[joker]

Deer flies, black flies, and mozzies all out in force around surprise gap and surprise mountain today. Yet we were left in relative peace while we filtered water and swam at surprise lake at around 3:30. Go figure.

[joker]

Oh and was l we talked to a ranger who was covered in welts from a harrowing bug cloud at Deception Lakes.

[gb]

Some Like it Hot, most of them have wings

[awilsondc]

Bugs were horrible at Necklace Valley and Tank Lakes 7/28

[kvpair]

Cady -> PCT -> Meander Meadows weekend trip with the kids Stratified bugs: Blackflies at 4000 and below and mozzies above that. Unrelenting - with headnets needed. Got better on the PCT heading north. Kids were fairly welty. No ticks found.

[altersego]

Hoh River last weekend was just some deer flies and small black flies that swarmed and landed on me but didn't bite. I killed 3 deer flies while we ate lunch at 5 Mile Island. I flicked one into the river and watched a small fish try to eat it. I normally don't relish violence, but it felt good! After getting bothered by deer flies at Marmot Pass (Camp Mystery) last year, I've been getting antsy if/when they show up. But if I keep my cool, don't swat and keep moving they seem to move on to find other vertebrates.

[Joseph]

Wonderland Trail - July 27-Aug 2: bugs not much of a problem until Indian Henry's (mosquitoes). A few flies, but they died down in evening as sunset approached. Overall, from Sunrise to Box Canyon (counter clockwise), I was surprised at how few bugs there were.

[wanderwild]

Anyone have any recent word on bugs in the Daniel area? Peggy's, Cathedral, Circle Lake, etc. Definitely braced for the worst...

[joker]

Saw a report from well over a week ago that mentioned terrible bugs at Peggy's but not bad at all at a high camp well above.

[wakerobin]

I am covered in insanely itchy black fly(???) bites from staying at Hoh Oxbow this weekend. Even deet didn't keep them off. And they are all in, umm, really inconvenient places. I am a bug magnet though... I am from Maine and I'm used to black flies in spring as the snow starts to melt, what are these August monsters?

[slabbyd]

Spent August 2nd through 5th in the Goat Rocks. Cooler temps and a bit of a breeze ment essentially zero bugs for 4 days until the last couple miles of trail back to snowgrass parking lot. Amazes me the spatial variation in bugs depending on location and weather conditions.

[AlpineRose]

Repeat three times, everyone. DEET is not effective against black flies, DEET is not effective against black flies, DEET is not effective against black flies. Save your DEET for mosquitos. Get a long sleeve shirt, long pants, and headnet for the flies.

[wakerobin]

Ha! To be fair, there were mosquitos too. Also to be noted my husband has no bites and I am absolutely covered. I am basically the front porch light for biting insects, take me with you and you're guaranteed not to get bit.

[fyodorova]

We camped at the tarn above Chetwoot Lake at the end of the rib that divides Big Heart and Angeline August 4-5. The bugs were the worst that I have ever seen them. I don't usually get swarmed by mosquitoes, but they were all over me the second I stopped moving. 100% DEET gave temporary relief but the bugs would find the tiniest unprotected patch of skin to bite.

[MangyMarmot]

My son and I just finished the Snoqualmie to Stevens section of the PCT. Bugs were really bad near any lake or wetland in the evening. The lakes we stopped at in the middle of the day were fine. Deception Lakes was especially bad. Camping away from water is the way to go.