Friday 19 October 2012
Our last day: We are all up by 7AM, packed and ready to go by 9AM. It’s another great weather day.
I am still in vacation mode. But “the guys’ are headed for the barn. What surprises me is how far ahead they look but in reality by the time I reach shore, I’m only about 10 minutes behind. We are all off the water before noon.
We unload the boats, load the truck, share the one last beer from the cooler (there is no ice but the beer is cold) and are on the road by 1 PM. We comment on how interesting the country would be to explore by foot, especially the area between Powell and Hanksville.
We arrive at the Hot Springs Lodge in Glenwood Springs around 7:15, grab a quick supper, change and take a dip. A nice way to end this most outstanding week!
Sunday, 14 October 2012
We get up around 7:15 – later than expected – but we quickly pack up. It’s cooled off somewhat overnight; even so, I would say the temperature is still close to 50. Condensation is everywhere on the tent, not a normal sight when camping in the dry west. Sleeping bags go in the cab so they can be laid out and dry out while we are gone. Tent is in the back and it will need to be laid out as well.
The sky is clear and the sun just about over the ridge to the east: David and Jud peek out and begin packing; Russ shows up just after 7:20 and we are all off to breakfast.
The lodge here prepares excellent food and is not too pricey. We stayed at the lodge on our previous Powell outing and the sleeping quarters are recommended as well.
Gary and I head for the mussel inspection station. With our certificates are on the dashboard we head to the bottom of “the world’s longest” boat ramp, pull off to the side, pop the boats off the roof then start unloading gear and loading the boats. I’m frantic. Nothing is fitting as planned. The big heavy bag is ice and beer. The bag with sleeping bag and pad are also unwieldy. Next time these will be in separate bags. We all agree we should have practiced packing the boat.
Gary takes the tent and some food. I put stuff in one of the larger dry bags and attach it over the back hatch. There is nothing over the front hatch, so theoretically, I have room to spare.
We are all finally ready to go at around 11 AM and ‘push off’. Surprisingly, the full weight does not seem to be that much more to paddle.
We head out beyond the artificial jetty toward Hall’s Crossing and the channel – about 2 miles away. The sky is blue and the air is calm – my kind of paddling. The sunlight dances on the water which I try to photograph.
We reach the channel and mile markers. Somehow I feel my calculations are amiss. My notes say 6 miles to Moqui Canyon but it’s further based on the buoy marker.
Hall’s Crossing is really close and we turn ‘up lake’ and in no time are at the mouth of Moqui where we stop to take pictures. There are no campsites at the canyon’s mouth. There is a sheer cliff on the west side that throws a large dark shadow on the water, a nice scene to photograph.
We turn in to the canyon and take in the reflections of the sandstone in the water. Russ and I paddled up on left hand spur to a very small campsite. In the meantime, Jud and Gary had gone the other way where they found the nice beach nearly at the end of Moqui Canyon. I continue upstream to the end and a mud flat, along the way passing where houseboat was parked in 2009; return, debark, unload and get camp. The sun is behind the canyon walls and the air is cool.
We started paddling this morning at 11:15 and reached out campsite by 3:15. Our original estimate was 6 miles to the mouth of Moqui Canyon but in fact it was seven and the campsite was another 3 miles.
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
Tuesday evening the wind comes up and stays up. I have trouble sleeping – the tent and fly sound like a freight train. Eventually dawn arrives and then the rays of the sun peek over the ridge. The wind continues to blow. The water in Hansen Canyon is not so bad but there are white caps out on the main channel. Our plan today was to go up and paddle Smith and Lost Canyons. We decide that we’ll start out, but if anyone if uncomfortable, we will all come back.
Russ decides even before we start that this is not for him. The remaining four set out. As I approach the channel, I realize just how significant the wind and waves are. Jud decides to return. Dave estimates the wind to be 18-20 mph. The waves are strong and regular, extenuated by the steep walls in this part of the channel.
I get out in the waves and note that when turning, the left hand turn is easier. I paddle back into Hansen, catch my breath and paddle back out again. Jud, who returned to camp earlier, comes back out for wave practice as does Russ. I note that a ferry posture makes it pretty easy to cross the lake. It’s turning that is challenging. Heading down-wind, as always, is spooky. Finally we all head in for lunch.
Heading back into Hansen Canyon, Gary mentions that my rudder does not seem to be working. So we spend time at camping adjusting and readjusting.
We head up the hill behind our camp for a stroll. I get my hiking fix! Dave turns on the weather radio and it seems like the wind will subside today. We continue hiking up. Underfoot is that Navajo Sandstone. Not too steep and perfect for friction-y hiking shoes or in my case chaos.
There are bits and pieces of what looks like lava rock and I need to read up on the geology of this area. Soon we are on top and headed east to check out a slot that Dave noticed yesterday. We are on our way back down when the wind finally subsides.
The wind stays down so after lunch we head upstream, first across the channel to a large slot then back across to another large slot then back toward Hansen and the smaller slot we were peering into from above. These smaller slots are pretty cool!
In one, we hear a bird which can be seen high overhead making an unusual sound. It looks as though it has a black body and white breast though that may be a trick of light. At the end of this slot there is a nest. Russ spies a couple of coots…so maybe that is what I saw up on the ledge.
We head back. Just under 4 miles today, another wonderful day!
Monday, 15 October 2012
We are on our way at 10 AM. We paddle the 3 miles out to the mouth of Moqui Canyon, then up-lake. We passed a point of land, about 2 miles beyond Moqui on the south side, that look to be a scenic spot for an overnight. This spot is about 8 miles or less from Bullfrog, so a nice length for a first or last day.
We bypass it and continue on toward Hansen Canyon, our chosen spot for tonight, moving to the north side of the channel. As we get closer to our destination, we stop to check out a promising looking site and have lunch. We decide the take-out is way too muddy plus the tent area has the look of a wash which is still pretty wet from Friday’s rain and may not be a good choice if it rained again. I stroll along the rock --it’s that nice white Navajo Sandstone that’s such a pleasure to walk on and spy another spot about 100 yards further up-lake. But our goal today is Hansen and we continue in that direction, all the time checking out possible camp sites.
Finally, we turn arrive at the mouth of Hansen and turn into the canyon. There is a spot on the east side that Russ gets out to check but his assessment is that it’s a bit small. So we turn upstream and continue paddling.
I spot a promenade sticking out but its sides are steep and there’s nowhere to land. Russ checks out another one on the east side but it’s even smaller than the first. Dave and Jud check out another, still to no avail.
We regroup as we’re getting further up the canyon than desirable. So we head back, taking a second look at all possibilities. Gary, Russ and Jud get out at the first one and explore further (being as close to the canyon mouth as possible is our goal). They decide this is the place, as in addition to the large space Russ saw, there is also a couple of other places for a single tent.
So we have a home for the evening. We debark and set up camp. Gary and I chose a site by the water, out in the open with a great view. We will spend the remaining nights here.
Thursday, 18 October 2012
This turns into our ‘big’ paddle day, 18 miles all told. It’s a little breezy overnight, but nothing like the previous night and I sleep really soundly. We are awake and out of the tent by 7 AM, cooking, getting ready and ready to paddle by 9 AM. Our destination today: Smith Canyon and Forgotten Canyon, across from each other about 3 miles upstream.
In no time at all, we are at the mouth of Smith Canyon. While planning for this trip, I had looked at my photos of Smith Canyon from the 2009 house-boat trip and was reminded of how still the water was and the intensity of the reflections in the morning light. Today, I re-visit the source of those photos. I am not sure of why, but Of all the canyons, this is the most exquisite – it’s clear morning light and high red canyon walls reflected in the still water create a sense of solitude and stillness the others so not have.
We paddle back into the canyon. I try and take pictures as we go, especially when there is someone ahead in sight. We paddle up and up. There are a couple of side slots to explore and the others do but I bypass then for now and reach the end of the canyon – at least the navigable part.
At the end, the bottom turns to sticky mush. A motor boat is coming upstream and I wonder how far he’ll get! I turn back and explore the side slots, each cool and interesting, each its own adventure.
We head back to the mouth of the canyon, across the channel, into Forgotten Canyon and past the floating outhouse. Up we go, always staying in the main canyon to reach the Defiance House Ruins at the end. Dave and Russ’s GPS comes in handy since with just a map and compass, it’s hard to tell canyon which is the main canyon. We bypass our campsite of 2009. We reach the end, beach alongside several motorboats and have lunch.
We hike upstream, across the mudflats, and scramble up to the ruins. The pictographs are cool though I compare the experience to our outings to Canyon of the Ancients where things are unmarked and you hike along and find things with a sense of discovery. It would be interesting to know the age of these pictographs compared with those of Canyon of the Ancients. My contention as always: the best are from those periods when times are good.
Back down we go, climb in the boats and paddle. Gary mentions he wants to explore the two arms. I like the idea but this means we will add 3 miles to our already long day. We go for it.
We explore the ‘slot’ of the previous trip and the “room of sound” where we heard the most pristine of echoes. The slot is still in water but only the first part of the opening is navigable. We turn and try the echo chamber but there are none.
We paddle out and up the other arm. At its end, there is the coolest hanging garden with one very scarlet-colored bush high up.
We turn and head for the channel and explore possible campsites at the mouth. There is a rope hanging down which David surmises has something to do with the floating bathroom. At the entrance to the canyon, there are steps carved into the cliff which appear to lead up to where the rope is anchored.
We’ve gone 15 miles at this point. My longest day ever! It’s Miller Time and we head back. I am pretty tired, but just like after a long hike, I will myself to the finish. I am the last one back. I take out, make supper, enjoy the last of the sweets and treats and turn in while it’s still light. A wonderful day!
Lake Powell
October 2012
Self Supported Sea Kayaking at Lake Powell
Saturday, 13 October 2012
We were packed and headed out of Lyons at 9:20 AM. The skies are overcast and grey and snow is forecast for today’s drive and we are headed into a strong west wind. Our trip to Bullfrog took just short of 9 hours and we arrive around 6 PM.
Once we leave I-70 just past Green River in Utah, we pass lots of cool formations and landscapes, places that look interesting to explore by foot. We also pass the Dirty Devil River, just before Hanksville. Carol and Werner mentioned it would take 8 days to paddle that route: Looking at the map, I can see why: there are no access points between the spot where it crosses the road in Hanksville and where it meets the road again just above Hite and it’s a series of S curves from start to finish.
David, Jud and Russ are already here. They said the ranger mentioned the ferry would be a nice to put in but the ferry has already shut down for the season which makes that spot too isolated to leave our cars for 7 days.
We take the spot beside Jud and David’s campsite though there are lots of spaces to choose from. I walk down and pay (its cash only), return, and help Gary put up our tent, then head for supper at the lodge. Gary and I walk back, a nice after dinner stroll; have a beer and hit the hay.
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
We slept until 8 AM. It’s warm by the time we got up and close to 10 before we paddle away. Everyone agreed it was nice to not have to worry about a campsite for the coming evening.
Our first destination is Crystal Springs Canyon who mouth is directly across from Hansen Canyon. It’s about ½ miles across the lake. Crystal Springs is cool with twists and turns and high red walls. It’s good we are not looking for a campsite as there are none. I photograph the reflections of the red rock in the stillness of the water. We continue sneaking back further and finally are at the end –blocked by 3 rocks tucked into a slot. More photos are in order.
We turn and retrace our steps. There are those wavy reflections, very clear at the bottom of the rock just at the water line, then fuzzier and fuzzier, covering the face of the rock.
It’s approaching noon as we exit the canyon and head back to camp for lunch.
After lunch, we head up Hansen Canyon, a different experience than Crystal Springs Canyon. For one, it’s wide. For another, though there are steep walls on one side, the opposite is the white of Navajo Sandstone and there are pools of sand that look like potential campsites. There are various slots we explore – at the end of one is a half-dozen mallards.
Other wildlife we’ve seen: a blue heron in Moqui Canyon, grebes both in the main canyons and the various side canyons; a few ravens; today in Hansen Canyon, one small rodent way too far away to identify.
We continue on. Russ and the others explore a larger inlet where there are a number of good camping spots. I approach and enter the right arm and see a group campsite with a sunshade. The end is not obvious but I turn a retrace my steps and meet up with the others. Gary has explored the main branch so the end is not far. The four of us continue up, skirt a marshy area. I continue another 300 yards and hit bottom. I could pound my way thru past another bend but turn around instead. We head back and pick up Judd who has been fishing his way up. We meet Gary who decides to give the end another go. We return and I check out the arm I was just in which ends in a slot. I take a photo and turn around. The others head up and I go back to the entrance and wait. We turn and head back to camp.
In The Shadow of Longs Peak