An outdoors social network for the traveling & outdoors enthusiast - MyOutdoorAdventure.com

Closest City: Page
State: Arizona
Country: United States

At one point, i had magazine subscriptions to National Geographic (you know, the yellow book), National Geographic Traveler, National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Backpacker, The Sierra Club, Islands and Log Home Living (just a dream). And if I saw a "Best of" anything in other monthly subscriptions like Conde Nast Traveler's "Gold List" or Popular Photography's "Special Scenic Issue" (their marketing tag lines worked on me), it was in the bag. I was an outdoors subscription junkie! One by one, the subscriptions expired and I was finally able to wean my self free. My bookshelves remain loaded though, because I have kept every issue. This planet is filled with so much adventure (and my wallet had so little money) and places I want to see with my own eyes that I was kinda having sensory overload deciding what to do next. So, when Danielle (Tropigal) and I were invited by John and Taylor Uffleman (tayyyuff) to be a part of their Lake Powell houseboat crew, we jumped at the opportunity. I thought, I've seen that place before! Page by page, I poured through hundreds of magazines to find Powell anything. Not surprisingly, Backpacker magazine had the most to say. So, John hosted a Pre-Powell drinkfest, er...planning get together, (better to not meet someone for the first time just prior to hopping on a boat for a week) and I show up with twenty articles of places to see and hikes to do. Sorry guys, if I seemed a little overbearing. Being that Danielle and I were the "unknown" couple we definitely felt honored that John and Taylor would consider us. Thanks guys!

So August 2007 rolls around and Danielle, Kelly, her husband Dave and I load up my tiny commuter. Danielle and Kelly couldn't even see each other across the back seat and that little four-banger was screaming up some of the climbs. From Southern California, we decided to take the I-15 all the way to the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway (9) through Zion National Park and then connect with Highway 89 all the way to Page, Arizona. We had to stop at the Virgin River in Zion to soak our feet and catch a bite to eat, but otherwise, I grinded out that 500ish road miles in about ten hours. We stopped at the Glen Canyon Dam (the wall of concrete holding back the lake) visitor center briefly before continuing on to the Antelope Point Marina. I have to say, by this day and age, the staff of the Antelope Point Marina (as I'm sure all marina's on the lake do) take all your concerns away with their shuttle service to the boat, instructional briefing (required) prior to take off, and they pull the houseboat out of (and back into seven days later) the marina. Other amenities at the marina include a restaurant, gift shop and a gas station for other boats. We started with a vague conception of where we wanted to stay. Armed with two different maps, tons of articles and a guidebook on Lake Powell, I gotta give the marinas credit because they give you the best map to navigate by on the lake that corresponds to the numbered buoy system set in place (and it's free after you book a ten thousand dollar vacation). Think about it, the water levels change yearly at Lake Powell and while the guidebook was useful,and my magazine articles showed the crazy cool places to be, the marina's have the most accurate lake levels and predictions (it's their job to know) allowing you to find those sites. After the staff pulls the houseboat out of the marina and they tie off your scout boats, it's have a nice trip because they are gone! The guidebook did have the best pictures to allow us to have a preconceived notion of what we were going to experience, but a Lake Powell houseboating adventure should be just that. TIP: Antelope Point Marina allowed us to stay on the houseboat the night prior (for an added fee of course) so we saved a ton of time by not having to load the morning of. One last grocery store run (in the city of Page, Az), the houseboat briefing and that was it before launching. 

DAY 1: We traveled up river to the bay below Gunsight Butte for the first night. There were a lot of spots all along the perimeter but our scouts (a ski boat and two SeaDoos) found a sweet site at the far back-left-corner while the houseboat was still in the passage of the Colorado River. There are two little side arms at this area and only the left most arm had a possible spot to ram the houseboat into the shoreline (not kidding). So, not only do you have to be around your fellow boatmates for seven days straight, you have to work as a team the entire time. There are four anchors that the houseboat gets tied off with and after Skipper John rammed the vessel aground, it was organized chaos getting the anchor holes dug and the the anchors buried and tied off! Honestly, that was the one thing I will remember the most from this trip is how well we all worked together. That night in Gusight Butte was awesome. As soon as the boat was tied off, everyone went and did their thing! The Seadoos were instantly launched and the speedboat (which we rented as well for you guessed it; an additional fee) took skiers and tubers out and I went for a walk back toward the far cliffs and the over to the side channel. At our channel there were trees that had been re-exposed from the lower water levels. Their skeletons served as a reminder that this lake is very dynamic; for the next time we come they may be submerged again (the branches also served as good diving platforms). In the late afternoon, John and I went over to the far side from where we were docked (back-right-side from the river channel), scrambled up a shelf overlooking the bay and caught the last light reflecting off of an enormous vertical wall. That night the teamwork continued with our five-star meal. Fellow Boatsters Michael, Chris and Taylor were the culinary experts providing meals that could have given Wolfgang a run for his money. HINT: Bring a cooler solely for the meat and pack it with dry ice. This cooler should only be opened once a day when you are preparing the meal and your last nights food will still remain frozen. After the meal, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset and enjoyed a fireworks show from across the bay. At the same time, we were looking up at one of the most consistent meteor showers I had ever seen.

DAY 2: The next morning, I awoke to see the bay calm as glass. The only sounds were from the birds and the occasional (loud) hum of the boat's AC unit. We stayed a little too long at the bay water skiing (see my YouTube video from my profile link), and had to scramble during the waning light of Middle Rock Creek to set up shop. Rock Creek Bay, just like any other side canyon of Lake Powell, offers countless opportunities to camp, it's just that we didn't give ourselves enough time to get there. So that brings up another point: you can't see every side canyon or experience every facet that is Lake Powell in one week long adventure... so don't try to! Just to put something into perspective, there are 2,000 miles of shoreline to explore on Lake Powell and the entire western seaboard of the contiguous United States is a mere 1,100 miles. As we were motoring to Rock Creek from Gunsight Bay, we passed so many houseboats docked everywhere, but the sense of complete solitude was always at hand. Off in the distance were thunderstorms contrasting with the Buttes jutting skyward lit up from the sun overhead. The month of August see the most precipitation at Lake Powell falling mostly in the form of brief (but violent) thunderstorms. We could tell the storms were moving closer because the chop of the river channel began to slow the boat down even more than the snail's pace we were already crawling at. WARNING: If your party opts, as ours did, to stay longer at one site when you know you are continuing on, be prepared to weather a storm on the open river channel or be faced with limited docking choices upon arrival. So our houseboat is in the center of Rock Creek with the three arms branching out and we go to send out the scouts; and the speedboat we rented has engine problems. Crap! Now, we have to find a campsite large enough accomodate the 59 foot houseboat, a now defunct speedboat and two SeaDoos; with only about thirty minutes of good light left with the sheer walls surrounding us. At the far end of Middle Rock Creek (on the right side) was our best (and only) choice. We had just tied off the last anchor when B-E-N-T (Beginning Evening Nautical Twilight) turned to dusk. Whew! There was another boat already docked across from us (left side at the end) in what I thought was a better site. It had a small nice little beach area to set out chairs and have a campfire. These two sites (with the water level as it was) were the only two campsites for all of Middle Rock Creek. After another outstanding meal by our chef trio, we called it a night. This night saw some good rains, and the guys sleeping up top had to scoot to the high center of the deck to avoid getting wet.

DAY 3: Another morning with water as calm as glass. If your hangover permits, the morning time definitely is the best time to do related water activities. On this day, Danielle and I picked up a trail near the boat (it was visible along the shoreline) and followed a small wash up to the base of a sheer rock wall. You could see the mineral stains from where water pours off during heavy rains. A group of us took a speedboat tour of the Dry Rock Creek arm of Rock Creek Bay. Pretty cool campsites in Dry Rock Creek (they were already taken upon our arrival the previous night). We also went over to what ap peared to be a cave that was an Anasazi Ruin. After climbing up a talus slope and almost slipping down the cave entry, we learned the streaks appearing to be walls from the lake level were really bat guano. Oh well, off to our next stop; Oak Canyon. Our campsite was going to be for multiple nights, so we knew going to Oak Canyon that we would need to get there during that "middle period" (after the current houseboaters left but before the next batch of arrivals). With that in mind, we tried to get out of Rock Creek as soon as possible (I think by 10 a.m. we were off). Luckily we were able to get a hold of the marina personnel the night prior to alert them of our speedboat's motor troubles. The onboard radio couldn't get any reception from the canyon walls so Adam, on a whim, turned on his cell phone and was able to be transferred, then transferred again until he finally relayed our location and trouble to the appropriate authority. Thank you Verizon Wireless! True to their word, they arrived shortly after first light (score another point for the Marina Staff). Enroute to Oak Creek, we stopped at the Dangling Rope Marina before Oak Creek. Dangling Rope Marina is a floating marina that will accommodate multiple houseboats and speedboats. Untie all water craft at the entry to go pick (and save) your marina slip. We took the opportunity to dump waste, top off freshwater, and buy some ice blocks at the gereral store. Finally at Oak Creek we adopted the same routine, stop in the main Colorado River channel, untie the scouts and stand by for the good word. Good word it was! We found a gorgeous setting in Oak Canyon at the far back left side. Right before entering that small side waterway branching off to the left is a nice beach area off to the right. One of the reasons we had already planned to stay for multiple nights at Oak Creek was that the last two members our our troop, Ryan and Jodi, were to be picked up the following morning. After we picked them up, we were considering heading farther upriver to possibly find a site up the Escalante River Arm. That was until we all saw the setting of Oak Canyon. Three nights it is! We passed up the entry to Rainbow Bridge National Monument enroute to Oak Canyon (see the Location profile) so a group of us went back in the late afternoon to see one of the largest spans in the world. It used to be that you could take a boat right under the span but with the lake levels down (and as it seems, there to stay), we docked the speedboat at a space provided and had a leisurely mile walk before reaching that last gentle uphill viewing area. Like I said, it was late afternoon, so the arch was completely in the shadow of the canyon walls. So I guess late morning to early afternoon would be the time to get pics of Rainbow Bridge glowing from the suns rays.

On our first night at Oak Creek, Lake Powell once again delivered! At Gunsight Butte, two nights prior, we saw one of the most consistent meteor showers. Then we saw some amazing contrast with the Buttes glowing from the sun above and against a stormy backdrop. How else could Powell amaze? Well, that first night in Oak Canyon saw a pretty good thundershower. The lightning storm though, was by far the most spectacular light show I have EVER witnessed. I have seen some cool "lightshows" during my time in the Marine Corps Infantry but on that night in Oak Canyon, we stayed on top of the deck, sometimes under the awning, sometimes out in the rain, until the wee hours of the morning. Best part-there weren't hardly any thunderclaps to ring our ears.

DAY 4: I joined John to take the speedboat back to Antelope Point Marina to pick up Ryan and Jodi. Along the way, we occasionally stopped to jump in the water and cool off. We passed the entry to Rainbow Bridge National Monument which, on a speedboat heading down river only means one thing. Watch out for the large tour boats heading up to Rainbow Bridge. Now, I don't mean watch out for them in the sense that you will get run over and crushed (there is plenty of room for maneuvering), watch out for the five foot rollers that these monsters kick up. There is no maneuvering around the wake from the tour boats because it spreads across the whole width of the Colorado River channel. Then it bounces back and doubles up with a one, two kick to the chops. After a bouncing ride, John and I decided to check out Mountain Sheep Canyon (hereafter referred to as Sheep's Ball Canyon or just Sheep's Ball) as a possible site for our final night on the lake. John instantly proclaimed Sheep's Ball to be the one (just kidding, we both thought it would warrant further scouting investigation on the return back to the marina in two days). At first glimpse though, it seemed like a good spot. The rest of that day was just lazy times as everyone welcomed Ryan and Jodi aboard and took turns telling them all that we had experienced thus far. Evening meal? You got it, five star cuisine!

DAY 5: In our decision to stay put in Oak Canyon for three nights meant that we would have to do some day tripping up either the Escalante or San Juan River Arms of Lake Powell. I joined the embarking crew, and we all loaded up on the the speedboat for an excursion up the Escalante River Arm. This and the San Juan River help the Mighty Colorado fill Lake Powell. We saw some awesome sites up the Escalante, but determined it would be too far from Antelope Point for a one day river assault back to the marina. We stopped at a huge cavern and climbed up the talus mound formed from the collapse of the ceiling. It was glowing red from the suns reflection off the water. John wanted to see the Cathedral in The Desert from his guidebook and I'm glad he knew about it. With only one possible spot for tying off the speedboat, our party (John, Ryan, Jodi, Kelly, Dave, Adam and I) had this canyon to ourselves. it was a short stroll back to a tiny cascade into a freezing natural basin. In order to get to the basin, you had to shimmy on up a rope. Later in the afternoon, John and I headed to the back of Oak Canyon for an off piste search for petroglyphs. John discovered (from talking with another party) that the canyon we were looking out on (basically straight toward Navaho Mountain) kept going back but was only accessible by SeaDoo. So, we tied off at the end and set out in search of the "ancients" writings. The Anasazi Indians inhabited this area for hundreds of years before mysteriously disappearing (I won't bore you with any more commentary though). We eventually found one (see the picture) and then I slipped on some slick rock. The camera bag I was carrying took a tumble and when I opened it, my lens had become detached (not at the correct spot) from the body. Oh well, I used Danielle's little digital point and shoot for the rest of the trip. Unfortunately, the thunderstorms were kept at bay for the last two nights in Oak Canyon.

DAY 6: So did I mention the skipper rams the houseboat into the shoreline and then the team buries the four anchors into the sand? All this goes on while the engines are still driving the boat forward. Every other time we broke down camp and moved on, John simply throttled back and the houseboat freed itself from the sand. After three days of settling in at Oak Canyon though, it took a "little" side to side action to break free. No worries, just part of the adventure! In determining where to stay our final night, John and I tried to explain what we saw at Sheep's Ball Canyon for everyone. John and I wanted to scout this one, so we hopped on the SeaDoos and headed in. We found a nice site almost right away, but it would involve some "creative" maneuvering on John's part with the houseboat and then some tricky anchor spots on what could possibly be rock. The 30 degree anchors would have been good, but the 45 degree anchors would have had to go up and over a small rock rise and then be tied down on more sketchy terrain. The area had zero current, and the hull would have fit nicely into a narrow (but natural) slip so there really wasn't even a need for all four anchors. Better safe than sorry though, so we figured there might be a better option and kept looking. John went left, I went to the right and straight toward what appeared to be a small water channel (kinda like at Gunsight Butte). If you are first entering Mountain Sheep Canyon (I had to say the proper name one last time) the "little side channel" that I entered would be your first choice to go right. So I entered this little canyon channel and I thought I heard a symphony playing (metaphorically speaking of course) when it opened up. There ahead, was the perfect beach site set in a huge amphitheater. There was only room enough for one houseboat; and it was ours baby! I stayed put and John went back to get everyone. We set up shop, did some rock scrambling, tons of swimming and had a raging bonfire in the rain. The lightning strom that night was a close second to the one we experienced in Oak Canyon. Too bad we couldn't have known about this before spending three nights in Oak Creek. Don't get me wrong, all the sites were good and none of us regret staying for three nights at Oak Creek (we still did different activities each day). It would have been nice though (very, very nice), to have known what Sheep's Ball Canyon looked like before we headed farther up river and stayed three nights (of six) at the same location.

Man, I thought, someone should make a website where EVERYONE can log onto, post their pictures of places they have been to, and help out those who would like to someday see that same destination. Anyone...? Alright, I'll have that site constructed myself (Thanks Soulfire IMG) so that I can post the adventures of places I've been to and YOU ALL are more than welcome to join in on the fun. I think I'll call it MyOutdoorAdventure as it pertains to each and everyone of us.

FINAL NOTE: Procreation is defined as the process that permits two living beings to produce a third one that is different from each of them. I used this to catch your eye. And if this is the last thing you have read, I must have captured your interest as well.

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  Kelsoluski Said...
  WOW!! If this doesn't make someone want to go to Lake Powel, I don't know what will!! Nice job, Wayne!

   

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