End of June/Early July ideas

wsp_scott

wsp_scott

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My oldest daughter is doing a NOLS river thing in Vernal UT and I am scheduled to pick her up on July 12. My son (14) and I are going to drive out and do a boys backpacking trip before we get her. We will probably do some car camping and a 5 or 6 night backpacking trip. My big concern is mosquitos, he seems to attract them in a big way. He will have 10 actual bites before I'm even aware there are bugs in the area. And, he seems to react/itch more than I do as well.

I'm thinking of something in the Winds (nothing specific yet) or Buffalo Plateau (Brooks Lake to Ferry Lake and back, hopefully stay up high to avoid bugs). Also had a random idea of the Collegiate Peaks in CO, but I've never been there and haven't done any research. Same with the Unitas. I'd like to show my son some big alpine mountains and lakes, basically something totally different from hiking in the southeast.

I don't really want to get into difficult water crossings and I don't want to get destroyed by bugs or hit by lightning. No permits is a plus. Any comments or suggestions?

If it helps, the WY snow map suggests a "normal" snow year at this point for the GYE
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Buffalo Plateau is a great option that time of year - just stay up high as much as possible. (Brooks Lake and then follow the high plateaus anywhere is great.) Bugs can be bad in places, but because there's still snow up high you can camp higher in good weather where the wind will keep them off. Bears are super active on the plateaus (especially near moth sites) - I view that as a positive, but FYI.

Early July can be pretty variable for the Winds - if you land on that as Plan A, I'd make sure to have a Plan B. Bugs can be really bad down low and escaping to the upper elevations is notably more challenging than the Absarokas. Hard to ever say the Winds are bad though. :lol:

I'd also suggest maybe the Flat Tops Wilderness in CO. The Uintas would be on my radar, too, but I don't know that area as well.
 
I dislike early (or even mid) July in the Winds, though it depends on conditions. You might be early enough to beat the bugs, but there will usually be a lot of snow in that case, which can be good or bad. Late July (or whenever the snow is thawing fastest) is generally when the mosquitos are the worst, and they can be truly awful in the Winds. The elevation of the worst mosquitos in the Winds during thaw will vary in elevation depending on the progress of the thaw (but you surely already know that!).

I did the Sangre de Cristo range in June once... Early July at about that same latitude and elevation would probably be pretty nice. Might be worth looking into the San Jauns(or somehwere in Colorado)? The Sangres don't lend themselves well to 5-6 day trips.
 
Everywhere will be bugs...... just saying. Early July could be problematic with snow in most Ranges.

Beartooths, Buffalo Plateau, Teton highline, lower elevation in the Winds, few in Idaho....
 
Bob's right. Bugs are going to be fairly bad in all alpine areas in late June/early July most years.

That said, not everywhere is equally bad. Lots of lakes/wet meadows/swampy areas are gonna be worse. Steeper terrain is in general better because it allows for more efficient drainage. And ridges are of course infinitely better than basins. I'd look for long, walkable ridgelines - the eastern Uintas, Buffalo Plateau, the Tushars, parts of the Weimenuche along the Divide.
 
Yeah, I know the bugs will be there, but I'm hoping to avoid the low moist areas where ever we end up, so thinking Buffalo Plateau is close to ideal.

Does anyone see weather problems with Buffalo Plateau the first week of July? I know that nothing is certain, but I'd rather not deal with afternoon thunderstorms every day if I'm trying to stay high. Obviously, there are lots of ways to drop off the plateau for the night if nasty weather is rolling in.
 
wsp_scott said:
Yeah, I know the bugs will be there, but I'm hoping to avoid the low moist areas where ever we end up, so thinking Buffalo Plateau is close to ideal.

Does anyone see weather problems with Buffalo Plateau the first week of July? I know that nothing is certain, but I'd rather not deal with afternoon thunderstorms every day if I'm trying to stay high. Obviously, there are lots of ways to drop off the plateau for the night if nasty weather is rolling in.
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I don't want to jinx it, but I've had fantastic luck with weather there in early July. Most years I'm a week later than your plan (probably will be this year, too), but I've done as early as the the last week in June. No guarantees though - I have had to run from a thunderstorm or two.

You do need to build in some consideration for lingering snow though - less up top and more when you're climbing/dropping/traversing. (EDIT: And if there is a late spring snow and/or slow thaw, you'll want a backup plan. I had a miserable attempt one year where I was already postholing by Bonneville Pass out of Brooks Lake.)

A good example is the trail on the north side of Marston Pass. Usually pretty innocuous, but can be pretty sketchy with lingering snow.
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As much as I enjoy the Winds and NW Wy, I've heard too much from locals and visitors about early season mosquitoes. Unfortunately, that's also the best time for fishing - at ice out. Also, many passes will be blocked at that time. Given your son's reactions to mosquitoes, it might be a more pleasant trip if you head south? Maybe the Weminuche? Definitely different that the southeast!
 
TheMountainRabbit said:
You do need to build in some consideration for lingering snow though - less up top and more when you're climbing/dropping/traversing.
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That's a really good point, I appreciate you mentioning it since I had been thinking about on top vs getting up on top.
 
OldBill said:
As much as I enjoy the Winds and NW Wy, I've heard too much from locals and visitors about early season mosquitoes. Unfortunately, that's also the best time for fishing - at ice out. Also, many passes will be blocked at that time. Given your son's reactions to mosquitoes, it might be a more pleasant trip if you head south? Maybe the Weminuche? Definitely different that the southeast!
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Any idea how hot it would be the first week of July? Summer thunderstorms yet?

I appreciate the suggestion, I'll doing some googling and see if I get any ideas
 
As long as I've got people looking as this thread

What would the Uintas look like for the first week of July? Snow covered? Swampy/Buggy?
 
Sangres in Northern NM could serve as a backup. @TheMountainRabbit and i had very good snow luck there this summer around June 15, and this after a heavy winter. This one is lighter thus far. No bugs in the upper areas. Harder to make a longer itinerary but it's possible. Far drive from Vernal though.
 
Bighorns Crags, Sawtrooths, White Clouds in Idaho..... may get in there in July
 
Did a 4 night trip in the Gros Ventre starting June 16 of ‘21. No issues with either difficult snow travel or bugs. Creek crossings variable.
 
wsp_scott said:
Any idea how hot it would be the first week of July? Summer thunderstorms yet?

I appreciate the suggestion, I'll doing some googling and see if I get any ideas
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Early July is getting into monsoon season for sure. Most storms are short and nearly always in the afternoon, so you could time it to be off passes and ridges then. But, I do that in the Winds in September too if there's any possibility. It's on my radar list, maybe @TheMountainRabbit has experience for specific routes. Being on the west slope may help? My first pass look showed a number of possible options (high & lower). Chicago Basin attracts most of the crowds.
 
I think the biggest challenges in the weminuche at that time of year are snow on the high passes and downed trees on the trails (they clear them out on the trails but usually not until early July-ish I think), not heat or thunderstorms. There is tons of beetle kill down there. Depending on the year, it might be just fine though in both regards (and thunderstorms are always likely as well). If you're planning on sticking mostly to the trails, then the classic elk park to needleton loop (with potential for off-trail side explorations) could be great. You would probably want to book a train ticket for that though.

As others have mentioned, the sangres (either the CO sangres or the NM ones) are more reliably snow-free in early summer, but it's harder to put together longer itineraries there. Maybe a stretch of the CDT in the South San Juans (like from Wolf Creek pass to cumbres pass, although that might be too long) would be good at that time of year? (I've never hiked there, but my impression is that it was a good early season choice). You would need to arrange a shuttle, but it might not be too hard. Another option is the Uncompahgre Wilderness. The longer loops and routes there seem to have lots of time above treeline, so be wary of thunderstorms if you do that one.

Another option to have in the back pocket, just in case it happens to be much cooler then average in southern Utah, is to spend part of your time backpacking watery canyons in southern Utah (something in escalante like lower death hollow would be fun when hot!).
 
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Dreamer said:
Did a 4 night trip in the Gros Ventre starting June 16 of ‘21. No issues with either difficult snow travel or bugs. Creek crossings variable.
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Gros Ventre has been on my todo list, so thanks for mentioning that.

You've spent time in the Winds as well. Do you think bugs are less likely to be an issue in Gros Ventre vs Winds?
 
Only that one 4 nighter in the Gro Vont versus 610 nights in the Winds. In my opinion the Winds are unhikable in June and barely so in early July, at least what one would consider a normal trip. You won’t see many bugs (none? only down low in the trees and who wants to stay there anyway) but the snow travel will be likely extensive (not just passes) and all creek crossings (the ones you can’t snow bridge over) will be a challenge and some undoable by most sane people. Four feet of snow in Fish Creek Park out of Big Sandy mid June of ‘17. I’ve seen a 16” standing wave in very fast moving mid thigh deep water at the Seneca Lk outlet creek by Hobbes Lk first week of July (short but intense with high consequence) - which most get an ankle deep easy as pie crossing during normal season. Plus the access roads - both Big Sandy and Green River have a good chance of being a muddy rutted 4wd high clearance mess in spots and Elkhart could still be snowed in in mid June. There are good reasons most wait until the bugs begin to dissipate in mid August. The Vont is about 3000ft lower than the Winds. On the hike there (just a snapshot in time) I do not recall seeing a single bug. Must’ve been too early for em. We walked on snow a fair bit up high but it was well consolidated.
 
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