I'm taking a trip in September (starting Sept 19th), it's 3 of us all pretty experienced and in decent shape.

I'm looking at routes and thinking of maybe Snowbank.

My main question is what's it like getting from Ima down to Thomas? Will that be passable at that time of year? Hard to tell on the map. If that's a passage then I think it could be fun starting on Snowbank and circling around through Ensign -> Ima -> Thomas -> Alice -> Insula -> number lakes -> out.

How's that route sound - any advice?

That's one of the primary routes in/out of Snowbank so, barring some extreme weather just prior to your trip, it will certainly be open.

I did a version of that loop a few years back. A new solo beginning

I went from Lake One thru Insula, Thomas, Ima, Ensign, Moose in late Sept of 2022. Water levels were fine, no worries at all. From Ima to Thomas you will be paddling against the current but I don't see that as an issue at all, it's very manageable.

We did Ima, Hatchet, Thomas in sept 2021 during super low water. It was all passable. The portages were a touch longer but landings were all easy to see....just a little more mud and rock to get through.

I had to walk my canoe some on the river between Hatchet and Thomas once. It was easy though with a hard sand bottom.