My entry point is Snowbank late July, I have heard it can get real windy. Anyone ever had a white cap day on Snowbank?

Yes. On our paddle out last August. Very strong SW winds made it a tough paddle from the Boot portage back to the landing, but not impossible. We had one boat get separated from their group due to a very lightly loaded bow and they eventually did make it back to the landing a couple hours after everybody else. That group was coming out via Disappointment & had I been in the group I would have advised going down to Parent before crossing Snowbank. Would have been an extra portage, but they'd have had some protection from the wind and less fetch for the waves in that part of Snowbank.

Yes. We entered with a horrible NW wind and wound up picking our way over to the Parent Lake portage by going around the south side of Burnt Island. White knuckle paddling, but we did okay.

Yup, several wind, wave and whitecap days on Snowbank - that is why we avoid it or portage off as soon as possible to Parent-Disappointment to the southeast.

quote mirth: "Yes. On our paddle out last August. Very strong SW winds made it a tough paddle from the Boot portage back to the landing, but not impossible. We had one boat get separated from their group due to a very lightly loaded bow and they eventually did make it back to the landing a couple hours after everybody else. That group was coming out via Disappointment & had I been in the group I would have advised going down to Parent before crossing Snowbank. Would have been an extra portage, but they'd have had some protection from the wind and less fetch for the waves in that part of Snowbank."

Been canoeing close to 60 years and the worst wind that I was not smart enough to stay on shore was coming out of Boot lake when the water was like 40 degrees and we were in waves that reminded me of the perfect storm movie-the waves were huge(that was one of my dumb-dumb moments that I survived).
We were just plain lucky we did not drown or tip over.

That said much of that could of been avoided by alternate route down Disappointment than Parent lake than Snowbank-than the access.

Oy! Have I ever. We did a 10 day family trip in at Moose and out at Snowbank and of course hit Snowbank right at that afternoon peak wind point. My husband in one canoe with my older son in the prow and my younger son duffing, me in the other canoe with our daughter. I've never paddled so hard for so long in my life. My daughter spent the entire time telling me about how hard her take out at Snowbank was when she was at camp. Paddle Snowbank in the early morning I suggest.

quote Grandma L: "Yup, several wind, wave and whitecap days on Snowbank - that is why we avoid it or portage off as soon as possible to Parent-Disappointment to the southeast."

smart lady.

Like Pinetree, I had one of my scarier times paddling Snowbank out of the Boot Lake portage in a big, late-October tailwind. Thought I'd learned my "wind" lessons decades ago, but got a good reminder that day.

Snowbank deserves respect, both in making the original trip plan and in tactical decision-making when you get there.

Doesn't take much to have some good waves on that lake. Got caught between two rouge waves and thought we were going to roll over once. Respect the lake and get going early. Have fun!!!

1/4 trips snowbank was calm. i think it was pretty late in the day iirc.

Snowbank is a very pretty lake when it is calm,also no big waves in the winter and I love skiing across it.

Yes. I recall one particularly bad day at the end of a trip. One of the worst white-knuckle days I can remember. The short stretch from the Parent portage back to the public boat landing was a real adventure. After reaching the landing, I walked out onto the little floating pier there and could barely stand on it, it was moving in the white caps so bad.

Got a late start one morning... not our fault but the couple with us! Ended up surfing almost in a SR Quetico 18.5 on some the waves as we went west to east headed to Disappoint Lake. Yes the waves can get bad on Snowbank, early start is good. And the winds can be up in the afternoon, had a hard paddle on the way back to Smitty's after our trip!

Bruce

I echo everyone else contributions on this. I just did this weekend loop back in October. The water was flat, calm water heading from the takeout over to the portage into Parent. Coming out two days later from Boot, the rollers were piling up on that northeast end of the lake.

It was a bit of a white knuckle paddle as I noticed a fisherman at a campsite with his jonboat moored nearby waiting for the winds to die down. I made to a campsite on the west-side of the lake in a hidden little cove about half-way down the lake and spent the night there.

Campsite was pretty beat down so I rehabbed the fire pit and cleaned up a bit of trash as I settled in. Next morning brought glass-like water again in bright sunshine. What a difference a day makes! It was a much easier (and quicker paddle :) back to the landing.

Thanks to all for the info! My outfitter ....http://www.elyoutfittingcompany.com/bwca-complete-canoe-trip-outfitting-packages.html.....says the same which is why I am starting there and being dropped off early as a starting point and not ending my trip at Snowbank.