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Mar 6, 2014

Lily Pond: Adventure in the Porcupine Mountains (Part 4 of 4)

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While our adventure in the Porcupine Mountains was fantastic and we really enjoyed ourselves, the mosquitoes were overwhelmingly horrible and almost ruined the trip for us. The mosquitoes were the worst part about our backpacking trip. Even though we were hiking for hours with heavy packs and sometimes the weather was uncooperative (raining on and off with some humidity and heat thrown in), we had a lot of fun and broke up the long hikes with breaks playing in the different streams and lakes, relaxing by the waterfalls we came across. Our only complaint involves the thick hordes of mosquitoes hovering overhead, following our every move while we hiked through the forested areas of the park.

We were prepared with hats, a mosquito net and an endless supply of 100% deet sprays but nothing worked. Nothing really, other than hiking as fast as we could through the heavy forested areas until we broke into a clearing. That was the only way we got any relief from the mosquitoes. It was just horrible because the hiking trails wound through large forested areas and we couldn't keep a leisurely pace or stop to rest because the whole time, mosquitoes just kept feasting on our flesh. We were constantly smacking mosquitoes off ourselves and each other. The mosquito net was pretty much useless as were the 100% deet sprays. Even the anti-itch ointment was useless with that many mosquito bites. The combination of everything, the exhaustion that came with carrying heavy packs, the constant mosquito bites, itching skin where the bites were, and  having to move at such a hurried pace without much rest, was just tolling. At one point, one of us (we're not going to say who) broke down and cried. It was that bad.

If you are planning on visiting the Porcupine Mountains, be prepared for mosquitoes with either full mosquito proof clothing or netting. We thought 100% deet would work but it didn't. It couldn't keep up with entire days and nights outdoors. The only things that worked were being in clearings next to waterfalls, seeking shelter inside our tent and being right next to a burning fire at night. So, we would highly recommend just going before or after the mosquito season. That way, you won't suffer as we did. That's probably going to be the most important factor in planning our next trip to the Porkies. By the way, Lily Pond was totally beautiful.

If you liked our Adventure in the Porcupine Mountains series, be sure to check out our YouTube channel for more information on enjoying the great outdoors!

Video Lily Pond
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