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whiskeybullets
Mar 26, 2010, 7:44 PM
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Looking to take a 2wk trip in august. Anyone here ever climb in the winds or tetons at that time of year? I've heard the mosquitos can be very bad. Any beta is welcome.
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cjdrover
Mar 28, 2010, 1:57 PM
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I haven't, but am also working on a trip to the Winds this summer. From a few people I've spoken to, the bugs are likely to be bad, but manageable as long as you bring DEET. Be prepared for temps from 20-85. Maybe I'll see you there!
- Chris
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reno
Mar 28, 2010, 4:25 PM
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Yes, the mosquitos are bad in the Winds that time of year, but good bug spray worked fine for us.
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oklahoma
Mar 28, 2010, 7:32 PM
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bugs are bad but managable. it's well worth it though. I personally liked the Winds more than the Tetons. It depends on your skill level and fitness level though. Hands down, you have to climb the Cirque in the Winds. You'll probaly have to camp the night before you climb. I liked the Tetons but they can have long approches to climbs.
One problem you are almost guaranteed to run into in August is rain. It isn't quite as bad as the colorado rockies where it's nearly everyday, but it still rains quite a bit. Make sure you can read mountain weather.
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jpetsch123
Mar 29, 2010, 3:16 AM
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I did the same trip this past august, it's the perfect time to enjoy both locations.
As for the bugs, they weren't noticeably bad. Some good bug spray and you'll be fine. We packed in headnets but never put them on. Really, the only time you will even notice the mosquitoes would be if you sat by a lake all day.
The weather is generally good that time of year, but don't let anything surprise you. The Winds have some crazy weather. It never rained all day, but one day it snowed the entire day, with accumulations up to two inches (melted soon thereafter). The next day I think the highs were in the 70's. Just be prepared for varying weather conditions (it also snowed up on the Grand when we were up there).
If you're going into the winds, I would highly suggest the Cirque of the Towers if it is your first time into the area. I'd plan at least 4 or 5 days for the area. The scenic qualities and route options cannot be missed. Granted, it may be a little more crowded than you might expect, but not near as much as the Tetons. For a bit more solitude, I'd highly suggest camping in the campsites under Mitchell, absolutely top notch, can't beat the location down by the river. It's more sheltered from the wind down there as are the upper sights near the Warriors. The location there only adds 30 or so minutes to your approaches to the climbs. If you're into fishing at all, the fly-fishing in the river and lonesome lake is good enough to warrant packing in some gear. The campsite life is half the experience, so have some fun with it. There's good bouldering in the area too, but i wouldn't even think of bringing a pad.
The routes in the cirque are stellar. Don't miss the classics on Pingora and Wolf's Head.
As for the Tetons, they seemed more crowded, but still extremely enjoyable. I didn't spend much time there and only climbed the Grand and Guide's Wall, so I can't give you as much info there. There are some cheap and free campsites in the surrounding national forests around Jackson if you need a place to stay, as well as a hostel in Jackson and the Climber's Ranch.
Don't worry too much about the bugs, respect the weather, have fun, be safe.
(This post was edited by jpetsch123 on Mar 29, 2010, 3:18 AM)
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holdeddie
Mar 29, 2010, 4:38 AM
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Hi, i did the same trip to the wind rivers in in June 2 years ago. When i was there the bugs were very bad however somewhat manageable with DEET. Defiantly check out cirque of the towers and don't forget bear spray, we saw three bears during our stay.
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csproul
Mar 30, 2010, 4:49 PM
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I did a week in August about three years ago. We had minimal problems with bugs. No worse than any other alpine areas I've been to. It was, however, a very hot dry spring/summer, and that likely kept the population down. I'd guess we got off easier than most years.
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chugach001
Apr 7, 2010, 11:13 PM
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There are very powerful afternoon thunder storms in July and August. Start early.
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petsfed
Apr 7, 2010, 11:36 PM
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Registered: Sep 25, 2002
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We had some bugs along the Glacier Trail last August, but yeah, good bug spray did well. Bring enough for the whole trip though. We ran out on the 4th day (of 6) since we only had a small bottle. Dumb.
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