Mosquitoes in the Sangres

[sarahhaubert]

Can someone please advise: the mosquito situation at and near Willow Lake (Kit Carson/Challenger) is a nightmare that won't end. I've never seen anything like this. Idk why, the terrain here is standard CO, no swamps and not much standing water. They swarm like a horror movie. Is this just what the Sangres are like? I was planning to move on to Lake Como after this, but if it's also infested I'm going home to mosquito-free Sawatch.

[Liquid Shadow]

Mosquitos are pretty bad at South Colony Lakes as well. Maybe that's just how the Sangres are?

[RyGuy]

Yup, it was just like that last year, and the year before that. Dorky as they look, a mosquito head net and gloves coupled with the long sleeves works pretty well. Or just douse yourself in DEET.

After spending a few days in the Sangres last year, I figured I had a good idea what it's like to be a celebrity...those little bastards are probably just like the paparazzi!

-Ryan

[sarahhaubert]

Thanks so much for the responses, you guys. I saw someone with the beekeeper outfit, it looked pretty smart. They're so aggressive, though, they did not care about repellent or clothing and bit me right through mysleeves and gloves, even my hat. Even worse, they swarmed all over my face and bit my eyelids. Plus they move into your truck every time you open the door.

[C-Shepguy]

If I couldn't stop mosquitos from biting my eyelids, I would never return to that location again. Almost everywhere I've been in CO, mosquitos have been a complete non-concern. Though I'm from a much buggier place.

[sarahhaubert]

I'll be hard pressed to go back to the Sangres again...especially when we have so many beautiful ranges without mosquitoes. I was raised where there swamps and lakes and thus mosquitoes...midwest mosquitoes respond to repellent and hardly bother you when you're moving. Totally different beasts!

[TallGrass]

And here folks say to skip tent netting and just camp with your bag under a tarp.

Remember how skeeters would want to follow you into your tent by Avalanche Lake (Granite Peak, MT). I'd duck in quick, zip up, lay back, and then one-by-one address each skeeter bouncing against the ceiling of my Lunar Solo until I was alone. SMD also has tarps and separate net tents.

[kaiman]

Let's face it - mosquitos, like pee hungry goats, pack chewing marmots, and curious bears that sneak into your camp and try to eat your food are a fact of life in the mountains. I am sorry that you had a bad experience but I wouldn't let that turn you off to going back to the Sangres. I haven't been to the Willow Lake area since 2012 to climb Mount Adams but I don't remember the bugs being too bad.

After growing up in Colorado and spending the last 30+ years hiking, backpacking, and mountaineering in pretty much every range in the state, I can tell you that they ALL have bugs. Also the Sangres really aren't that bad when compared to the Zirkels, the Flattops, or the Gore Range, and don't even hold a torch to ranges outside of Colorado like the Uintas, the Wind River Range, the Canadian Rockies, or the Beartooth Range, all of which aren't even in the same league as the mosquitos in Alaska. So you may just have to suck it up, and follow some of the other posters suggestions to deal with them if you want to continue spending time in the mountains.

Just my two cents,

Kai

[Scott P]

Also the Sangres really aren't that bad when compared to the Zirkels, the Flattops, or the Gore Range, and don't even hold a torch to ranges outside of Colorado like the Uintas, the Wind River Range, the Canadian Rockies, or the Beartooth Range, and aren't even in the same league as the mosquitos in Alaska.

The worst place for mosquitoes in Colorado is the Grand Mesa. This is because it's a huge flat topped mountain full of swampy places. For mosquitoes, the Grand Mesa rivals anyplace I have been anywhere in the world. This includes places like Yellowstone, Wind Rivers, Alaska, northern Canada, the Amazon, Southeast Asia, etc. Places like the Midwest doesn't hole a candle to Grand Mesa.

[technicolorNH]

Go later in the year. All three of my trips to the Sangres have been in August or September and mosquitoes weren't even noticeable by Como or Willow Lake. Pick your days better too. On a day when two hikers got rescued off of Franconia Ridge in NH by SAR I was up in Maine talking to a AT thru hiker with a friend who was hiking on the flanks of Sugarloaf and as the wind blew overhead at 40 mph we sat in the tree line and he said "it's a lot colder and windier than normal for this time of year but look at the bright side, at least there are no black flies!" He was right and for Maine in June, it was wonderful.

[XterraRob]

[highpilgrim]

Go later in the year. All three of my trips to the Sangres have been in August or September and mosquitoes weren't even noticeable by Como or Willow Lake.

This. ^

The mosquitoes are driven by the runoff from snowmelt. They breed in the boggy ground downhill of melting snowfields. Lots of melting snow and moderate temps (see Sangres springtime) and you get LOTS of them.

Go earlier in the spring when night temps are colder or later in the year when the puddles dry up.