June 2021 weather & bugs

[seymourdunn]

I just put up a trip report in the other forum, but in case it's helpful here, I wanted to summarize our trip last week. June 8-14 was pretty great, all things considered. Very wet, cloudy and chilly (50s day, 40s overnight) from the 10th-13th between Rock Harbor and Moskey Basin from the storm the 9th/10th. But was warm and sunny and perfect (60s-80s) when we arrived and departed.

Bugs were all around much less bad than I expected. I treated my hammock, pack, pants, and jacket with Permethrin and didn't bring or use any Picaridin or Deet on the island. I have maybe 4-6 bites from mosquitos and/or flies, but nothing serious. The mosquitoes were fine, and the flies were almost nonexistent. July's flies in Milwaukee along the Lake Michigan beaches are worse! Hopefully June is usually/reliably a good month for bugs at IR!

[johnhens]

I just put up a trip report in the other forum, but in case it's helpful here, I wanted to summarize our trip last week. June 8-14 was pretty great, all things considered. Very wet, cloudy and chilly (50s day, 40s overnight) from the 10th-13th between Rock Harbor and Moskey Basin from the storm the 9th/10th. But was warm and sunny and perfect (60s-80s) when we arrived and departed.

Bugs were all around much less bad than I expected. I treated my hammock, pack, pants, and jacket with Permethrin and didn't bring or use any Picaridin or Deet on the island. I have maybe 4-6 bites from mosquitos and/or flies, but nothing serious. The mosquitoes were fine, and the flies were almost nonexistent. July's flies in Milwaukee along the Lake Michigan beaches are worse! Hopefully June is usually/reliably a good month for bugs at IR!

Thanks for the weather/bug report. Any problems from the storm?

[seymourdunn]

Thanks for the weather/bug report. Any problems from the storm?

Just the trails' conditions and my own expectations! I was expecting trails on either flat rocks, like the Greenstone and Rock Harbor trails AND soft, flat soil (like a few photos I'd seen of the Tobin Harbor trail. I was not expecting basically the Pennsylvania section of the AT - and I'm surprised by how few other people I've heard/read compare it to the AT!

We now call it the Rock Hopper Trail. God bless those trail angels!

[CincyIRNPer]

Any thoughts from you IR pros about treating clothes with Permethrin for an upcoming 8/8 - 8/14 Greenstone hike from Windigo to RH? We were just planning on bringing spray and wearing long sleeves, but seeing more and more about folks treating clothes with permethrin. Is this a necessary step in mid-August?

[treeplanter]

Bugs usually aren't the issue in mid-August than they are in June. Most of my trips to the Island have been in the last two weeks of August. Kayak camping, so our camp sites are on water. I take along bug dope, but use it sparingly, mainly in the evening. Not sure what to expect for campsites away from Lake Superior.

[Buckeye]

In 4 trips. from the first week of August through the first week of September, I've only had mosquito swarms at Lane Cove. There was little wind and they appeared around sunset. It was easy to avoid them by going to bed.
I think we have also seen a few in the swampy areas in the interior of the island. They are easy to outrun by hiking.
I've used permethrin on my clothing for the last 2 trips, but will probably skip it this year. I have also carried deet and a bug net each trip and never touched those. I will probably skip the deet also.