[Slugman]

Another canoe adventure! This time it was just me, and the destination was Ross Lake Natural Resource Conservation Area. Four days, last Sunday thru Wednesday, in my motorized canoe. I launched into beautiful Diablo lake, and five miles later was at the Ross lake access road. A shuttle truck from Ross lake resort drove me and all my stuff up to Ross lake. Very convenient, but it’ll cost you! I then spent two glorious days exploring Ross lake. The motor was pretty much essential for this, as Ross is a big lake. I still did plenty of paddling. The lake looks narrow on a map since it is almost 25 miles long, but it seems quite wide when I am out on it. My canoe has a 2.5 hp motor, which weighs 30 pounds, and drives me along at just over 6 mph. On Wednesday I was 20 miles up the lake, but made it out no problem. The lake has several amazing attractions, like big waterfalls and intimate grottos. Devil’s creek defies description, it must be seen in person.

Ross lake!

Ross lake!

Ross lake!

Ross lake!

Ross lake!

Ross lake!

Ross lake!

Ross lake!

Ross lake!

Ross lake!

Ross lake!

Ross lake!

[Randito]

Sweet looking trip. Awesome conditions. Poking up Devils Creek in my kayak and looking at the ferns and moss, etc hanging off the cliffs is one of my favorite memories

[Bootpathguy]

Slot canyon images are really cool! Thanks for sharing

[KascadeFlat]

Edit to say: Excellent TR Slugman! You really got me going down memory lane. Thank you for sharing! Oh boy. This one hits home in the nostalgia dept. My Dad took me on my first backpacking trip from Hozomeen in 2012 as a college graduation present. We camped at Nightmare (after being bested by a trail crew camped at Deer Lick). Pro tip: Do not spend your first night in the back country in a dry thunderstorm, in a hammock, at a place called Nightmare. It might almost scare you straight from sleeping outside. Our ultimate goal was to make it to Desolation but we didn't get up to the lookout that trip. After mulling over maps for a couple of years, my Dad and I decided the only way to reach Desolation was by canoe and in 2015 we spent 5 days on the lake. On our first day, we we caught unawares by a strong wind when we rounded a point enroute to Cat Island. I will never forget the tone in my father's voice as he yelled at me to paddle harder (and avoid being pushed into the rocks). I usually look back on that memory with pride because I was strong enough to help paddle us to shore but sometimes I cringe at how close we were to disaster. I also remember laying awake that night as my arms throbbed wondering what the heck we were doing out there... We made it, but it was an adventure to say the least. I have a huge soft spot in my heart for Ross Lake via canoe. <3 I have a photo of Jack Mtn that is my desktop background to this day.

[Slugman]

On Monday as I headed north from Big Beaver to Little Beaver, making many stops along the way, the wind from the north kicked up big time. The waves were huge, up to 2 ft, I’m guessing, which can be pretty scary. I can handle a lot of waves, my canoe is wide and stable, and the motor really helps, but when the waves are breaking over the boat, drenching me, it isn’t fun anymore. I was north of Devil’s creek so I got into the wind shadow of Ten Mile island and rested up a bit, then I headed over to Lightning creek, which is a completely sheltered inlet. I got in maybe 100 yards past where I was safe and the motor quit, out of gas. I was pretty angry with myself for not checking before leaving the shelter of Ten Mile island. Then a ranger came by in his real boat and asked me if I had any Grey Poupon. True story! Anyway, I hung out at Lightning creek for an hour, hoping the wind would die down, and its a really cool place, so it was all good. Then when I came back to the main lake, the whitecaps were gone and the wind had lessened. This was a relief because I had to cross the lake to get to the awesome waterfalls I wanted to see, and get to my camp at Little Beaver. My Iphone’s Health app, which counts the steps I take, was mistaking the canoe bouncing over a wave as a step. It racked up 4,000 “steps” in just a few hours.

[Sky Hiker]

Looks like a great trip thanks for posting

[80skeys]

On the map I see there is a trail that follows the eastern side of this lake. Is this trail worthwhile for backpacking?

[Slugman]

Some people use the water taxi from Ross lake resort to set up a one way hike. They charge by the boat trip not by the person, so it is expensive to do alone but reasonable for a group. The trail follows right along the shore for long stretches. You can’t duplicate the experience of a boat trip on land, though, or by water taxi. You won’t see the flooded slot canyons, or the waterfalls on the other side of the lake.

[Kim Brown]

[KascadeFlat]

[Slugman]

[Slugman]

[80skeys]

What kind of boats are allowed on the lake? Can a boat be rented at the lake?

[Slugman]

Ross lake resort rents boats, with 9.9 hp motors, they move along all right, definitely faster than the 6.5 mph my canoe can do. But they seem pricey to a working man like me, and you still have to get to the lake, it’s like 900 vertical feet down from the parking area on Highway 20. But they would hold four people and their gear. Another way is to drive around through Canada, once borders are reopened. Then it’s wide open, bring what you can drag there. There were no Canada boats this time. My approach of using a motorized canoe that the truck shuttle from Diablo ( a lake you can drive to ) will accommodate was the most cost effective method. I spent $40 each way for the shuttle, but that’s it, no charges for permits, camping or parking.

[80skeys]

I don't have my own boat, so if I were to go up there I would need to rent one. It looks beautiful from the photos, and seems to have a healthy fish population. Maybe I'll plan for next summer, but you said it's difficult to take the boat from the Resort down to the lake?