Questions about next week in White Cloud Wilderness

[Tonydavid]

Hi folks...a few questions about backpacking next week in White Cloud Wilderness. (Two experienced backpackers but not climbers nor anglers. Happy to average five to seven miles a day depending on terrain and what there is to see. Love alpine lakes.)

* Does it look like smoke from Idaho City or North Fork fires makes it a bad idea to go to White Cloud area next week? Hard to get a read on that from rural Oregon where I live.
* Anyone have opinions about or recent experience comparing Boulder Chain Lakes to Windy Devil Pass vs. Big Boulder Lakes to Sapphire, Cover, and Cirque Lakes area?
* So this will be the first week of August. Have mosquitoes died down? Guesses or recent experience on deer flies or horse flies on either of those routes?
* Any comment on how heavily used these are likely to be during the week?
* Is there some other route we should be considering instead?

Thanks!
Tonydavid

 

[Ben]

flies and mosquitoes were bad yesterday in a different mountain Idaho location, 7 devils. there's a good size fire burning near Idaho City, smoke probably depends on which way the wind's blowing.

 

[leatherman]

As Ben said, the smoke level definitely depends on the wind direction. Here's a link to a webcam in the Stanley basin, between the 'Tooths and the White Clouds. www.sawtoothcamera.com/fullsize.html Looks pretty clear this morning.
You'll more than likely see other people during the week, but my experience is that you can easily find solitude.
Happy hiking.