Lake Powell

It had been at least five years since I had last seen the magnificent bay of the Bullfrog marina and the glistening tin roofs of Halls crossing marina miles away on the other side of the bay.

We spent the entire evening loading up the houseboat to prepare for the seven days we would spend camped out 20 miles downstream.



Lake Powell is the second largest watershed for the west holding 24,322,000 acre-feet of water when full. In terms of size it is the largest manmade lake in the United States – 186 miles long and almost 2,000 miles of shoreline, that’s longer than the entire west coast of the USA. The lake has 96 major canyons, some of which are 15 to 20 miles in length.

Early Sunday morning we began the trek with the houseboat, two ski boats, and two wave runners towards the area we picked out. Since the houseboat tops out at a speed of about 10 mph we towed one of the ski boats and the wave runners and my parents and I took our ski boat down the lake to find our perfect spot.



Once anchoring in the houseboat it took no time at all for the water fun to begin. The 20-foot cliff nearby seemed like the perfect start to the week.

But just as anyone knows, when it seems to good to be true, it probably is, so expect something bad to follow. The first day we found a leak in one of the ski boats that required my parents to quickly make the 20-mile journey back to the marina in order to repair the leak.

By the second day we had one of the wave runners propped up on its side on the beach while we pulled a rope out of the water intake.

The first few days massive windstorms came through swaying the houseboat from side to side nearly smashing into the rocks on either side. Luckily the anchors held and we were later able to secure them tighter in preparation for the much bigger storms that would come later in the week.

By the fourth day we found a mouse on the boat. This may sound like only a minor detail, but mice in this region are known to carry the deadly Hantavirus that can kill within weeks or even days. After a quick look around we found mice all over the shoreline.

But despite what seemed to be a week of bad luck, it was truly a magnificent experience that brought back great memories from the many years I have been going to Lake Powell. The massive red rock that surrounds the lake becomes only more and more breathtaking as the sun disappears behind the massive cliffs and the moon creates a silhouette of the canyon walls surrounding us with a blanket of stars as our ceiling.



Since I was the only young guy in the group I had to be tolerant of the endless girl parties and conversation. I tried to get excited about the nail painting party (if that’s what it is called), but I just couldn’t share the same enthusiasm as my cute eight-year-old girlfriend Isabelle who insisted on painting my fingernails. The crazy dance parties to the latest Katy Perry songs isn’t exactly what a 23 year old male looks forward to participating in. So to many of the girls dismay I found solace in putting my headphones on or reading my book. According to all the girls I was a party pooper, but it seemed to me that I was just being normal.

Although the parties at night weren’t exactly my style, the long hot days with a lake to cool off in was just for me. I spent hours every day trying to outdo myself on the tubes, surfboard, wakeboard, and sky ski at every chance I got. I would have worked on my slalom skiing as well, but I’m still recovering from a back injury from a slalom skiing adventure a few months back. And to my great joy my goals were exceeded and my confidence in my abilities was increased. I think I am obligated to admit that the confidence I gained was mainly from the over the top compliments given to me from my great friends in the boat encouraging me to keep trying until success was attained.

The greatest memories I have are those shared with close friends. Experiences left in my mind are those that inspire me in times of distress. Being on a boat with 16 close friends will bring about memories that can never be forgotten. Whether it is a mother telling her daughter her sunburned face looks like a bad road rash. Or that same mother expressing her lack of concern of me sleeping in the same bed as her daughter because “they are in love with different people, it doesn’t matter”.



On the last day all of the boats began moving upstream to the marina, it seemed like a somber yet needed migration towards home. We were tired, sunburned, bruised, and beaten, and ready to return to civilization. But as we began our journey home we all took with us some of the greatest memories we will ever have. The friendships created and the experiences enjoyed will never be forgotten.