Disappointment Lake Basecamp
by ron1
Trip Type:
Paddling Canoe
Entry Date:
06/16/2012
Entry & Exit Point:
Snowbank Lake (EP 27)
Number of Days:
6
Group Size:
2
Discuss Trip:
View Discussion Thread (1 messages)
Day 6 of 6
Thursday, June 21, 2012 
this is a view from our camp facing the way we will travel back to the exit portage to Snowbank.
There has been a pretty steady breeze in our face as we paddled back towards the Snowbank portage, so we decide to cut through Parent lake instead, hoping that this will expose us to less of the famous Snowbank hazardous wind conditions. The portages are pretty wet; not surprising with all the rain we had during the week. We get to Parent, and cross it without incident.
Here I am, exiting Parent. This next photo is a shot of portage conditions at some points. 
After passing through Parent, we still have to cross Snowbank to get back to the E.P., although less of it than if we had crossed directly to it from Disappointment. Here is a look at the whitecaps waiting for us when we get to the end of the portage from Parent.
Although probably no big deal to an experienced paddler, the waves and wind are big enough to cause us a bit of tension. First off, the waves are coming in parallel to the shore, so when we put the canoe in they hit it broadside and slop up over the side. We ship in a fair amount of water before we finally get the canoe turned and headed into the wind. Then we do a enough up and down and side to side motion to make me a little nervous, and very grateful to finally reach the windbreak of the nearest island. By the time we get around this island we are near enough to the far shore that the wind and waves are no longer much of a factor, and it is a simple paddle back to the parking lot.
In the parking lot we meet a man and his young (10-12 year old?) son, and he asks us about lake conditions and getting a site on the lakes above Disappointment. This seems wildly optimistic, as it is already approaching 3:00 in the afternoon, and he does not seem like an experienced tripper, to say the least. His son didn't look big enough to be a huge help in paddling, plus he was asking some questions that made me really question if he knew what he was getting into. With the wind conditions on Snowbank, I was seriously concerned with their safety, but other than warning them both to be sure to wear their life jackets and not underestimate the difficulty in paddling to Disappointment portage, there wasn't much else we could do. I never heard anything about anyone drowning on Snowbank, so I guess that thankfully they made it across just fine. It was on my mind that night though; I certainly wouldn't have taken my young son out on semi-dangerous waters without being more prepared.
After returning our gear to Canoe Country Outfitters, and taking a shower and putting on fresh clothes we walk over to the Ely Steakhouse. In the past we usually went to Sir G's for a farewell night pizza, but after our last experience we are not eager to go back there. It turns out to be a good call as right after we place our orders the waitress returns with our beers and a surprise plate holding a warm fresh baked loaf of rye bread with a cup of honey butter next to it. Now if you had asked me before we walked in what food I would ask for if I could have anything in the world, I would never in a million years have said fresh baked rye bread with honey butter. But once she put that plate down on our table I would not have traded it for anything else on the planet! It was heavenly, and I could have just eaten that all night and skipped dinner. Upon re-reading this I notice that for a fishing trip report, I spent an awful lot of time talking about our last night's dinner. Maybe that says something about the type of trip it was this year... ha, ha...
Today is our travel out day since we are leaving a day earlier than normal. What with all the rain and the poor fishing results I don't think either one of us is that bummed that our trip is one day shorter than normal. Of course today is the day the sun decides to make it's return. A bit breezy, but having the sun out makes things more cheerful somehow. There is no rush to get going since we are only one lake in, so we take our time over a final pancake breakfast and pack up camp at a pretty slow pace.
There has been a pretty steady breeze in our face as we paddled back towards the Snowbank portage, so we decide to cut through Parent lake instead, hoping that this will expose us to less of the famous Snowbank hazardous wind conditions. The portages are pretty wet; not surprising with all the rain we had during the week. We get to Parent, and cross it without incident.
After passing through Parent, we still have to cross Snowbank to get back to the E.P., although less of it than if we had crossed directly to it from Disappointment. Here is a look at the whitecaps waiting for us when we get to the end of the portage from Parent.
In the parking lot we meet a man and his young (10-12 year old?) son, and he asks us about lake conditions and getting a site on the lakes above Disappointment. This seems wildly optimistic, as it is already approaching 3:00 in the afternoon, and he does not seem like an experienced tripper, to say the least. His son didn't look big enough to be a huge help in paddling, plus he was asking some questions that made me really question if he knew what he was getting into. With the wind conditions on Snowbank, I was seriously concerned with their safety, but other than warning them both to be sure to wear their life jackets and not underestimate the difficulty in paddling to Disappointment portage, there wasn't much else we could do. I never heard anything about anyone drowning on Snowbank, so I guess that thankfully they made it across just fine. It was on my mind that night though; I certainly wouldn't have taken my young son out on semi-dangerous waters without being more prepared.
After returning our gear to Canoe Country Outfitters, and taking a shower and putting on fresh clothes we walk over to the Ely Steakhouse. In the past we usually went to Sir G's for a farewell night pizza, but after our last experience we are not eager to go back there. It turns out to be a good call as right after we place our orders the waitress returns with our beers and a surprise plate holding a warm fresh baked loaf of rye bread with a cup of honey butter next to it. Now if you had asked me before we walked in what food I would ask for if I could have anything in the world, I would never in a million years have said fresh baked rye bread with honey butter. But once she put that plate down on our table I would not have traded it for anything else on the planet! It was heavenly, and I could have just eaten that all night and skipped dinner. Upon re-reading this I notice that for a fishing trip report, I spent an awful lot of time talking about our last night's dinner. Maybe that says something about the type of trip it was this year... ha, ha...
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