Snowbank Lake, MN

[Mark Roberts]

New trip report on a three-day hike around Snowbank Lake and Disappointment Mountain.

http://backpackingnorth.blogspot.com/2010/09/disappointment-mountain-snowbank-lake.html

[Eugene Smith]

Loved the write up Mark, there was a certain mystical quality and sense of mystery to many of the photographs, surely contributed to your skill at taking them, but the nice dense patch of condensation sure added to the ethereal quality. Water is an amazingly transforming medium. I couldn't believe the size of that mans old Kelty pack loaded to the gills, likely made for a miserable time ducking and climbing over all the fallen trees. How did you enjoy the MLD Burn? That is quite possibly my favorite pack, next to the Ohm. Also, how did you combat the condensation? Did you use a tarp? tarptent style shelter?

[Mark Roberts]

Thanks, Eugene,

I was quite fascinated by Jan's pack – and the fact that he attached two snowshoe bags to the sides, filled with I don't know what. Their packs were very heavy, and getting under some of the trees must have been a nightmare.

I like the Burn a lot – it's a perfect size for a 3 to 5 day trip. It is quite narrow though – if I'd put a rolled CCF mat inside it it would have been a tight squeeze getting everything in. However, I think I could have taken a little less myself, especially if the weather had been a little warmer at night (or alternatively cooler in the day). My packing list is at:
http://public.iwork.com/document/?a=p272059757&d=Snowbank_Lake_Base_Weight.numbers

Any advice on cutting weight further would be appreciated!

I slept in a DuoMid, in a Bristlecone bivy which kept condensation off the bag.
There was only condensation the first couple of nights, and I pitched it high and under trees, so I wasn't too bad.

The last night I pitched the 'Mid very high, and the dew point was also very low, so the was no condensation.

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