Mosquitos and Bears

[Rick D.]

Hi everyone,

I am starting the CT southbound on July 14. What are the mosquitos like right now? Does anyone have any inside knowledge?

Also, what are people doing with their food for bear protection? Is this just considered to be a safe area where bears are not habituated to humans?

Thanks!

[rafe]

I live in eastern MA; mosquitoes are about normal for this time of year, I'd say. You definitely want DEET. A head net can be useful as well. As for bears, just take the normal precautions.

[ed bell]

_terrapin_, I think he is looking for Colorado Trail info.

[rafe]

Ah... I saw CT and thought "Connecticut." My bad.

[Sly]

Bring some deet just in case, don't worry about the bears.

[DAKS]

you can bring the deet just in case although there are very few bugs/skeeters etc. out that way IMO. i have done very few miles on the CT, but in other areas of colorado we would just hang our food. never had a problem. good luck and have a ball!

[Mags]

Once you get past Kenosha Pass (10k ft), mossies should not be an issue.

As for bears, I'd just use normal bear precautions. Black bears in Colorado are nowhere near the issue as they are in say, the Sierra.

[Rick D.]

Thanks for your feedback everyone. I guess I'll bring a very small amount of Deet and a light headnet.

What do you mean by "normal bear precautions"? For instance, Francis Tapon during his CDT yo-yo slept with his food. Or do you mean hanging it or using something like a light Ursack and leaving food 50 yards from the campsite in the Ursack?

I'm basically a stealth camper and camp away from water sources, and I'm pretty unsure as to what constitutes good bear safety practice in Colorado.

[RickD]

Just to follow up, I did hike last summer in Colorado, not alone but with a partner, and chose the CDT over the CT. Mosquitos were a serious issue! We did not have adequate protection while sleeping. We should have had some kind of net enclosure. That said, most mosquitos went to sleep about the same time we did.

Nobody we met in CO ever had a bear problem, and no one hung their food. No one took any special precautions.