Has anyone done the CT during July? My plan is to leave July 1. How are the bugs? I'm actually thinking about going the tarp/bivy route now (big change from my I want a double wall shelter post-thanks BPL) and my choices are dependent on the bugs.

You might find this helpful - so far it looks like a below average year for snow

http://premium.fileden.com/premium/2008/8/25/2065958/ct_full_01.pdf

ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/CO/Snow/snow/watershed/daily/basinplotco12.gif

http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/reports/UpdateReport.html;jsessionid=5E2D2C0A480F1DBE23AC1C0A6A8E4AA5?textReport=Colorado&textRptKey=5&textFormat=SNOTEL+Snowpack+Update+Report&StateList=5&RegionList=Select+a+Region+or+Basin&SpecialList=Select+a+Special+Report&MonthList=January&DayList=4&YearList=2012&FormatList=N3&OutputFormatList=HTML&textMonth=January&textDay=4&CompYearList=select+a+year

ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/CO/Snow/snow/watershed/daily/co_update_snow.pdf

ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/CO/Snow/snow/watershed/daily/co_projection_snow_0501.pdf

If you already have both shelters one idea would be to put the tent in a bounce box to Breckenridge. It will take you about 5 days to get there at the pace you mentioned earlier. It relatively dry except for the last day so I doubt bugs would be unbearable unless you camped by a beaver pond. Once you get to Breckenridg you can make a final decision. Personally if I did it again I'd use the bivy because I spend very little time in my tent if I'm not sleeping.

They were kind of bad last year but there was an excess of snowmelt for them to breed with. That being said, I didn't find them that irritating -- I hike late and when the temperatures drop down near freezing they seem to go to bed. Typically this was around 9:30-10. If we had late cloud cover and the temps stayed up they would stay up later or just all night I'd just use my down hood + ear plugs and would be fine. Overall, I found them not to be quite as bloodlusty as skeeters back east -- they seemed cautious about landing on you.