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03/17/2023 11:18AM  
More snow today. Canoecopia is over. All my permits are obtained. So now nothing else to do but ponder and plan. Taking a trip with my son and our tandem NorthStar Northwind 17 from Snowbank into the Fraser area starting June 1 for 7 days. I've never been in that area, but curious about the wind and things.

I have read a pile on the site here--just looking for any new/confirming thoughts.

I have been to Brule in some nasty wind before, so that (along with a white knuckler once on Bald Eagle) is my real reference to windy "adventures". Managed both into and with the wind, but certainly did not enjoy the paddle.

Plans are to be on Snowbank entry day around 8am-ish and paddle to maybe Ima or Jordan that day, then into Thomas and Fraser the next then putz around, paddle and camp at a couple different lakes for a few days after that. (we never really look at campsites ahead of time but prefer to roll with the flow) Wanting to catch a Laker which we have never done before. (tons of experience with SMB, NP, Walleye and pannies in the BWCA).

A couple questions for you folks that have done that area. It looks like a fairly short paddle to either Parent or Disappointment. Again, I've read alot of the trip reports, just seeing what any other perspectives may be. On a super windy day, what portage would you do? Also any other nasty wind spots in this area?

Also, any thoughts on the exit day. If you wanted to be off the water by noon on the exit day, where would you expect to find the most reasonable stop the night before? I get a bit anxious knowing all the people who basecamp on campsites close to the EP's, so, just trying to think of an exit strategy without getting blanked in a spot to sleep the last night.

Finally, I know Ima, Thomas and Fraser have trout. Any thoughts as to where you might find any in some of the smaller lakes in that area?

As always--my plans normally change daily (hourly) once the trip starts...I like it that way--its part of the experience--but I do like to have some reference points (and I have nothing else to do at this time of the year!
 
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TuscaroraBorealis
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03/17/2023 02:53PM  
Of course, you know yourself & group best and conditions may dictate otherwise but, I'd try for Disappointment so as to only have to do one portage.

Also, a word of advice. When coming out, don't count on campsite availability late in the day on Disappointment (I think that's how the lake got its name?) :)Allow yourself time and energy to press on to Parent or Snowbank if needed.

Try Ahmakose, north of Fraser for lakers.
03/17/2023 05:58PM  
wxce1260: "More snow today. Canoecopia is over. All my permits are obtained. So now nothing else to do but ponder and plan. Taking a trip with my son and our tandem NorthStar Northwind 17 from Snowbank into the Fraser area starting June 1 for 7 days. I've never been in that area, but curious about the wind and things.

I have read a pile on the site here--just looking for any new/confirming thoughts.

I have been to Brule in some nasty wind before, so that (along with a white knuckler once on Bald Eagle) is my real reference to windy "adventures". Managed both into and with the wind, but certainly did not enjoy the paddle.

Plans are to be on Snowbank entry day around 8am-ish and paddle to maybe Ima or Jordan that day, then into Thomas and Fraser the next then putz around, paddle and camp at a couple different lakes for a few days after that. (we never really look at campsites ahead of time but prefer to roll with the flow) Wanting to catch a Laker which we have never done before. (tons of experience with SMB, NP, Walleye and pannies in the BWCA).

A couple questions for you folks that have done that area. It looks like a fairly short paddle to either Parent or Disappointment. Again, I've read alot of the trip reports, just seeing what any other perspectives may be. On a super windy day, what portage would you do? Also any other nasty wind spots in this area?

Also, any thoughts on the exit day. If you wanted to be off the water by noon on the exit day, where would you expect to find the most reasonable stop the night before? I get a bit anxious knowing all the people who basecamp on campsites close to the EP's, so, just trying to think of an exit strategy without getting blanked in a spot to sleep the last night.

Finally, I know Ima, Thomas and Fraser have trout. Any thoughts as to where you might find any in some of the smaller lakes in that area?

As always--my plans normally change daily (hourly) once the trip starts...I like it that way--its part of the experience--but I do like to have some reference points (and I have nothing else to do at this time of the year!"


To the north of Fraser there are smaller lakes with lake trout. Ahmakose is the closest, then Wisini and finally Strup. There are 2 portages between Fraser and Ahmakose, both short. Then a longer (90 rods or so) portage gets you to Wisini and another short portage get you to Strup. There is a Minnesota Lakefinder that lists trout lakes. Minnesota Lakefinder
IA2BWCA
  
03/17/2023 07:11PM  
We went out Snowbank a couple years ago in early August. We got lucky and had no wind to speak of, but if it is super windy I would suggest the Parent portage. It is just a little more protected while on Snowbank. But if the wind isn't bad I agree with TuscaroraBorealis that just doing the Disappointment portage is easier and faster since it is just one portage rather than two and a paddle.

We went from Ima to Disappointment our penultimate day with the intent to stay our last night on Disappointment. We got there about noon and there wasn't a single campsite available. We pushed on and got the last campsite on Parent, luckily, but we were very stressed the whole time because there were very limited options left.

You know the capabilities of your group, and this might not be feasible, but if I do that route again I would stay the last night on the north side of Ima, or on one of the lakes between Ima and Disappointment, and get an early start the last day.
03/18/2023 09:43AM  
If it is windy I did the Parent portage, if not I do the Disappointment.

As others noted, on the way out it isn’t a given you can get a site on the way out with a lot of base camping going on. So be prepared to take the last portage out to Snowbank and leave. I’ve only had to do this once, but it can happen.

On Fraser check out the old remnants of the lake home on the middle island. I think it was active till the 1980’s. The foundation was poured on D-Day.

Fraser points/reefs were good for walleyes, Midlake around the islands trout.

Thomas not as much experience: trout are more in the south/east side of the lake in my limited experience and walleyes around shallower islands, reefs, points. Walleyes better low light on such a clear lake.

T
03/18/2023 01:08PM  
Just a piece of advice given your entry date. We took this route the first week of June last year and the portage from parent to disappointment was closed by the forest service as it became a "river" due to the late ice out. Check with an outfitter, forest service updates, or maybe a trip report before counting on it being available.
03/18/2023 01:54PM  
TuscaroraBorealis: "Of course, you know yourself & group best and conditions may dictate otherwise but, I'd try for Disappointment so as to only have to do one portage.


Also, a word of advice. When coming out, don't count on campsite availability late in the day on Disappointment (I think that's how the lake got its name?) :)Allow yourself time and energy to press on to Parent or Snowbank if needed.

Try Ahmakose, north of Fraser for lakers."

Thanks for the tip. I enjoyed your trip report on snowbank, actually I enjoy all of your trip reports. :)
03/18/2023 01:56PM  
portagerunner: "Just a piece of advice given your entry date. We took this route the first week of June last year and the portage from parent to disappointment was closed by the forest service as it became a "river" due to the late ice out. Check with an outfitter, forest service updates, or maybe a trip report before counting on it being available. "
Good call out. The group is just me and my 23 year old son we're pretty decent paddlers and have tackled Brule on its worst days, so it's not that we can't do it, but I certainly would rather not!
Z4K
distinguished member (392)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
03/18/2023 02:39PM  
Snowbank is a big windy lake but you should be worried about Ima as well. I took a trip into this area about 6 years ago. We were on Snowbank early, beat the wind to the Disappointment portage and carried on all the way to the eastern end of Ima, within view of the portage to Hatchet. We set up camp, caught a couple eater lakers and then spent the next 3 rainy days staring at big waves on Ima. Two or three times we loaded firewood and water in the canoe for ballast just to try it and returned to camp after about 100 yards each time. We only saw one other canoe in those days, a tandem with spray skirts that made it to the portage to Hatchet. We were cheering them on! I wish I had a picture to share of that portage landing, you can see it from across the lake but it doesn't look like a portage. It looks like a rock wall, and we missed it by 50 yards when the wind had finally settled a little.

Disappointment was close to full on our way in and completely full on our way out.

I like to use the DNR's trout fishing map and then Lakefinder when I'm looking for trout opportunities.
03/19/2023 01:55PM  
Z4K: "Snowbank is a big windy lake but you should be worried about Ima as well. I
I like to use the DNR's trout fishing map and then Lakefinder when I'm looking for trout opportunities."

Thanks-- a couple of wondering questions.

Why do you think Ima is such a wind tunnel? I look a the size of it, and it is pretty much an average larger lake in the BWCA, but I hear from lots of people about being windbound. Just wondering if that happens more on that lake than others that size?Mostly just curious.

Also, on the exit paddle, what would you suggest for a lake area that could get one to the EP around noonish... I totally get the fullness near the EP, just thinking of how far out one should look at stopping before a last day paddle?
Maybe its just me, but it seems to be getting harder and harder to find a last day paddle out spot--more and more basecampers seem to be parking near the EP and staying for days-- Not complaining, and I may be wrong on that, just my perception, but it has started to raise my "pucker factor" on last day stopping, knowing if I get to close I will run into everything full by within a couple hours of the EP.
Z4K
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03/23/2023 08:46PM  
Maybe because it's round? Not much to hide behind, especially at those eastern campsites.

When I was there we exited from Ima to Snowbank in one day. If you want a shorter on exit day, I'd get going early the day before and hope for a spot on Disappointment with Perent and Snowbank as backups.
Bentpine
member (9)member
  
04/02/2023 04:29PM  
I’ve started from Snowbank the past three years in late July and haven’t been windbound at any time. On the first trip we camped on Disappointment the first and last night, but I wouldn’t plan on it. The campsite on the west end of Ahsub is well above the water and has always been taken when I’ve passed through. The other Ahsub campsite is less desirable and is usually open. Jordan campsites are often filled, and Ima can fill later in the day. Thomas and Fraser normally have several open campsites.
 
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