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View Full Version : Lake Powell this week!!!



Froggystyle
08-22-2002, 10:09 AM
We are leaving tomorrow evening for Lake Powell for a whole week, up until the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. If anyone is going out there, lets meet up! I rarely venture that far east with the boat, so this will be a blast, as well as my first trip to Powell.
Squirts up!

TOBTEK
08-22-2002, 10:15 AM
have a great time, Watch out for incomming storms! Our day five was a nightmare! Had to be saved by the rangers! Boat stayed over night out on a island, On the way back in the rangers boat we were picking up boaters who's boats had sunk! Be carefull Froggy, Great place but weather can be very extreme!!!

Steamin' Rice
08-22-2002, 12:02 PM
Sweet! You should have a great time there. Your boat should be fine in that lake. I went up there many times with a 21' and while it got rough sometimes, I made it through ok. Watch out for storms. They can come up quickly and if you get caught in one you are usually better off going into a canyon and waiting for it to blow over than to try to make it to a marina. Most of the storms there don't last for too long, and the canyons give really good shelter.
The tour boat wakes can be deceivingly big also, which can be good or bad depending on how you look at it. :D :D
There are some awesome canyons to see, and some of them go back for miles. For skiing we usually find good water in Warm Creek Bay and Last Chance Bay. The San Juan River arm is awesome if you are going that far up lake.
I was there in July and the water was really low which meant there were some shallow spots, but also some really good beaches.
Have fun and post some pics when you get back!!

PowellScooter
08-22-2002, 06:14 PM
Froggy, e-mail me at, chocolatedog@TheBigPond.com if you have any questions or need anything before your trip. I will be glad to help if I can. I will let you know how to reach me while you are here Scooter

burtandnancy
08-22-2002, 06:19 PM
Froggy,
You'll probably pass my kids on thier way out, they are supposed to get off the lake this week-
end. Look for a 24 Hallett with burgandys and blues (like you'll have time) You're going to love it, low water or not...

fat rat
08-22-2002, 06:22 PM
I was there last october.......very cool place, stayed at Walweap and rented a boat......went as far as Rainbow Bridge, a must see........watch the traffic, gets really narrow in spots......Enjoy!

Charley
08-22-2002, 08:19 PM
Froggy you will have an amazing time! Lake powell is probably the most beautiful Lake out there....Tobtek is right Storms are the biggest bummer about the Lake but if you miss them you are in for a great trip!

DEEZ NUTTS
08-22-2002, 09:02 PM
Froggy, I will probably miss you, but will be there laborday weekend.
Are you taking On The Rocks? If so you might have trouble finding good gas. You cant get anything but 87 octane on the lake. I do not know of anyplace in Page that has race gas or any other than 91. There is an airport there, but might be a pain to get gas from. The lake is at 3600 or so feet elevation so that helps a little.
I lose about 4-5 mph from Havasu to Powell. Have fun.

Froggystyle
08-22-2002, 11:53 PM
I'm hoping for the airport route. In case, I am loading with full AV gas here, and will try to mix for as long as it will last, and I am bringing 15 gallons for mixing.
I will try to get a hold of some of you folks while I am up there. Yes, I am bringing OTR, and we are renting a houseboat from Saturday to Saturday.
I will keep an eye out for the Hallett, but odds are the easy one to pick out is my boat, if you have ever seen it. Pretty tough to confuse with another.
So none of you will actually be out there for this week, or weekend huh?

PowellScooter
08-23-2002, 05:04 AM
I live at Lake Powell, so I will be here. We will be trying some different props this weekend looking to get the big boat a couple more mph not that its ever gonna be a Hot Boat! What houseboat are you on? Where are you going to beach it? I`ll be in the 26ft Caribbean tan/brown color scheme, brown bimini. Launching from the main ramp (Wahweap)

Licketty Split
08-23-2002, 07:07 AM
Yo Powell runners, Its my birthday and I just found out that my GF is throwing a party to stop all and I live just outside of Flagstaff on you way to Powell... So stop for a beer, two, three jello shots for the girls, rum punch Oh hell just stop
there are going to be contest's
Its a beach party and she has all her friends comming over from NAU's school of Com.
wet -shirt
E- mail me call me what ever
L*

Froggystyle
08-23-2002, 10:00 AM
We aren't leaving SoCal until 8:00 pm, so it will be a long night of driving to get to Powell.
Good thing I just got XM, huh?
Is Flagstaff really on the way?

Steamin' Rice
08-23-2002, 11:40 AM
It depends on the route you take...I think that the shortes route distance-wise is to go through Vegas, and the t George and into Page. You can also go through PHX and the up to Flagstaff and then to Page or you can take I-40 over to Flagstaff then up to Page. It's a long ass drive no matter which way you go. The last time I went I took the route through PHX to try to avoid traffic and it wasn't too bad. I think it adds around 60-70 miles, but you are talking about something like a 600 mile trip each way, so 60 miles isn't that much extra, plus you can legally tow faster in Az than you can in CA.
Have a fun trip!!

Licketty Split
08-23-2002, 01:24 PM
crash at my place if you want
this ones going to be good hehe wet t-shirts and all
If you get tired of driving and you take I-40 call in Flag 928.853.7090
Party party PARTY!!!
[ August 23, 2002, 02:26 PM: Message edited by: Licketty Split ]

Licketty Split
08-23-2002, 01:27 PM
Deez give a call and bring some bitches to keep the ratio high

Licketty Split
08-23-2002, 01:31 PM
http://free.***boat.net/gallery/Forum_Graphic_Depot/CAMF4X8D.JPG
Is on the way man
[ August 23, 2002, 02:35 PM: Message edited by: Licketty Split ]

BOATDRINKS
08-23-2002, 06:11 PM
Enjoy Froggy!!
I'm Jealous, I've been trying to get a group together to do Powell for a couple of years but cant seem to get the right people to all commit for the same time. And as you know, the right group makes the trip!
Let me know how it works out as far as the fuel situation and the accomodations are concerned because I'm definitely going next year, with em or without 'em.
Have a most excellent adventure!
Boatdrinks

PICKLEtheLOAD
08-31-2002, 08:42 PM
But, are you coming out to Martinez afterwards???
[ September 01, 2002, 11:33 AM: Message edited by: PICKLEtheLOAD ]

beyondhelpin
08-31-2002, 09:15 PM
Going next year! Cant wait! Just a little over a thousand miles for me. But I have always want to go to Powell but never have. Been to Mead a couple of times but not Powell. Sould have went when I lived closer! YOU GUYS PISS ME OFF!!!!!!!!

Froggystyle
09-01-2002, 11:10 AM
Well, Powell was amazing. Hands down the most beautiful lake I have ever been to. We rented an admiral class houseboat and had 14 very cool people on the trip with us. We put in at Bullfrog Marina and ventured as far south as Dangling Rope. Along the way we stopped at Escalante Canyon, Twilight Canyon (the coolest!), Iceberg, Annies Canyon and one other I can't remember. We went to Rainbow Bridge (awesome) and had a total blast. Amazing place. Very spiritual. You can get the sense that you are surrounded by ghosts at times with all of the history (especially if you are in the proper frame of mind) and the water itself was beautiful.
For all of you considering going, or who have been, here is my list of plusess and minuses...
Plus.
1) Scenery. Bring a camera and lots of film, both black and white and color.
2) Water. Temp was perfect.
3) Houseboat spots. Get there early in the day for good parking spots for your houseboat.
4) Rainbow bridge... breathtaking.
Minus'
1) Zero places to anchor. Everything where we were was a sheer cliff, with slickrock walls. There was no way to put in a stern line at all. With a houseboat, you can dock next to it, but all in all, if you go without a houseboat, you need to bring a ton of line, and span a canyon to keep your boat from hitting walls. Bumpers dont help.
2) Gas prices. You can get any kind of gas on the water you want, as long as it is 87 octane. Oh, and you will pay $2.80 a gallon. Price gouging in effect 100%. There is nowhere else to go, and the options are very limited.
3) No hotels. Bulfrog had a lodge, but if you are trying to do a trip like to Havasu, you are hating it. You are on your boat, and nowhere else.
4) Super, duper rough water. The sheer walls make for a miserable passage when more than one boat is around. You hit the same wake about thirty times from the wall reflection. Skiing is OK, as long as you start at the back of a canyon, work forward and then wait 10 minutes for the water to calm down enough to make another pass. Our 21' did really well, and never took any water over the front or sides, but smooth driving is mandatory, and reading wakes a must. P.S. tour boat wakes are GIHUGEIC!
5) Getting there. A more miserable trip has not yet been invented. Bullfrog is exactly 68 miles south of the middle of nowhere. I understand that it is the best launch point, and saves you hours of driving a houseboat to get to the "good spots" but all in all I would rather drive a houseboat than a sport-ute full of drooling people towing a boat.
6) No beaches. We couldn't bust out the horseshoes once. We also couldn't set up an air mattress on the shore once the whole trip. Slept on the by-thursday-stinking boat the whole time.
7) Houseboat rental place. Be sure of what you are checking out. Make the "instructor" go through the whole book with you regarding things you should know. We didn't. We just blasted through it thinking about how I am a SEAL and we had people on the trip who had done this trip 12 times on a houseboat. Bad move. We didn't know how the DC side was charged until I had to troubleshoot why nothing worked. Then, since the voltage was below 4, we had to use my boat's charger to get the batteries above 8, where the generator would begin to charge them. In addition... "Merry Christmas Clark... Shitter's full" became the rallying cry on day two. The rental place didn't empty the gray or black water, and shipped us off on a boat with 1/2 a tank of fuel and a gauge that read full. Check your gas with a stick.
Helpful hints.
1) Anchors are useless. They are potentially the worst designed tools for actually holding a rope at Powell (at least where we were). I am going to make up about four grappling hooks for next time. They will work perfectly, they are a lot easier to throw into holes in the rock, and easier to carry on sheer slopes in flip-flops. Bring lots of line, as you never know how far you are going to have to go to find an anchor spot.
2) DO NOT TAKE SHOWERS!!!! It is lake water anyway, and nothing fills the gray water faster. Even after emptying the water on Sunday, we had to do it again by thursday because of chicks and showers. Make it a rule, and don't have to worry about your honey bucket backing up into the shower on day 5.
3) Bring your own cleaning gear. Although all you have to do is empty all of your trash upon delivery of the boat, you need to clean it all week.
4) Be ready for amazing, violent storms. Bring a cover for your towed boat, and keep everything ship-shape every day.
5) Brief the whole group on mandatory participation items. Assign an anchoring party early, and instruct them on a couple of good knots, how to find an anchorage, how to tend the lines and such. Show them how you are going to be holding the boat on the beach while they do this. Also instruct regarding trash, impact on the lake, and keeping the boat clean.
6) Regarding anchoring, most of the houseboats have space on the front to stow four anchors. what the best plan is, is to have the stern lines dragged up front along the sides of the boat while travelling. Keep the slack up front. These should be the first two anchors off of the front. Your stern line crew should be able to walk off the front with anchor and line in hand, walk around the side to an anchor spot, set the anchor, and then get back on the boat and walk around to the stern to tighten the lines. It is smooth, and a lot safer than trying to huck an anchor off of the side to someone on the beach (which never works by the way). The bow lines should also go out once the stern is done, and be pulled tight to keep the boat from moving side to side.
7) Do not get into a 4:00 in the evening mentality. The weather changes so quickly, that once you anchor for the night, you really need to be ready for anything. Anchor well regardless of the current conditions. Also, before crashing for the night, check your setup and make sure everything is tight in case of wind coming up.
8) People sleeping outside are usually a great indicator that weather has arrived! Subtly talk someone into sleeping on the roof.... hehe. It won't be hard, the nights are wonderfull.
9) Automatic bilge pump on the ski boat. I heard horror stories of people waking up in the night to find a cracked water line on their boat and the boat nearly sunk. I have an automatic bilge pump with a manual float secondary on a different battery. Pretty much bombproof. The only thing I may do differently is attach a siren to the secondary pump to inform me that it is having to work. Keep in mind the boat is in the water for a week straight.
Sorry for the long post, but I'm sure someone will find something of use in here. It really was beautifu,l, but I think knowing what I know now, that next time will be twice as much fun with a lot less worry.
Squirts up!

TOBTEK
09-01-2002, 11:34 AM
welcome home froggy! Powell is the greatest lake in the world, As long as you are prepaired! Sounds like you had a great time. Did you get any bad weather?

Froggystyle
09-01-2002, 12:11 PM
We had GREAT weather. On Wednesday we had a thundershower/ lightning storm that was breathtaking. This happened while we were camped on Twilight Canyon right next to "Eye Arch". Magical place and time. The sky just opened up and poured for an hour while we cranked the stereo on the boat and danced throught the whole thing in the shadow of about 50 waterfalls and cascades. The windstorm following sucked, and coated everything with mud, but the rain was epic with all of the lightning. It seemed to come right down the canyon.
The rest of the time was 90 degrees and clear.

TOBTEK
09-01-2002, 12:24 PM
SOUNDS LIKE GOODTIMES! a lot better than sitting in front of this computer on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, thats for sure! :rolleyes:

77charger
09-01-2002, 08:02 PM
if you would have gone to the waweap page area you would have had more civilization as far as stores and hotels go.I go every year and we camp along a big sand beach and find many places to go for day runs and have gone as far as escalante canyon in my 19 ft jet.

syke-o
09-01-2002, 09:46 PM
sounds awesome....

Raskal
09-01-2002, 11:01 PM
yah powell is bicthin.but i like to stay around page not to far from store and hotel .

DEEZ NUTTS
09-02-2002, 05:51 PM
Had a great weekend my self. Froggy, sounds like next time you should come in from south end of the lake. Lots of beaches in thousands of places. We camped below cookie jar butte on the west side of a huge rock wall with sandy beach below. Had morning shade so I could sleep in.
Saw more powerboats than ever this trip and love it.
The guy that owns Swift trucking, and supposedly owns Sleek Craft was camped across the canyon from us in his huge houseboat. The cool part was his runabout is like a 50' or so motor yacht AND SOME DUDE WAS WAKEBOARDING BEHIND IT!! I dont know what it had for power other than it was multiple diesel, but it did just fine. It kicked out swells like a tour boat.

B-RAD
09-03-2002, 10:49 PM
just got home myself Powell is the best. Iwish I would have read this post before I left. froggy you did it right out of bullfrog you just went to the wrong spots as far as looking for beaches halls creek has great beaches I have been going to Powell since my dads 74 glastron was new now days I prefer to ditch the houseboat and sleep on my boat. this trip my buddy came with his 19 foot ski boat (cookiecutter) we did one night just out of the sanjuan river arm and one night in rock creek and one night in escalante he said he loved camping like this other then the big water and trying to keep up with me. 25 DCB (Eliminator)eagle. there was more hot boats running around. I'll be going back the weekend of 9-13 and again mid oct.