No bugs…if you don’t count ticks as bugs. If you do…then pre-soak everything in Permethrin….

I’ve done the Mt Sizer Loop before as a day hike, but for the Challenge, I thought I’d try it as an early season backpack. We started at Coe Ranch and headed counter-clockwise through Poverty Flat, up Jackass to the ridge, tagged Sizer, and then down to Sada Springs for the night.  Temps were 50s during the day, maybe 40 at night.

Clear blue skies alternated with clouds.  On Blue Ridge, we could see the snowcaps at the heart of the High Sierra 200 miles away as the crow flies WSW.  A few shooting stars and other wildflowers were gamely fighting winter here and there.  Two shoes off stream crossings were easily finessed (one of which featured snoozing swarms of lady bugs).