Sawtooth Mountains – Grand Sawtooth Loop

My dates for this hike are August 23-29. We will be starting and ending at Grandjean. Now that it's a bit closer, I thought I'd resurrect this thread to see if folks familiar with this hike or the Sawtooths in general might be able to chime in about a few things (two from above, plus another):

1. During that week, what should I expect in terms of mosquitos and other pests?

2. Do you have any recommendations for peaks reachable via a class 2-3 climb? I'm looking at Alpine Peak (near Sawtooth Lake, class 2) and Mount Everly (southwest corner of the loop, class 3). I'd like to get in at least one, maybe three, depending on how much progress we're making and how our legs are feeling. We're coming from Georgia (the state), and most of our hiking takes place in the Southeast, so this loop might beat up our legs. :)

3. Is there any reason we would not be able to use an alcohol stove? I assume that won't be a problem, and will verify with the rangers, but I figured I'd check here so we can plan accordingly.

One more question: Bear spray, yay or nay? My fiancée is a little paranoid about bears, so we'll probably bring one canister, unless someone can definitively suggest a) the one is not necessary, b) that the place is crawling with bears and we're better off bringing two if we ever want to make it out alive. I doubt b) is the case. ;)

How did the trip go?