[Bug R. Awl]

Hoo boy. The bugs are out! Getting fierce at the 5000' level on the west side of the Cascade Crest. Anybody else thinking we are in peak season?

[Tom]

I was at Anderson Lake on Monday - plenty of bugs on the trail but none to be found at the lake. Go figure.

[catwoman]

I've been meaning to put a trail report to my hike yesterday. For starters, let's just say.... I'm one big mosquito bite! Not a pretty (or comfortable) site! I would slide down the snow because the ice felt good on my mosquito-bit behind. But that's not where the bites end - they're all over. Yep, used repellent, too.

[Ice Girl]

i found that Baby Wipes seem to turn the bugs off, i have used them for several years, since i can't use bug juice. Ice Girl P.S. everywhere i have been i haven't had to much of a problem with bugs.

[Allison]

I found the bugs to be more aggressive, and the ensuing welts to be bigger, weekend before last hiking into Waptus, on the dry side, but that the bites have been more itchy and lasting (albeit much smaller) bashing around in Darrington, on the wet side, last weekend. What's up with THAT?

[Dslayer]

I hike a lot in mosquito country on the Tumac Plateau where the skeeters are always bad, there must be thousands of lakes, ponds and tarns in the area. I just swath myself in bug juice and go, although I'm interested in the baby wipes-we've got plenty of them around. I've pretty much accepted that to fish and hike in this area, I'll just have to tolerate them, but this year is exceptionally bad-my theory is that it took so long for the snow to melt and then it pretty much came all off at once that the bugs hatched all at once-there are some prodigious hatches of all types of bugs going on. The fish are just stuffed full of the various bugs, but I think they actually like to find something different and bigger to eat, particularly the 'meat eaters.'

[buzz]

seems early for the peak of bug season. mosquitoes maybe. but the hordes or black flies usually peak in early Aug don't they? This being a late seaon, I would think the bugs (flies) would be late too? less than a week ago on Mt Mastiff, some Mosquitoes but no flies.

[McPilchuck]

July is always the worst month as far as I am concerned, anyway for black flies, mosquitoes, and deer (horse) flies. This summer seems no different, well maybe more in places because of a later thaw. One friend of mine always hikes in the Olympics in July and hates the Cascades during that month for that reason.

[#19]

Mosquitos seem to be around different places earlier than flies. But the worst experiences I've had with flies (10-30 flies or more per person continuosly) have been Chilliwack River area, Bachelor Cr, Cascade Pass, Phelps Cr, Buck Cr all in August according to my log.

[Bushwacker]

I remember a product called Love's Baby Soft. I was in marine sales in Fla. and sold cases of it. Greatest bug repellant of all time. I'm not sure if it is even manufactured anymore. BW

[Scrooge]

August is the month I always get driven off the trails, and August has been the Trail Talk bug month, historically. However, in spite of the late snow this year, the continuous high heat could be giving us August in July. I'll vote for that if we can have September in August.