Snowbank Lake Trail - Old Pines Loop

I hiked the Old Pines Loop of the Snowbank Trail (BWCAW) in May 2021 to find out if the old pines I saw as a teenager in 1980 had survived the windstorms of the past few decades. I was skeptical any had survived, especially as I saw many big trees had fallen. As I navigated further down the trail, my optimism grew.

The Snowbank Lake Trail is challenging with many elevation changes. Also, as a result of the 1999 Derecho and another major windstorm in 2016, much of the trail winds through brush surrounded by downed trees. However, these areas, especially along the north side of Snowbank Lake, offer excellent sweeping views of the lake. Thanks to the efforts of volunteer crews, the trail can be navigated but does require paying attention to rock cairns and occasional ribbons.

The trail features several loops allowing hikes from 20 to 30 miles. All of these loops enter the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness so you'll need a permit. Using the string-on-map method, I calculated my hike to be slightly over 30 miles. My route included the seldom-mentioned southern loop of the Old Pines Trail. I've read in blogs, and recall hearing it said over the years, that the white pines on this section of trail are over 300 years old. However, I have not found any study that confirms that age. Regardless, these white pines are huge and it is a pleasure to walk through this stand.

Resources

The Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness has a page specific to the Snowbank Trail. There is a link to a good set of GPS waypoints.
Wilderness Bay Lodge on Snowbank has an image showing the loops of the Snowbank Lake Trail.
Map 9 from McKenzie Maps