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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Listening Point - General Discussion :: Snowbank canoe capsizing-glad everyone is O'kay
 
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Jaywalker
10/22/2018 10:07PM
  
Glad they are ok. Those are terrible conditions to be out on such big water. It was years ago and summer, but the biggest, scariest waves I've paddled were on Snowbank. I'll sit on shore before paddling waves like that again.
 
HowardSprague
10/26/2018 07:30AM
  
That EP is always on my list of trip routes I want to do, with the route I want involving paddling from the former Smitty's on Snowbank to the Boot Lake portage and exiting via Parent. The nature of the lake is certainly a concern, I've often heard and sometimes observed that it's calmer earlier in the morning.....whether that's fact or just anecdotal, I don't know. But that beautiful lake can certainly get rough - the Schmidts' (Smittys') dad tipped over once, and that was in one of their motorboats!

 
Pinetree
10/22/2018 06:54PM
  
Glad you survived the ordeal and probably somebody from this board it may of happened to and we all can learn from the experience and yes sometimes just happen.

That is a very precarious crossing as many on this board have experience crossing there. Including me.

District 6 - Two Harbors area-October 22,2018
CO Sean Williams (Ely #1) . Williams also assisted the St. Louis County rescue squad and U.S. Border Patrol on Snowbank Lake after a group capsized their canoe in 30-mile-per-hour winds and 27-degree air temperatures. The group had safely made it to an island but were wet and very cold. The people and their equipment were located and brought off the lake.

I can only speculate but assume they came from the portage to Boot lake in the northeast corner. That crossing ranks right up there at top tied with maybe a couple others maybe. Also I remind people plan ahead and you can always go down disappointment lake-to Parent lake than to the Snowbank landing.

About 30 years ago in my old alumacraft canoe brother and I and his boy crossed into Snowbank and as we got away from shore we were into the biggest longest highest waves I ever have paddled in and ever will-hoping I am a little smarter now. Time plays imagination on a person but it seemed like we would go down in the bottom of the swales and paddle like heck climbing and going down-Just a little like the movie Perfect Storm and the fishing trawler climbing the huge wave. Well just a little bit,but either way we were lucky we didn't capsize and once we reached the island area it broke up the waves pretty well for us. Water temp probably was 39 degrees F.

At that time I don't thin we could of turned around without capsizing and getting broadside by a wave. Now with many more years of experience I could of pulled it off. Maybe?

Your experience there or other areas you would rank right up there.

As I have learned over the years using your brain thinking ahead and taking a break and waiting the wind out is a smart move. But most of us can look back and say why did I do that or the wind came up out of nowhere.
 
riverrunner
10/23/2018 09:38AM
  
This is why I always allow for extra travel days.


With over 55 years of canoeing experience 30mph winds is a diffidently a no go on a lake the size of snow bank.
 
andym
10/22/2018 09:44PM
  
We went paddling on White Iron back when it snowed a couple of weeks ago and were super timid, hugging the shore, hiding from much less wind in the lee of the trees. I can't imagine heading out in 30 mph winds in those temps. But we don't know what was pushing them to try. Just happy that they are ok. Phew.
 
Grizzlyman
10/23/2018 02:13PM
  
That is an awesome/ scary lake!! We rescued a group on snowbank last year. We were fishing in a motorboat. Wind was screaming. They crossed the big island and dumped when the wind/ waves out of the north hit them. They were headed to disappointment. Lucky it was August and the water was warm. No way they were going to get back in.


Link here: Dumped canoe on snowbank
 
nctry
10/29/2018 04:45AM
  
riverrunner: "This is why I always allow for extra travel days.



With over 55 years of canoeing experience 30mph winds is a diffidently a no go on a lake the size of snow bank."





Sometimes that isn’t the issue. I was being forced on my forty day trip to go around a fire. My intention was to go disappointment to the portage to flash and moose and back into bwca waters. The seas were calm enough when I left the portage paddling across Snowbank. Once making the crossing the wind and waves came up to the degree Pinetree describes. When I got to the point to make the turn up towards the portage I knew that was not an option. The only thing I could safely do is go to the landing and get another permit and renter the be. At the landing I suppose it would have been possible to head to the portage, but I had used about every ounce of energy getting there. At the landing an older couple was heading out with life jackets on the floor of their canoe. I encouraged them to wear them. He was oh yeah good idea. The lady kinda scowled at me for suggesting it.
Snowbank and Brule have given me rides that valley fair never could. Haha.
 
Guest Wimp
10/26/2018 11:29AM
  
missmolly: "Gordon Lightfoot: "Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?""

Excellent!


Hairiest for me was Nipigon maybe 10 years ago in October. Icing, we were on an island and had to make an open water crossing in a loaded aluminum canoe. Wind and huge rollers, isolated, and damn cold. Outfitters were already closed, we were the last ines on the lake. We made it, but had to break through pretty good ice in the big bay where we made our landing.


Stupid! Really stupid, in hindsight. I would like to say that we were strong and skillful, but luck played at least an equal role. No spare paddles either! Stupid!!


So lucky, we got away with one methinks. It is big and isolated up there in the off-season. Old Russian/Ukrainian outfitter owner thought we were goners, she had already notified rescue but the weather/visibility was too bad for them to start a search. We got in at maybe 10:30 am. By the end of the day it was in the low teens, and there was a foot of snow, and the trans-canada was closed.


So lucky.
 
missmolly
10/26/2018 11:59AM
  
That Nipigon story gave me the chills. Too scary!
 
wvevans
10/29/2018 01:52PM
  
My very 1st solo I was coming back after a 12 day trip.. This was my last lake where the truck was parked. And it was getting dark. I only made it half way across before it got windy and pitch dark. I beached the canoe up to one of the islands and threw a tarp over me and the dog and crashed on the ground tiill next morning. I learned a very valuable lesson that night about pushing it.
 
missmolly
10/26/2018 07:40AM
  
Gordon Lightfoot: "Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
 
Pinetree
10/23/2018 09:58AM
  
riverrunner: "This is why I always allow for extra travel days.



With over 55 years of canoeing experience 30mph winds is a diffidently a no go on a lake the size of snow bank."
Like you I often add a day for layups because of weather. Some individuals have a day set to come out and they will try to come out no matter what. Yes I have done night travel or extreme early morning travel to beat winds.
 
BWPaddler
10/25/2018 10:20PM
  
Jaywalker: "Glad they are ok. Those are terrible conditions to be out on such big water. It was years ago and summer, but the biggest, scariest waves I've paddled were on Snowbank. I'll sit on shore before paddling waves like that again. "


Ditto for Snowbank.


Crossing from the entry point, heading toward Parent portage. All of a sudden, huge wind and waves. Bow paddler plus 2 kids with me, just stayed calm and somehow made the landing stroke by stroke with some tacking required to quarter the waves which were parallel to the far shore somehow. SHOULD have hugged the more protected southern shore which we did on the return just in case. DEEP lake, farther across than you think.
 
egknuti
10/23/2018 07:51AM
  
I was on the water on Saturday, but I paddled on small lakes and stayed out of wind as much as possible. The wind was gusting as well, making paddling extra challenging. Also, with the temp below freezing, ice was forming on my canoe and paddle. I also had a little water at my feet that turned into ice. When I stood up, I slipped and almost fell over. You can't be too careful this time of year.