Help with a skeeter free trip.

I've done exactly one overnighter in the Sangres. Coupled with having grown up in the Big Thicket not far from your Houston base, I guess I'm your expert.

I hiked up to Willow Lake (and Upper Willow) on June 7-8, 2021. That's on the west side of the range, near Crestone. I had to walk on a little bit of snow here and there, but not much. Don't recall a single bug. Gorgeous place. No idea what fishing would be like.

Good luck. My son hiked with me a few times in his teens. He never really got into it, but those are good memories.

Here is a link to my Sangres TR from a few years back, as referenced by marmotstew .  As I believe I indicate in the report, the mosquitos were not bad at all in the alpine areas, but pretty fierce lower down in the aspens.  I slept under a netless tarp the whole trip, and did fine.  I spent 3 years in Conroe, so I know something about mosquitos too.  

nextridgeover Good for you for helping him get out and being sensitive and adaptive to his situation. My youngest daughter, now 25, was a similar profile at that age and VERY sensitive to bugs and sun. And discomfort in general. I learned a lot from having burned her out on cycling early on and went very slow when it came to backpacking. She loves it now, though all of the above remain factors.

Here are some thoughts:

A bug net and use of permethrin, etc., can really help IF he will wear such things. He may prefer to suffer than look silly and make a fuss. That's my daughter, anyway. She would use bug wipes, cover herself as much as possible comfortably, and spend a lot of time in her tent when we weren't moving. I just let her, and did most of the camp chores and cooking.

NOT the Winds. NOT the Sangres. (With lots of respect to my Sangre-loving friends on this forum.) Winds are way too difficult to access in and out. Mileages in there are huge for the payoffs, as you know. Sangres are straight up and down. Not for beginning backpackers. If he's new at this there are way easier places for him to get some WOWs.

5 days is a big commitment. If that's an option, I'd plan a route that can become extended to that if things are going well, but kept shorter in a way that still feels like a win. A short loop with a longer option for a spur or loop. Or maybe just a day peak bag from basecamp if he's really feeling his oats.

It's likely going to be a bad bug year everywhere you are going. But some places will not be as bad as others. That can vary seasonally. Some on this forum -- and other locals -- can tell you where the bugs are not as bad once it gets closer to the time you are going. It usually looks like: "Whatever you do, do NOT go to that lake right now!"

In recent years, that window of the summer has been monsoon season. I know because that's when I usually do my long trip....

I'd plan 2-3 options along your driving route and make a final call on the way back from Yellowstone. I'd probably end up doing 2-3 shorter pack trips than one long one. I can give examples in Colorado if you like.

Good luck!

I started looking at routes in the Sngresw. Straight up and down is right! Coming from sea level, it would be tough that high, although being in YS will help. I'd love to hear your thoughts on locations.



I plan to be completely flexible. A day to lounge, swim, throw rocks, fish, explore, eat damn good food! We can leave whenever we want. I should say max 5 days. 2-3 shorter trips becomes difficult. I'd rather do a great 3 or four nighter.




While I have a 4 wheel drive older Landcruiser, no way I'm driving all that way burning that much gas. I'll be in a Honda. :-)

I haven't been into Dads but it looks like a really cool area to spend a few days! And a reasonable hike in. You would come from Green River Lake TH? And the name is highly symbolic given the purpose of the trip!

I have no idea about bugs specific to the area, but I would say it's highly likely to be buggy given all the water in that valley and higher basins. I'll bet you could get a report from a mountaineering shop or the like in Pinedale.

RE: Elliot's Ridge, a Honda will get you up there fine, but I'm not sure about the options to do a multi-day trip up there with a beginner. cweston is right about it being a very accessible high-altitude WOW for a day hike! He would know better than I if there is a good longer route up there that wouldn't involve a shuttle.

Do you have a preferred route(s) home from Wyo? That would help us narrow down some suggestions.

You could camp *on* Elliot Ridge, below the crest near some tarns. The next day you could dayhike to the summit of Meridian Peak.

But yes, this is a problem if you want a multi-day trip: the only place to go from Elliot Ridge is down...down the trail to Cataract Creek. Which is perfectly lovely, but will definitely have a healthy mosquito population. (And that means you either need to climb back up to the car, or have a shuttle and come out the Cataract Creek trail.)