BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
May 02 2024
Entry Point 30 - Lake One
Number of Permits per Day: 13
Elevation: 1230 feet
Latitude: 47.9391
Longitude: -91.4792
My son Remy and I, and my friend Keith and his son Charlie put our canoes into Lake one at 9:30 Monday morning after dropping off a car at the Snowbank Lake landing. Lake One can be tricky to navigate. On our way to Lake Two we turned East too early and ended up paddling about a mile out of our way into a dead-end bay before we realized our mistake. We blamed the fact that Lake One was split between Fisher Maps #10 and #4 for our error. If the entire lake had been visible at once on a single map, we would not have made the wrong turn. Once we got back on course we portaged the 30 rods into a pond and then portaged the 40 rods into Lake Two. The weather was nice, and there was a bit of a tail wind out of the West. We stopped for lunch on the shore of Lake Two. After lunch we canoed through the North end of Lake Three and into Lake Four. We stopped for the night at a campsite on the West shore of Lake Four, just North of the channel heading toward Hudson Lake. We had to battle swarms of mosquitoes as we set up the tents. We then had a nice refreshing swim. Because we had brought steaks along for the first night, we didn't go fishing.
On Tuesday morning we had a bacon and eggs breakfast then packed up camp and headed out in our canoes. As we canoed past our campsite, we realized that Remy & I had left our hammocks pitched between trees. We landed again and quickly packed them up. Once again we had beautiful weather. We paddled East and completed 3 short portages before entering Hudson Lake. The 105 rod portage into Lake Insula was exhausting! Lake Insula is a large gorgeous lake broken up by multiple islands and penninsulas. We had lunch at a campsite on a large island just East of Hudson Lake. It felt like we had a tail wind as we were heading East, and then as we turned North it seemed like the wind shifted and was at our backs once again. We navigated Lake Insula flawlessly and camped for the night on the island just West of Williamson Island. After setting up the tents and a refreshing swim, Remy & I got back into the canoe and tried to catch some fish. We had no luck! At 9PM that night, just as we were going to bed, a thunderstorm rolled through. That night I was awakened several times by the loud croaking of bullfrogs from the shallows around our island. What noisy neighbors!
By Wednesday morning the weather had cleared, but the wind was now coming from the Northwest, pretty much in our faces. We paddled to the North end of Lake Insula and tackled the largest portage of our trip. The 180 rod walk to Kiana Lake actually seemed easier than the 105 rod carry into Lake Insula. We headed onward into Thomas Lake where we really started feeling the headwind. We finally made it to the campsite just Northeast of the portage into Thomas Pond in time for lunch. After lunch we proceeded across Thomas Pond and into Thomas Creek after hiking across the famous Kekekabic Trail. We managed to easily run the rapids in Thomas Creek and avoid the 2 short portages. We camped for the night on Hatchet Lake at the northern campsite. It was cool and windy, so we didn't swim. There was lots of threatening weather going by to the North of us, but we stayed dry. After supper we canoed back to Thomas Creek to fish and look for moose. No luck on either count, but we did see a beaver swimmming.
The weather was nice again Thursday morning, but the wind was out of the West which was the direction we were heading. We portaged into Ima Lake and canoed across it. Before portaging into Jordan Lake, we watched a bald eagle sitting in a tree get harrassed repeatedly by a seagull. The narrow channel leading into Jordan Lake is quite beautiful. It is narrow like a river with big rock outcroppings. We paddled across Jordan, Cattyman, Adventure, and Jitterbug Lakes. We found the Eastern campsite on Ahsub Lake taken, so we camped at the Western campsite which had a great place for swimming in front of it. There was a very brave loon in front of the campsite who didn't seem to mind if we got close to it. We tried our luck at fishing, but only caught 1 smallmouth which was too small to eat. Between 5:00 and 7:30 that evening we saw a number of canoes heading across Ahsub Lake from Disappointment Lake to Jitterbug Lake. We weren't sure where they were planning to camp, but it was getting late.
On Friday we awoke again to good weather. We paddled the length of Disappointment Lake and portaged into to Parent Lake and then on to Snowbank Lake. It was July 4th, and as we entered Snowbank Lake the sounfd of firecrackers reminded us we weren't in the wilderness anaymore. After a brief splash war on our way across Snowbank, we made it to the landing and our car was still there. What a great trip!
Loop from Snowbank to Lake 1
Entry Date:
August 15, 2012
Entry Point:
Snowbank Lake
Exit Point:
Lake One (30)
Number of Days:
5
Group Size:
2
Arrived at Voyager North Outfitters and picked up permits, bait and odds and ends. Dropped off the Jeep keys to Kawishiwi Lodge and left Snowbank Landing around 1pm. Got our butts kicked on the portage to Disappointment. As we reached Ahsub Lake, contemplated staying or moving on. All sites were taken. As we made our way through some of the muck, Gabe broke one of my poorly designed paddles, thats why there is a spare. We made our way through Jitterbug, Adventure, Cattymen and Jordan. Storm was rolling in and getting late. All sites taken on Jordan. On to Ima. First two sites taken, but one site offers us information that the south island site was open at 3. We got the site. Gabe started the fire, while I set up the tent, in the mist. Gabe cooked steaks and potatoes for dinner. Fire went out and Gabe went to bed, while I stayed up and watched the lightning to the south light up the sky with loons calling in the background.
Snowbank Lake, Disappointment Lake, Ahsub Lake, Jitterbug Lake, Adventure Lake, Cattyman Lake, Jordan Lake, Ima Lake 
– Gabe awoke an hour before me and watched a couple of loons swim by camp. Went for a quick troll of the islands east side to check out the lake conditions. No bites and lake was choppy. Went back to camp ate breakfast and packed up. Headed out and wind had picked up. Waves were crashing into the canoe and we could feel ourselves being pushed towards a huge cliff, in our attempt to miss the cliff we also missed the portage. Went back through huge waves and found the portage. As we got to Thomas, the wind kicked up and flipped the compass, I had laying on a map, into the water. Portage to Alice was long. As we reached Alice wind picked up again. Settled on site with SW view. No Wind!!! No fire due to wet wood. So set up camp, bathed, ate and slept.
Ima Lake, Hatchet Lake, Thomas Lake, Alice Lake 
Woke up and made coffee and fished from shore with no luck. Decided to troll between the two points and we both caught a smallie. Stopped at the closest campsite for a look around and get a better orientation. Gabe made a fire and cooked sausage for breakfast burritos. Packed and headed to Insula. Took the river route due to the single portage. Stopped at campsite to have lunch and almost lost the canoe, due to not tying it up. We continued across the north end of Insula and ventured through a little pull through area that had a nice campsite on the other side, but due to my stupid, adventurous mentality; we continued on to see our options. Through our travels we investigated a portage, not on the map, other campsites and our first view of the damage left by the Pagami Fire. Wow!! Circled around what we thought was an island, to make it back to our original campsite, only to find out it was a huge peninsula. We're able to make our way back to our original campsite just before another group. Set up camp and made Lasagna Hamburger helper with Garlic toast. Fished from shore with no luck. Fire was mediocre due to the wet wood from showers earlier in the day.
Alice Lake, Insula, Lake 
Woke up and made coffee, fished from shore and got rods ready for the trolling. Went by the islands, and on the first pass Gabe caught a FAT bluegill. Second pass Gabe got snagged and I caught a walleye as we drifted back to his snag. We repeated this scenario two more times, with Gabe getting snagged and me catching a walleye, until a storm rolled in and we had to head back to camp. Cleaned the fish, packed camp, and paddled our way to the numbered Chain O Lakes. Unbelievable all the charred toothpicks in this area and all the new growth underneath it. Got a little disoriented without the compass, but eventually found the portage out of Insula. Found a campsite on Lake Four, and for the first time set up camp before 7pm. Had time to rinse off, have a fish fry, set up camp and just veg in front of the lake. Had a beaver go right in front of the campsite not more than 10 yards away. Made dinner and watched our first sunset and our first nice fire.
Insula, Lake, Hudson Lake, Four, Lake 
Woke up to morning fog. Broke camp while eating breakfast and on the lake early. No one else on lake four. Went to the north side of the island and had to do a short portage into lake 3. Saw a handful of sites occupied as we entered the heavily populated lake 2. Gabe missed a rock on the approach to the portage and submerged his boots in the water. Portages were busy with people leaving and entering. Got pseudo lost coming across lake one and made it to kawishiwi lodge by noon. Packed up and headed home by 10.
Trip notes – Amazing how the forest can regenerate in a year. First time I’ve been hear where it went from cold to holt to cold in minutes. 
