<p>Yeah, this happened in VT on the AT in '06. It was interesting to see it again in a different part of the country.</p>
<p>Blister<br>
AT - 2006<br>
PCT - 2011</p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Jun 11, 2012 6:18 PM, "Ron" <<a href="mailto:ronyon@comcast.net">ronyon@comcast.net</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
It gets better, then worse. After 5-6 weeks these caterpillars spin cocoons and turn to pupae, pretty much leaving the scene. However, soon thereafter armies of large gray flies arrive and deposit their maggots on the cocoons. The maggots penetrate the silk and feed on the larvae. In the meantime the flies hang around landing on people and regurgitating on their clothing.<br>
<br>
This is what I read anyway. Hopefully this will not actually happen when I hike through in a couple of weeks.<br>
<br>
Ron<br>
<br>
On Jun 11, 2012, at 3:49 PM, David Booth <<a href="mailto:david.booth@internode.on.net">david.booth@internode.on.net</a>> wrote:<br>
<br>
> Brett<br>
> In 2010 while hiking in northern New Mexico (20 june) on Mogote<br>
> Ridge, I was alarmed to have hundreds of these little monsters fall<br>
> on me and climb up my pack 20 at a time. It seems they are programmed<br>
> after hatching to climb to the highest possible point of any object.<br>
> (like the CDT sign in the photo). In Australia we have nasty<br>
> caterpillars of the emperor gum moth, that can sting and irritate<br>
> your skin causing a rash. So when these aspen caterpillars were<br>
> coming at me I beat a hasty retreat. I couldnt sit down for several<br>
> miles asthe ground was covered in the monsters. Are they totally<br>
> harmless(except to Aspens)? Even the birds were sick of eating them I<br>
> guess. I certainly never tried eating one. Maybe you could<br>
> genetically modify them to eat the Lodgepole Pine beetles?<br>
> best regards<br>
> Aussie Dave<br>
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</blockquote></div>