Dak Black Fly Update - w/e 6/21-6/22

[indihiker]

Hi:

Any predictions on Black Flies for this coming weekend (6/20-6/21)? We'll be hiking Alongquin and would like to know if we should invest head nets.

 

[Viewseeker]

oh yes

They are only $9.00 at ems and they cant get thru....Never leave home without one this time of year...oh and your deet!!!

 

[Mark]

Bring 'em

I just hiked Algonquin this past weekend from the Loj. (We were headed for Wright, but the trail sign is missing, so we missed the turn.) The black flies were pretty bad on the trail. The summit was better, but only because it was breezy. The summit steward said the day before, it was calm and the black flies were horrible. My son and brother wore their head nets for the whole hike.

Bring a net.

 

[bignslow]

This is in my pack from May until September:

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear...medium=CSE&CS_010=31298&utm_source=GoogleBase

 

[BlackSpruce]

Black flies in the mountains... NO WAY... personnally I have never seen ONE....


Just keep moving........

 

[WinterWarlock]

They are only $9.00 at ems and they cant get thru....Never leave home without one this time of year...oh and your deet!!!

Funny - I first read this as EMS was SELLING blackflies at $9 a piece!

 

[Viewseeker]

cheap

Cheap closeout prices winterwarlock We stack'em deep and sell'em cheep

 

[WinterWarlock]

Cheap closeout prices winterwarlock We stack'em deep and sell'em cheep

From the sounds of it, with all the bugs out, I'd go broke at that rate!

 

[bignslow]

Funny - I first read this as EMS was SELLING blackflies at $9 a piece!

Damn, I probably killed over $100 worth of merchandise this weekend!

 

[hillman1]

If I'm not wearing snowshoes, I pack a headnet. If you don't ever stop to pump water you might get away without one.

 

[Viewseeker]

Dont hurt the merchandise Maybe one can figure a way to turn these into gas??

 

[Neil]

I grew up in swampy Manitoba, Canada and biting insects were always a way of life. I don't mean that we used to bight insects. They bit, or stung, us.

Which means that now I find it difficult to objectively judge the degree of severity of the winged devils. Yesterday, I had a fair number of them getting in behind my glasses and bighting the corners of my eyes. I took a lot of hits on my calves and thighs while climbing the Blake Slide and they were swarming a lot on Colvin (enough to resort to the headnet that I borrowed and never gave back to Hillman) but I really don't know if they were all that bad or not.

Sometimes they're there and sometimes not. Sometimes they bother you and sometimes they don't. For sure they'll be gone come November.

 

[indihiker]

OK - so i'm going to get headnets...

- but what about my hands? (sorry if this sounds like a silly question - we've been hiking the catskills for years and decided to finally do a weekend UP state)

my only experience with blackflies was about 10 years ago in the UP of michigan. I still have nightmares. And this time I'll be w/ my girlfriend who might be worse than the black flies if the black flies are bad

 

[hillman1]

Neil--keep the headnet--I still carry 3 in my pack when I hike. If that seems dumb, try bushwacking in one. A few tears, and it is time to switch up. Headnets saved my relationship on a thruhike of the NPT about 2 weeks ago...They are priceless in the Adirondacks. You can find them for about $1 at walmart. Not endorsing big box stores here, just cheap headnets. If I didn't bushwack, I would buy a nicer one.

 

[hillman1]

For your hands, try the lightest weight wicking gloves you can find. They are a lifesaver during fly season.

 

[Viewseeker]

by,by bugs

I hear there is the new spray that is good for your body by, by bugs or something like that..at least you could spray on your hands and not worry about eatting thedeet later..its like those candles they burn. Stay on the move... I did C-W-S last yr. , the bugs bothered some but thinking not as bad as the dacks.

 

[indihiker]

black flies weren't bad!

well, we made it to the top of algonquin and back - with no bites (not even a single mosquito). so, perhaps the black flies are gone. despite getting rained on 3 times, the views at the top were incredible.