Understatement: I have been overcome bug bites. There have been a couple sightings of my bitten face on the blog already, so I will spare you more photos. Let’s just say that trampoline + sleeping outside + near trees is an invitation for red polka dotted skin. That being said, I’ve developed a filter, or pulse as some might say, for bug-ridden areas.
The 15-mile bike trail: Jordan, Helen, Alex, and I rode on a trail. It was a nicely paved path, and there was water flowing through some parts. At one point, we neared the water’s shore to get to a park, with herds of bugs in our periphery. For that reason, I rate this as heavily bug-ridden.
The car: I ended up riding the car for most of the biking. A combination of sleep deprivation and fiery heat led to napping for a couple of hours and missing the rest of the legs. One sneaky fly whirled around in the car, but otherwise, the air conditioned back seat and my backpack made for a nice bed and pillow—a safe haven from the treacherous world outside.
The reservoir: We camped at Starvation, Utah, and we frolicked in the water for a bit. Its thin film revealed dozens of bugs perched at its surface in what seemed like a devious attempt to bite me. Thus, I splashed and swam, leaving no surface area still. A futile but worthy attempt.
4th of July Festivities: We bought sparklers, $1 glow-stick-head-band configurations, s’mores, lighter fluid (relieving us from using leaves to fan the flames), and we ate stew (a throwback to stone soup, the children’s book). In the moments that Leo and Alex were dousing lighter fluid onto the wood, its flames unveiled swaths of bugs near the light. Leo also hung a lantern in the top left corner, which staved away most bites. A festivity and triumph for all.
Itching my bug bites,
Victoria