Ticks at Wilcat, Point Reyes?

I have not seen ticks at either Sky or Glen. Actually, I haven't seen a tick at Point Reyes. They are probably waiting for you;)

Henry Coe has insane ticks. I sit on my Ridgecrest for two minutes at Pacheco Falls this morning and I found two of them on my pant legs and it was the same when I was there in Spring.

"I sit on my Ridgecrest for two minutes at Pacheco Falls this morning and I found two of them on my pant legs and it was the same when I was there in Spring."

They were probably the same ticks. They like you.

I'll be at Point Reyes over New Years as usual – never see them myself. But with all the critters we see each year at Wildcat, I wouldn't doubt that when the nights warm up the ticks are there.

Fully expecting a crazy number at Henry Coe in March.

As a matter of fact I just picked off a tick yesterday I got slightly off-trail on the way to Limantour Beach.

Yes, Wildcat camp can have biblical proportions. I've also camped there many times where there were none. I think it has a lot to due with season and temps.

I usually hit up Point Reyes during the Sierra summer off-season (Nov. – May). The few times I've gone during summer to escape the heat of the Sacramento valley is when I've noticed ticks.

Gosh I hate ticks. I bet it's from all the raccoon and mice.

With all that, I'm usually more worried about Poison Oak out there:

Thanks peeps.

I 've never been there during the summer, so maybe that explains it.

Yeah, ticks have a strong seasonal variation here on the central coast (and I assume elsewhere). The peak numbers also seem to vary wildly from year to year – like acorn numbers in the fall. I have never really figured out cause and effect for either of them.

They peak right after the main rains/cold dies back a bit and before the dry season kicks in (march – june). I've walked under low trees and bushes in early April in Henry Coe and heard them falling on my Houdini like rain. Talk about a hail mary – must have taken them days to get up there only to risk it all diving bombing a passing animal! "DOH! Foiled by slippery synthetics. I knew I should have waited for a deer." They can be insane in Ventanna in the spring so I assume the same at Reyes. FWIW, they are a bit worse in oak scrub than in the Redwood/Doug Fur areas (marginally) but in Reyes you pretty much pass though all the bio-zones.

In the winter I almost never see any, and well into the dry season very few. The former might have a lot to do with the clothes I'm wearing.

Last spring I camped at both Wildcat and Sky; no ticks seen, or found on my body.

I had also soaked all exterior clothing in permethrin just before the trip – shoes, socks, shorts, wind pants, t-shirt, wind shirt, and hat. I don’t need any more infected tick bites, thank you.

Like Marko, I’ve had ticks rain down on me hiking in Henry Coe under tall oak trees. Very determined little arachnids.

I generally worry about ticks in the spring on the Central California coast. Summer, fall, winter – rarely seen.

Also like others, I’ve seen lots of year-to-year variations.

According to Wikipedia:
“Numerous studies have shown the abundance and distribution of deer ticks are correlated with deer densities”

Most deer I’ve talked to in California are pretty dense, so that must be the problem :-)

— Rex

Well then. On my next Wildcat trip I will bring my kit, an Epi and hopefully someone willing to help if I can't reach the little bastards.

Spent a week there this past summer but didn't notice any. Further thinking about it ticks are more active when it's warmer, so perhaps the coolor exposed ridges didn't get warm enough (most trails can be fairly wide too).