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Lake Powell

Season of Solitude

By Lori Lee

"Solitude, in the sense of being often alone, is essential to any depth of meditation or of character ... Solitude, in the presence of natural beauty and grandeur is the cradle of thoughts and aspirations which are not only good for the individual, but which society could ill do without. "

- John Stuart Mill, Principles of Political Economy, 1848

WHERE TO GO

Each time I return to paddle Powell I find myself trying to make the kayak-touring experience something easy, but it’s not that simple. Understanding the aspects of planning a kayaking trip to Powell has taken years to figure out because Powell’s vast body of water with 96 canyons, claims (depending upon water level) between 140 and 186 miles of shoreline. I want to be able to tell you that there are a bunch of great launch sites within a reasonable paddling range to supreme canyons, but the bottom line states that high cliff walls equal limited launch sites, and from those launch sites it often takes miles of paddling to get to the best kayaking canyons. Ideally a paddler wants to find the canyon too narrow for motorized watercraft to avoid fighting with the traffic and water disturbance. Winter’s good news is that one will have a larger selection of canyons free of motorboat traffic because of the drastically reduced traffic.

Another item to be considered when camping on the lake is the proximity to a sandy beach camp. Seems easy enough with all those miles of shoreline, but in reality a great many canyons host only sheer cliff walls — shoreline is not always sandy beaches. Because there are many things to consider when choosing where to paddle in Lake Powell, let me make a few suggestions:

1) One canyon that provides a big sandy beach for camping at the mouth, and a 360-degree view of formations so striking words don’t do justice, is Labyrinth Canyon (UTM 12 S 0471492/4096586). Labyrinth is a narrow canyon that runs between what looks like pink sand dunes frozen in rock form. The canyon curves, maze style, for 3.12 miles (as of spring 2004) from the mouth to where the water has lowered and has left a slot canyon for exploration. The mouth of Labyrinth is 18.6 miles from Wahweap Marina over open channel water. If you launch from Antelope Point Marina you will shave a few miles off that approach, or if you’d like to hire a boat guide to haul your kayaks to the mouth of the canyon you can cut down on your approach time.

2, 3) West (UTM 12 S 4810662/4098979) and Face (UTM 12 S 4771610/4096058) canyons, even more popular destinations, sit still farther north up the channel and provide longer paddling excursions with slot canyons at the end complete with waterfalls, hanging gardens and beaches to camp on. Maps found in Lake Powell Magazine provide an excellent layout of Powell’s canyons. — Lori Lee

The Lake Powell canyons, buttes and mesas tell a geologic story of nearly 650 million years. As the waters have lowered, more arches, Native American ruins, and petroglyph panels have become visible again. One of the many intrigues of the area is the uncovering and rediscovery of things once lost. Each time I return to paddle Powell I find myself trying to make the kayak-touring experience something easy, but it's not that simple. Understanding the aspects of planning a kayaking trip to Powell has taken years to figure out because Powell's vast body of water with 96 canyons, claims (depending upon water level) between 140 and 186 miles of shoreline. I want to be able to tell you that there are a bunch of great launch sites within a reasonable paddling range to supreme canyons, but the bottom line states that high cliff walls equal limited launch sites, and from those launch sites it often takes miles of paddling to get to the best kayaking canyons. Ideally a paddler wants to find the canyon too narrow for motorized watercraft to avoid fighting with the traffic and water disturbance. Winter's good news is that one will have a larger selection of canyons free of motorboat traffic because of the drastically reduced traffic. Another item to be considered when camping on the lake is the proximity to a sandy beach camp. Seems easy enough with all those miles of shoreline, but in reality a great many canyons host only sheer cliff walls - shoreline is not always sandy beaches. Because there are many things to consider when choosing where to paddle in Lake Powell, let me make a few suggestions: 1) One canyon that provides a big sandy beach for camping at the mouth, and a 360-degree view of formations so striking words don't do justice, is Labyrinth Canyon (UTM 12 S 0471492/4096586). Labyrinth is a narrow canyon that runs between what looks like pink sand dunes frozen in rock form. The canyon curves, maze style, for 3.12 miles (as of spring 2004) from the mouth to where the water has lowered and has left a slot canyon for exploration. The mouth of Labyrinth is 18.6 miles from Wahweap Marina over open channel water. If you launch from Antelope Point Marina you will shave a few miles off that approach, or if you'd like to hire a boat guide to haul your kayaks to the mouth of the canyon you can cut down on your approach time. 2, 3) West (UTM 12 S 4810662/4098979) and Face (UTM 12 S 4771610/4096058) canyons, even more popular destinations, sit still farther north up the channel and provide longer paddling excursions with slot canyons at the end complete with waterfalls, hanging gardens and beaches to camp on. Maps found in Lake Powell Magazine provide an excellent layout of Powell's canyons. - Lori Lee

A magazine ad for Subaru shows a tough white polar bear, a slinky leopard and some form of red-footed tree frog along their respective migratory paths. Below these photos the ad shows a Subaru Outback with the words, "Road trip. The most basic law of nature."

It's clever. But I've pinned it to my bulletin board because I understand it - the undeniable urge to roam, to see things and places, to meet people and the same starry sky from a different locale on the planet.

When snowy hills, skiing, snowball fights and snowshoe trails draw the crowds to higher elevations, Lake Powell offers a retreat of solace - night skies free of light pollution, higher temperatures, untrafficked waters and an almost endless selection of canyons to explore on foot or by kayak. At an elevation near 3,500 feet, Lake Powell plays the gracious four-season host.

The first time I saw kayakers on Lake Powell I was camping in a trailer, warming myself around a camp fire. I noticed a couple with dry bags and gear stacked in mounds along the shore. Could they really fit all of that gear in their boats? I watched with fascination until I finally ventured over to chat with them about where they were going and what they had planned. From that experience, kayaking Powell took its place on my wish list. Since then I've launched from Wahweap Marina, from Antelope Point Marina, with shuttle boats, without shuttle boats, with fleece and beanies, with tank tops and Chacos T, in spring, summer, fall and winter.

Steve Carothers, of Antelope Point Marina, (on southeast Lake Powell) says winter might be his favorite season on the lake. "There are a lot of things to do. There is not much boat traffic - it's a great time to explore and hike. The hiking is good because you don't worry about the heat," he said. "The water is glassy in the winter. Some think it's the best time to (water) ski, and there's nothing quite like sitting in a hot tub on the deck of a house boat taking in the clear night sky," he adds. I picture it: my body afloat in the warm water of the hot tub. I prop my head against the headrest as the constellations blare with distant suns I'd never be able to see in the city. It's these ponder-the-night-sky moments that leave me humble and breathless. I picture a mug of hazelnut cocoa in the cup holder next to me, and the silent floating of the house boat across this mammoth lake which not only fills 96 different canyons, but also fills my head with a surreal sweetness that on one hand would have me close my eyes to peaceful bliss, and on the other begs me to stay alert so I don't miss a moment. Shadows of the sea kayaks creep across the deck beneath the quiet full-moon night, and the excitement of tomorrow's canyon explorations quietly waits its turn.

On an autumn trip to Lake Powell, my friend Leonard and I dove into the complex puzzle of the Powell canyons hoping to explore as many as possible in a weekend. We loaded sea kayaks with dry bags, tents, and Ziploc T baggies filled with jerky, dried fruit, and Powerbars T. I loaded my GPS with waypoints so we could find Navajo Canyon and orient ourselves to surrounding canyons. We spent two days paddling across the vast quiet waters, some frustrating moments trying to find a beach without mud on which to camp, and we punctuated our exploration with invigorating jogs along hardened sandstone beaches. We found the weekend such a short time to tackle the massive lake. In one weekend we explored one canyon with its mud bogs, its beautiful walls, its twists and turns, its hidden caverns, and I realized that in order to explore this puzzle and maze of water-filled canyons, one could spend a life time on Lake Powell.

HISTORY

With an auburn horizon of mesas and buttes stretching between the aqua-blue of the water and the baby-blue of the sky, Lake Powell is an inland kayaking dream. Not only scenic and colorful, Powell also comes complete with narrow water-filled canyons, perfect for paddling, and at their ends lie scenic hikes into slot canyons finished with hanging gardens and waterfalls. With water levels below high water mark, the walls are higher, the slot canyons deeper, and more of Glen Canyon is accessible for exploration. Lake Powell, surrounded by some of the most magnificent scenery in the world and filled with deep blue waters, (60 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter) attracts photographers and recreationalist from around the world.

Before Lake Powell filled the tributary canyons known collectively as Glen Canyon with water, it was loved, revered, and practically worshipped by those who came regularly to hike and sit within the spirit of the towering orange walls, the twisting, rippled, and reflecting river, and the contrasting baby blue sky. There were canyons called Cathedral in the Desert, Mystery Canyon, and Music Temple. Petroglyph panels and prehistoric artifacts like sandals, pots, pieces of woven cloth, and cliff dwellings with still-visible thumb prints of ancient inhabitants stood within the realm. People returned each year to run the river, hike among the hanging gardens given life by the seeps in the rock, and ultimately to listen to the songs and echoes of the canyons and chutes.

In September of 1963 when the last bucket of concrete in the Glen Canyon Dam set up and Lake Powell began to fill, it all disappeared under water. The second largest manmade lake in the United States, Lake Powell is punctuated with the tops of these fabulous, Utahesque canyons - red cliff walls soaring hundreds of feet above the water - mesas, buttes, plateaus.

Since its beginning Lake Powell has been a place vivid with political positionings. The Glen Canyon Dam Project was a result of the Colorado River Pact which came about as the Bureau of Reclamation developed a water plan for the west. Dividing the western states into two groups, the Upper Basin States consisted of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming, while the Lower Basin States consisted of Nevada, Arizona, and California. The Lower Basin and Upper Basin states were each allotted a certain amount of water from the western waterways draining from a score of upper region rivers from Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico. A series of four dams were positioned to catch spring run-off and store it for drier periods so the Lower Basin states would be able to receive their share during drier times. In 1956 Congress passed this plan and that same year the Glen Canyon Dam Project began.

Originally established for water allocation, distribution, and hydroelectricity, the main function of the dam now seems to be tourism. In 1972 the region around Lake Powell was established as the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and is currently regulated by the National Park Service.

More ancient times are represented by the Mammoth, bison, sloth and camel dung found in various canyons now filled by Lake Powell. These samples date their habitation of the area at nearly 13,000 years ago. Clay figurines and charcoal date human habitation in the area at 8900 years ago. Ancient Puebloans, Fremonts, Utes and then Piutes all spent time in the area with pictographs, petroglyphs, cave dwellings and other domestic remains as proof of a history we continue to try and piece together. The Spaniards, Mormon pioneers (John D. Lee for whom Lee's Ferry is named after), and John Wesley Powell(for whom the lake is named), all made their modern mark, and today boaters and recreationalists move through an area touched, and revered as home, by many before them.

MORE TO DO

In addition to the sheer joy of slowing down and paddling the lake, Lake Powell also boasts residence to the not-to-be-missed Rainbow Bridge. Rainbow Bridge, the largest natural bridge (arch eroded by water) on earth, receives the esteemed designation of one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Boasting dimensions of 275 feet across, 33 feet wide, and 42 feet thick, Rainbow Bridge is considered a sacred site to the Navajo people. Government agencies have worked with the Navajo, Hopi, Kaibab Paiute, San Juan Southern Paiute, and White Mesa Ute tribes to make the management a culturally sensitive manner. A viewing trail leads to this national monument. Because winter at Powell is the perfect time for a hike, and Rainbow Bridge garners quite the crowd during the summer, the winter months are an ideal time to visit this mammoth wonder in leisure.

Fishing, also popular year round on the lake, provides striped bass, large and smallmouth bass, crappie, catfish, and carp. Though spring and fall represent the prime fishing months, fishermen/women throw out their lines during winter as well.

Like many migratory paths mine points south. I head south to get off the snowy, icy roads of northern Utah. As I move closer to the equator the roads dry out and my car speeds up. Powell isn't the tropics, but compared to the cold of the Rocky Mountains . . . well, need I say more? Whether kayaking the slots, fishing the open waters, hiking the back canyons, or boating without the crowds, pack a jacket and a pile of clothes to layer for the 50 degree days. Throw in a beanie and gloves for the colder nights.

It's winter. Open the front door of your house, hit the road, and venture into a place where the timid have gone home and left you the miles of glassy water, the brilliantly clear night skies, and a wilderness to roam on your own whim. Take a kayak and camp on the beach with a warm sleeping pad and a tent, rent a house boat and load the kayaks on board, or stay in a resort on the beach and explore during the day. Even if it snows it takes only a few hours for the white stuff to melt off. Heck, hibernation is for the bears, the ski lines are long, and we could all use a lot more "solitude in the presence of natural beauty and grandeur."

IF YOU GO

Glen Canyon Recreation Area is managed by the National Park Service. National Park entry fees apply: A seven-day entrance permit costs $10 per vehicle until January 1, 2006 at which time the price will increase to $15. There is no additional cost for kayaks. Special touring permits are not required.

Camping is permitted on any of Lake Powell's beaches, but it is undeveloped and you must carry in your own toilet system, and carry out your trash.

If you desire to stay in a resort by the lake, The Lake Powell Resort stays open all winter, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. (928) 645-2433. It is located near Page, Ariz., at Wahweap Marina.

Helpful Contact Numbers:

? Lake Powell Central Reservation Office: (800) 528-6154, lakepowell.com: (house boat rentals, boat tours, lodging, etc.)

? Lake Powell Magazine: lakepowellmag.com: This magazine provides a collection of 24 maps that detail the canyons of Lake Powell.

? Carl Hayden Visitor Center; Glen Canyon Dam Visitor Center, (928) 608-6404

? National Park Service for Glen Canyon: nps.gov/glca; this site will give you all the updated park management information such as marina closures and other current issues

? Glen Canyon National History Association, glencanyonassociation.org

SUMMARY OF SUGGESTED PADDLING CANYONS

For beautiful slot canyon paddling and hiking try West Canyon, Face Canyon, Labyrinth Canyon or Navajo Canyon. All four of these canyons can be most easily accessed from Antelope Point Marina, or Wahweap Marina. Farther north, Moqui canyon is home to three marked sets of ruins and provides a shorter paddling experience. It is accessed most easily from Halls Crossing Marina. Please note that GPS coordinates were taken with a datum of WGS 84.

Lori Lee travels Utah in search of wild weekends and adventure. Portions of this story includes excerpts from her book Wild Weekends in Utah (Countryman Press, W.W. Norton).