Anybody Hunt South Rainier?

[Timmybob]

I usually hunt at about 6000ft or so. I know the snow is usually still around my spot at this time of year. I heard a news report that this will probably be one of the worst sceeter seasons ever !!! God help us all.....
   I am going to make my first treck up there the weekend of 7/11...Hope the first wave of bugs are gone.
Glad to hear everyone seeing critters up there already.....Packwood Coug, Keep us posted on those TC pix man. I'm looking forward to them.....

[Dirty Mike]

that make two of us cant wait to See the pics i usually hunt at 5000 Feet and up

[packwoodcoug]

My plan is to go up this Sunday and make sure its in the right location and not taking pics of hooves or the sky but I also plan on tying a few on for the fourth so lets hope I can wake up with enough motivation to hit the hill!  I will keep you posted.

[Dslayer]

We led a student group in to Cramer Lake and planted fish on Tuesday and my son and I went in to Deer on Sunday.  Anything above 4800 feet and w/o exposure had plenty of snow still.  Not impossible to walk on, particularly early in the day.  Saw some elk both trips, fishing was good in both spots as well.  Mosquitoes not bad at all up high, bad at the trailheads, though.  You just have to swath yourself in some Ben's 100 and some Deep Backwoods OFF and go for it when it gets bad.  Last summer was so late andthe bugs hung on well into mid August and after.  I always get a kick out of predictions of a bad skeeter year in the Tumac-when has there ever been a 'good' year up there. 

[Timmybob]

Dslayer,
    I like deer Lake..Glad to hear the fishing was good up there..I've caught some descent brookies outta there..I hear ya about the bugs..It always seems crappy..Good luck to everyone up there..Maybe we will bump into eachother scouting or fishing. Like I said, I'm heading up in the 11th..

[Dslayer]

It looks like we'll be taking that student group for an overnighter in the S. Tieton that weekend, 7/11-12, otherwise we might meet up in the Tumac somewhere.  We learned a hard lesson that we always go with two chaperones and one my colleagues whose wife is pregnant has an appointment early next week that he can't miss out on so we had to reschedule for the 11/12-we've got a few lakes to plant in between.  The story of the kid he 'lost' is pretty funny-I missed that trip due to 'roid surgery and this kid made himself into a 'roid for my partner.  He was on the verge of getting on the sat. phone and getting a hold of some SAR when the kid finally got a hold of him via walkie talkie.  This was the kind of kid we shouldn't be taking on these trips, sort of a 'special' kid, but we prided ourselves on getting some of these kids into the woods and through the 'big' hike.  Needless to say, we've changed that policy, but we kept that goofball with the group and he made the season ender that year a rather meandering adventure from Chinook to White.

 Hitting it when you are should just about be right for getting to the higher lakes like Dumbell and Pipe.  I'd be interested in hearing if you get into some fish or elk or anything else.  Hot weather the next 3-4 days ought to make a pretty good dent in the snowpack.  Fish Cramer if you can.

[Timmybob]

sounds good man. I will let you know how it looks up there..

[Dirty Mike]

so how does it look?

[Timmybob]

Went up this weekend and the bugs were soooooooooo bad that It was all I could do just to try and hike around. It was horrible. I even left the tent at home to sleep under the starts and Got eatin alive.......Don't go if you don't have to..Lots of snow up where I was too...So many skeeters..Looks like i have the mumps..I even used 100% deet spray and still got eaten...didnt see any animals as I was literally running to loose the bugs anywhere I went..

[Dslayer]

Where did you go? Do any fishing.  Sounds like the skeeters are in mid-season form.  Last year the snow melted so late and slowly that skeeter season lasted way into August.  We were down below Raven's Roost at Anna Lake and they were as bad as I've seen them.

[Houndhunter]

i havent been up there since june, but them skeeters are outa hand. i wore strong repelent and that did nothing, i just had to keep moving to keep them off. i need to get a thermcell, supposibly those will work in the worst conditions

[stumprat]

I bought a Thermacell this year. Unless it's real windy it's the best. I don't leave home without it.

[Houndhunter]

I bought a Thermacell this year. Unless it's real windy it's the best. I don't leave home without it.

im gonna get one for bear season, where i was last year it was bad. does it work for all bugs? flys and bees are a real pain when gutting a bear

i hate bugs

[stumprat]

I had it in the high country last weekend. No skeeters flys or bees
In my predator stands it even runs off the ants.

[Timmybob]

Nice to know.. Might have to get one ! I was using 100% Deet and was almost drained of all my blood..I was up near bush and Dumbell lakes..