Ptarmigan Traverse - Bugs?

[Japhy]

Greetings all,

 

Putting together a PT trip with some friends. Never done this route before and am wondering if folks have a sense how bad the bugs are in the lake basins where it seems most camp. We are headed there the next to last week of July and are debating tent, tarp, or bivy for sleeping.

 

Appreciate any info.

 

Thanks

J

[ivan]

light weight tent or tarp and long pants/shirt plus bug net for your head and you'll be fine.

 

bugs weren't bad on my trip that i recall but god knows i've seen them be horrible in the n cascades.

[curtveld]

Bug season in the North Cascades, like stable weather, is hard to predict using a calendar. Definitely more so than other areas, from my experience. But late July has as much of a chance to be bad as any time.

 

Either pack assuming they will be bad, or better, do some asking around right before you head out and adjust accordingly.

 

 

[mike1]

You could camp up on Formidable's Southeast flanks or near a nice tarn up on LeConte's North shoulder to avoid the hordes at Yang Yang.