Ticks up here now !!!!

I hate ticks

I thought ticks crawled onto you from brush that you brushed against, not crawling onto your tent.  I guess as long as its just on your tent it doesn’t matter.

The tick was big, like it had already had a fill of blood?

no , just an adult tick , which had gone through all the phases.

If you are saying they’re extending their range up higher into the mountains that’s not good.  Reading about ticks, their “walking” range is quite limited but they’ll take a ride on human clothing.  That’s probably how most get in or around a tent.

Of course, humans go in and out of tent doors so there’s usually more likelihood of them by the zippered door.  Sometimes even waiting to drop in from the top of a tent door.

Now did they learn this behavior from drop-bears?

Last few years in CA seem to have been perfect for ticks. I see more and more of them. Near creeks or game trails are hot spots. I treat all my clothes all year round. Tick season is 365 days a year.

Yikes! I too thought that would be too high for them. Although, Kennedy Meadows (Emigrant Wilderness) might be an anomaly due to cattle grazing and heavy stock use. Still concerning.

Yes true, lots of meadows with cattle and deer. I’m pretty sure this tick was there due to the ground squirrel living in the camp area.

If you spend enough time in the wilderness, you will experience some unusual events, so it may just be a rare occurrence that won’t be repeated. After 20+ years of backpacking in the Colorado mountains, I found an engorged tick on one of my dogs a few years ago. Never happened before or since.

The tick at 7000k reminds me of the little bunny rabbit I saw at the very top of Lamarck Col.  What a sight!

If you think that is bad..we have ticks at 100 feet elevation, half a mile from the Salish Sea, on Whidbey Island. Our Golden is a magnet for them on our land. This is in the PNW, and not a warm area.

Sarah…warm is relative. I grew up in Kirkland. I’m almost 70. It’s far warmer most of the year today than what I remember. My old high school buddies who still live there say the same thing.

don’t move from Whidbey! I’d  advise. I used to scoff at my high school friends  who stayed home all their lives. There’s great advantage in striking out into unfamiliar places after high school. The greater Seattle area is one of the few where staying in place is a  great idea!

Since we farm, I keep records yearly – yes, we have heat bursts, but the Salish Sea keeps us cool :-) Inland, it is def warmer than even 20 years ago (so along the Cascade Mountains!). Friends that live in Enumclaw and Auburn are now often 15 to 20 warmer than Whidbey. Didn’t used to be so much.

Funny is…I grew up on the north end of Whidbey. We left for 15 years, then came back to the south end. Never thought I’d come back, but I so much more love our quiet life here.