THE LAND OF BIG WATER AT LAKE POWELL (Part I)

Carol writes: After spending the past several weeks in Arizona high country, we were more than ready for a taste of real spring on the shoreline of Lake Powell.

Lake Powell with Navajo Mountain in the distance

Our campground at Wahweap was situated on a slight rise above Lake Powell, and we lucked out with a campsite that looked out on a panoramic view of the lake.

Wahweap was situated only a few hundred yards from the state border between Arizona and Utah.  This actually played havoc with our iPhone, as it periodically mixed up Mountain Time with Arizona Time, then refused to reset after daily outings. 

We got our much-desired taste of spring.  Days were sunny and warm, the yucca were in bloom, and prickly pear cactus were adorned with vibrant pink blossoms of spring.

Yucca

Prickly Pear Cactus

On our third evening at Lake Powell, the rise of the full moon over the mesa above the lake was one of the loveliest moonrises we have ever seen.

The nearby town of Page had grown considerably since we last visited during our family road trip in 1989-90.  Page is situated on the northern edge of the Navajo Reservation, the largest Native American reservation in the U.S.  As such, we found a rich diversity of Navajo culture.  

In addition to serving as the gateway to exploring national parks, national monuments and historical sites, Page is best known as the city that was born in the 1950s during the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam.

Lake Powell began filling in 1963 when the last diversion tunnel gate of the Glen Canyon Dam closed.  Now, with approximately 2000 miles of shoreline, Lake Powell has become a very popular hub for houseboats and powerboats.

Houseboats for rent at Lake Powell

Four-wheeling in the Jeep around Lake Powell on Smoky Mountain Road

meandered through picture-perfect canyons 

that showcased the power of water,

and wound up at spectacular backcountry vistas.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has featured in a large part of the pioneer story in the Lake Powell area, most notably at Lees Ferry.  Lees Ferry is one of the few places for hundreds of miles where the Colorado River is accessible from both sides.  Along with his wife, infamous Mormon pioneer John D. Lee was sent by his church to establish a ferry crossing that Mormon settlers could use to cross the Colorado River in the 1870s and 1880s as they colonized the West.  You could say that at Lees Ferry Nature met history.  The nicely preserved Lees Ferry fort was a tease for capturing that perfect camera shot…

Lees Ferry Fort

Today, Lees Ferry is the go-to launch site for much-prized raft trips down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.  We observed a river outfitter loading rafts for the next day’s expedition.  We talked with some of the members of that excursion who were also watching the process as they anticipated a great week by raft through the Grand Canyon.

Number one on our list of things to see in the Lake Powell area was Rainbow Bridge, said to be one of the seven natural wonders of the world.  This had been on Al’s bucket list for several decades.  A visit to the arch that was Rainbow Bridge required determination and commitment of time, as the only practical access was by boat. We were blessed with a brilliant sunny day for a 7-hour cruise out of Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas.  

Choosing a seat on the top deck proved to be a wise decision.  Unobstructed opportunities for shoreline photography had us snapping away!  Topside was an excellent way to experience the geology of spectacular shoreline rock formations over the 50-mile 3-hour cruise up the original channel of the Colorado River.

The shoreline features of Lake Powell were stupendous!

After a number of years of devastating drought, the height of the lake was 130 feet lower than its maximum fill level.  A white so-called “bathtub ring” of calcium carbonate marked this benchmark in a dramatic way.  

Due to this past winter’s great snow season in the Colorado mountains, the level of Lake Powell is expected to rise 30 feet this year.

Bighorn sheep along the shoreline taxed our zoom abilities on a moving boat.

Slow, careful navigation through the eerie green waters of a narrow side canyon was required by our boat captain  

as she approached the dock area at Rainbow Bridge.

A fairly easy 1-1/4 mile trail led to Rainbow Bridge.

Framed by the snowcapped summit of Navajo Mountain in the distance, the natural beauty of Rainbow Bridge National Monument exceeded our expectations.  We completely appreciated why this site represents a spiritual place for many Native American tribes who have celebrated the sacredness of this place for centuries.

The immensity of this very tall 290-ft arch

could only be grasped with people in the picture to provide scale.  At 270 feet, Rainbow Bridge has the longest natural span in the world.

A solitary 200 million-year-old dinosaur footprint preserved in the rock of the creek bed in front of the arch,

along with a cowboy “glyph” only added to the historical mystique of Rainbow Arch.

No history of Lake Powell would be complete without a mention of Glen Canyon Dam which, after all, was solely responsible for its creation as the second largest manmade reservoir in the U.S.  Glen Canyon Dam has been dubbed the crown jewel of the 1950s-era Colorado River Storage Project.  The dam provides hydroelectric power, assists with flood control, provides a dramatic setting for recreation, and serves as a reservoir for precious agricultural irrigation water.

An inexpensive tour of Glen Canyon Dam was most worthwhile for unique views of the dam that could not be seen any other way, such as:

the Glen Canyon Bridge spanning the Colorado River channel,

the 710-foot concrete spillway, which was 300 feet thick at its base,

and the powerplant with its 8 massive turbines, which channel the energy of moving water to generate clean, renewable electricity.

That was a busy first week at bewitching Lake Powell.  The superlative tableau of the lake dominated the Page area, and we never tired of the view, but there was a whole lot more to explore nearby.  And that will be the subject of Part II.

Carol Galus

Photo-Blogger