Pinhoti ??May 1st 2009 start - Chiggers??

[garyhebert]

Last minute decision. Thinking of starting a northbound thru of AL-GA Pinhoti May1st. Just read on pinhotitrailalliance.org that they recommend not hiking it May-Sept due to the chiggers 'll get ya.

I dont know much about chiggers but they dont sound fun. Is this pretty much like skeeters, black flies, up north here in new england - once theyre out it sucks and gotta pull out all the stops to cope? sounds like not much you can do to avoid chiggers and once bitten hard to treat on the trail. Is this true or all hogwash? should I NOT hike it May 1st - May 16th? I'd like to scramble to fedex maps etc and go for it May 1st - but not if its likely I'd be miserable.

If I go can I use just tarp and sleeping bag? or do I need noseem tent? or what?

HELP!!

FedEx
(Gary Hebert)
AT 07, LT 08, ?Pinhoti, 09: ?Pinhoti, ? L2H, BMT ?, NET, Northville-Placid Trail?, ???

www.hikerfedex@gmail.com

[Bronk]

I think chiggers have a lot to do with the individual...we have them here (supposedly) but I've never gotten them. But my neighbors get them all the time in the summer. I've heard a lot of people say that chiggers just don't like some people for some reason. Chiggers don't like me, but I am definitely a tick magnet...I probably pull 20 off of me every day in the summer time just walking around in the yard.

[Jonauto]

i hiked 60 miles of northern talladega national forest in may two years ago and i didnt have any trouble with chiggers. There were a lot of ticks though, but none of them ever attached to me.

Chiggers (also known as red bugs down here) get under your skin and cause some mad itching in the least convenient places (especially and usually the crotch).

I also hiked a southern piece during the end of summer, and i would advise against that far more than May due to chiggers. Water can get quite short during that time of year. I had to hike 15 miles before we found ANY water, i hurt my leg due to exhaustion, and there is NO cell service.

[Jonauto]

oh, and a mosquito net is always a good thing to have this far south

[NoGaHiker]

I hiked several GA sections from Dug Gap down to the Highpoint Trailhead the last week in April. Water was plentiful in sections 12 down to about mid way through section 8. Had plenty of rain though. Was kinda scarce the remainder of 8 and 7. Spent the night in Floyd State Park in section 7, there was water about half way down the trail to the park and at the park.
No chiggers, no snakes, no ticks, plenty of mosquitoes and lots of rain. Only passed a group of 3 riders on horseback, no other hikers for 5 days.
Cell service is very limited, but was able to get it on most of the ridgetops.

[Cassie]

I don't know about May but I can tell you what my experience was with chiggers on the Pinhoti last September. I've never had problems with bugs while hiking but I sure did then. I used 100% DEET and walked into Chigger City.

It. Itched. Like. CRAZY.

They leave behind a feeding tube which is what itches so badly. It's way under the skin and it just depends on how long it takes your body to break it down and get rid of it. The nuclear itching didn't completely go away for months. I had trouble sleeping it itched so bad and I'd scratch myself raw in my sleep. Do not underestimate this.

Btw - IMO the Pinhoti is not ready for thruhikes. It will be someday but it isn't yet. Be ready to lose the trail and have to go around sections that are so poorly maintained that the trail is completely impassable. Please note I am not complaining about the trail maintainers - it's hard work and they do a great job there just aren't enough of them to make thruhiking really feasible yet.

It's difficult to hitch around the Pinhoti, too - thruhiking there isn't as common as it is on the A.T., for example. If you think you get weird looks and astonished comments (and inane warnings although none about chiggers, interestingly) from people around the A.T., that's nothing compared to people around the Pinhoti.

[Nearly Normal]

I personally believe there are more than one kind. I've gotten them in many of the the Southern states. Sometimes they last 2 or 3 weeks but had some last up to 5 months. They can make you suffer!

The Alabama red bugs are the worst. 5 or 6 of them can hold you down while 10 or 12 more worry you to death. :rolleyes: