My first full day at Brooks camp. The sun is shining, there are no clouds, the water is perfectly calm. It is a gorgeous morning. I get ready to hike to the ranger office where I am to report this morning and I step outside. The air is so fresh and wonderful, its excelerating. I started hiking to the river and I felt a mosquito bite me. Killed it and kept walking. With in minutes I was being swarmed by the things. There was a dark cloud swirling around my head as it was the place that was the least covered. They were biting my ears, under my glasses, getting caught in my hair, they were even trying to bite through my scalp. Every time I would slap an area I would kill not one or two but four or five. Many Mosquitoes died this morning on the two mile hike to the ranger station. Even applying bug spray only partially relieved the constant drone around my ears. My face felt like it had been attacked. I don't itch, thank goodness. But it is not pleasant.
My boss ordered each of us a bug baffler suit. I haven't even taken it out of the package yet because the bugs haven't been that bad. On the way to the office I say fishermen with their faces cover in green screen. I guess I may have to relent and either drown in deet or wear the bug suit. Once I reached the ranger office I was told two things that didn't make me happy. 1. It gets worse. I am not sure how it could get worse but supposedly it will. Lovely! 2. When on duty in the Brooks Camp area we are not allowed to wear the bug nets because it distracts from our relating to the visitors. We can wear them on our off time. So I get to spend every other week covered in deet to stay bug bite proof.
Good news came shortly later. The wind picked up and it is suppose to get worse for the next few days. The only problem with that is that its blowing in cold glacier air, Hmmmmm
Mosquitoes or be cold?
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