Irrelevant
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has anyone spent any time around the Two Ocean Plateau/Chipmunk Creek area? Trying to plan a trip and wanted to bounce some ideas off someone.
SE Jellystone backpacking
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Irrelevant
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kayak/canoe across the lake.
Southern Elk
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I’ve heard the fishing at Heart Lake can be incredible.
Irrelevant
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ok, so we leave this Thursday for the trip. Unfortunately, we're not going to make it all the way to "parting of waters" but will spend 6 days poking along the Yellowstone River off the SE corner of the lake. This trip was supposed to be late aug/early sept. But due to other people's scheduling, it's now mid-July. The weather forecast is 40-75 with thunderstorms every day. On a scale of 1-10, how bad do you think the skeeters are going to be? Trying to decide if netting should be considered (I've never been anywhere where they're that bad..).
Different part of things, but the squitos were pretty bad over the 4th up in Bob Marshall country. Kinda similar in that there was a lot of rain and some lakes nearby. Dissimilar in that we were in the “Spotted Bear Rainforest” west of the divide.
I’m going back into the Bob a bit deeper (and without the baby) tomorrow for a week. Gonna buy whatever repellent has the most skull and crossbone type danger warnings on the label.
I’m going back into the Bob a bit deeper (and without the baby) tomorrow for a week. Gonna buy whatever repellent has the most skull and crossbone type danger warnings on the label.
El Jason
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We were in the Upper Big Hole this weekend at 7k feet and they were ferocious.
Irrelevant
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k, head nets, gloves, and 100% deet it is. I might have to resurrect my Thermacell.
Rack Daniels
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You friggin crack me up dude
COEngineer
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100% DEET is supposedly overkill (I read somewhere that anything over 30% is basically just wasting the stuff), but there's one spot I fish every year in WY that I need overkill. Also, I think as long as you're spraying it on your skin (or clothes) and not drinking it, it's pretty safe. Edit: Except in CA, apparently everything causes cancer there.
Irrelevant
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It's actually quite terrible on many synthetics... but I'll totally cover myself in it as opposed to going mad.
JEL
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Not sure this will affect you but fyi. 
Irrelevant
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Yeah, don't have to worry about it for us. I think we're still going to be dealing with high flows and coldass water.
sclancy27
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Skeeters will be bad. Long sleeves, long pants, maybe a head net.
Heart lake has some big ass cutties.
Sweet trip.
Heart lake has some big ass cutties.
Sweet trip.
I was looking for the stuff that says “Banned in CA” but no dice. Rolling with 25% because it’s liquid and I’m able to dump it into a smaller spray bottle instead of schlepping a whole thing of it 25 miles into the backcountry.
COEngineer
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Straight Arrow
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Not that area in particular, but backpacked 7 days 80 miles up Eagle Creek into the Thorofare, then up circuitous Yellowstone River, up Thorofare Creek, up Pass Creek to Ishawooa Pass and out Ishawooa Trailhead on South Fork of Shoshone. Thorofare Ranger Station, most remote location in the country is worth the three day travel. It's gorgeous wild country.
Best to backpack that country late August or early September to avoid the bugs.
MTGamecock
Well-known member
If I could find 110% DEET in the stores, I'd use that.
Short of that, I've found that pre-treating my hiking/hunting clothes with Sawyer Permethrine is the absolute bomb for ticks. I bet it would make a dent in heavy mosquito country as well. Top that off with DEET spray on your hands, face, and arms and I bet you'd have a pretty effective repellent. That combo probably causes cancer, but that's how you know it works.
Irrelevant
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Trip done.
7 stars.
Bugs were bad, but not THAT bad. Combo of skeeters, black flies, no-see-ums, and horse flies, no deer flies. Mornings were shockingly bug-free.
Temps were decent, ~40 in the morning, 75-80 during the peak afternoon. Water temps were NOT COLD, lies... damn lies! If anything it was shockingly warm, too warm.
Rain or threat thereof almost every day, some thunder and lightning. The three nights we left the rainfly off to stargaze were the three nights it rained in the middle of the night.
No cool wildlife was seen in the backcountry. Just a fox and a herd of bighorns near the top of a random mountain we hiked up. No griz, no moose, no wolves. However, we saw fresh griz sign daily, twice the rest of the critter sign combined. Fishing was poor, very poor; only two fish were caught the entire trip.
7 stars.
Bugs were bad, but not THAT bad. Combo of skeeters, black flies, no-see-ums, and horse flies, no deer flies. Mornings were shockingly bug-free.
Temps were decent, ~40 in the morning, 75-80 during the peak afternoon. Water temps were NOT COLD, lies... damn lies! If anything it was shockingly warm, too warm.
Rain or threat thereof almost every day, some thunder and lightning. The three nights we left the rainfly off to stargaze were the three nights it rained in the middle of the night.
No cool wildlife was seen in the backcountry. Just a fox and a herd of bighorns near the top of a random mountain we hiked up. No griz, no moose, no wolves. However, we saw fresh griz sign daily, twice the rest of the critter sign combined. Fishing was poor, very poor; only two fish were caught the entire trip.
