William and Ian

Adventure on Lake Powell

A week of camping on Lake Powell with such breathtaking scenes! No cells, no cars. Almost no people (except the ten of us on the house boat). Another world! The lake is 2,000 miles of shoreline.


Hot sun on the water. We swam, raced each other on rafts, and jumped from high rocks. Everyone got up on skiis but me (and our intrepid two-year-old...Next year for him)! Raymond popped up on the first try. Here's Tracy on one ski!

Our boat home had five bedrooms, one family room, a kitchen, two potties, two decks and a shower (lake water) off the back end. We ate dinner up top, played Wits and Wagers and ducked the bats that arrived at dusk. So fun to sit out at night and locate the constellations in a night ablaze with a gazillion stars. The Milky Way was a gossamer web across the whole sky. Mars was as bright as it has been in one hundred years and cast a reflection on the lake! We saw awesome falling stars--one that left a florescent stream of light in its wake.... The weather for the week was warm but pleasant, with a nice breeze off the water. But we also had storms! One wild night a squall of 35 mph winds came up just as we were eating tacos on the front deck. To everyone's horror, the boat--with its massive weight--shifted to the starboard toward the rocks. Everyone jumped up and raced to redig holes to resecure the anchor lines (piling tons of rock on one)to the shore. Wild commands in high winds and rain, with some diving in to swim ropes through the water. Everyone had to heave ho to pull the ropes taut from a slippery deck. Heavy wind through the night made it hard to sleep, but in the morning the boat lines were straight and secure, the sun shining bright and warm on peaceful waters.

We toured the lake past wonderous cliffs of color and formations. Bands of rust and salmon and blood red brown from thousands of years of sediment forming. Strange formations and configurations with names like Gun Sight, Cookie Jar, Tower Butte and Castle Rock. Everywhere it looked as if the gods in a final flourish dumped huge paint cans of color wash over the cliffs to drip down across the layers, spanning generations of accumulation in one euphoric finish.

The Rainbow Bridge is the largest natural bridge in the world. Thirty-three feet wide. The ancients considered this canyon sacred. There is such a wonderful spirit in nature.

Ray's brother Tom manuevered the speedboat into narrow caverns of sheer cliff walls hundreds of feet high but so close together we had to stand and push the boat off from the rock. Tight squeeze in a labrinth that seemed to go on for miles. We stopped in one wide area for some to jump into the cool water.

The lake was full of fish. The kids kept their poles baited and ready off the back of the boat and Matthew often had something waiting on the line!

Back to the real world, but such great memories. Many thanks to Tom and Carrie for all the huge planning and preparation (Carrie cooked all the delicious meals ahead). Fun to be with Ray's family......"The lake calls to you," his brother said. Hope we can go again.