this helps a bit

Re: Mosquitos in Ten Lakes this season

PostPosted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 8:46 am
by balzaccom
just to follow up on this. We just spent five days in Yosemite. Nelson Lake (9500') had bad mosquitoes near the lake, but we camped near the meadow and had almost none! Reymann Lake. 10,000", which we have found to be mosquito hell, had none. Rafferty Creek at 9750" had enough for us to put on DEET, but not head nets. Yosemite Valley, where we camped near a creek and were told they would be fierce...was saw about ten.