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Author	Message Text
cburton103	05/28/2018 09:23PM   Great report! I did that exact trip back in June of 2012. We even stayed at the same campsite! Thomas is a nice lake. I usually like the lakes with a fair amount of islands like that.
BigBearArlich	05/29/2018 08:59AM   @mmarksnp Based on all my research, and others input, I think its completely dependent on the weather. If its beautiful, I would probably consider the route you suggested. If not, you have the couple options listed in the other posts to cut your time on snowbank down. Snowbank can be a doozy.
sylvesterii	05/29/2018 09:28AM   mmarksnp: "Great report. Good info for me. Will be entering at Snowbank with 6 Eagle Scouts and the plan is to make to Thomas that first day. We will not go through Disappointment instead exiting Snowbank in the NE and portaging to Boot. Any thoughts on which way is preferred? " Don't do it if you want to make Thomas in a Day. Snowbank to Disappointment is definitely the better route. I went that route last year with intentions of making it to Fraser, and we had to stop at Ima because it just took too long. The amount of in/out really slows you down and gets frustrating, not to mention there isn't anything really special about that route. You paddle for 5 minutes, unload, portage, reload, paddle for 5 minutes, unload, portage, reload etc. Lots of mud, slippery rocks and narrow portage trails. The 1 portage into Boot is actually 2 with a tiny pond. There is also another portage not shown on the maps that is a pull-over to get into Haven. In total that route has 14 portages, with Haven to Abinodji being one of the toughest I have ever taken (and i've done the back-to-back Meadows portages in the Quetico multiple times). Disappointment route has 11, with the only somewhat tough portage being the length of the portage into Disappointment, but that is flat and wide.
mmarksnp	05/29/2018 10:45AM   Okay. Thanks for that. Was planning that route as it would be new territory for me. Will definite consider as we actually are starting the the Somers Boy Scout Base which adds 2 portages.
KarlBAndersen1	05/26/2018 06:58AM   Gotcha - that makes sense - sort of. That portage is still longer than the other two combined, but I guess you eliminate loading/un-loading the canoe twice. I'll be watching for winds in that case.
mmarksnp	05/26/2018 11:41AM   Great report. Good info for me. Will be entering at Snowbank with 6 Eagle Scouts and the plan is to make to Thomas that first day. We will not go through Disappointment instead exiting Snowbank in the NE and portaging to Boot. Any thoughts on which way is preferred?
Ausable	05/24/2018 11:55AM   Good report! I'll be including that route on a section of my trip at the end of June.
KarlBAndersen1	05/24/2018 01:51PM   When you said, "......... the wrong way around a big island." which way did/didn't you go? Is one way better/easier than the other? You have a very incomplete sparse profile or I would have emailed you.
BigBearArlich	05/24/2018 02:16PM   Based on my research, it saves time to take the pink route if the weather is good, cuts off a portage and its a relatively nice paddle. thats the route we took on the way in. If the weather sucks, like when it was super windy for us, the green route down and around Burnt Island gives you more protection from the wind, but adds a portage. We took this route on the way back to our car. My navigation a bit rusty since it was my first trip of the year so we went down and around burnt island on the trip in, but then got our bearings and just paddled a little further to pickup the pink route and arrive at the 140 portage into Disappointment.
BigBearArlich	05/23/2018 09:40AM   New Trip Report posted by BigBearArlich Trip Name: EP 27 - Snowbank to Thomas and back in May 2018. Entry Point: 27 Click Here to View Trip Report
smoke11	05/23/2018 10:08AM   Nice report!
boonie	05/23/2018 02:42PM   Thanks for the report - enjoyed it. Glad you survived the long days and wind.