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13.11.2003: Lake Powell
After scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast we went for a 3 hour walk down to the Marina and along Lake Powell under a blue sky and a really hot sun.
We chatted to some women who were decorating boats for a Thanksgiving parade on 29th Nov, and one of them gave us some tips on what there is to do in the area and told us we could dry camp at Antelope Point where we could get our canoe into Lake Powell. She even allowed us to take our thermals off in the boat as it was so warm! We really enjoyed the walk and saw a couple of water runners who took flight when we came along and two Coyotes on the way back to the campsite.
Whilst Helen wrote the diary on the computer, Kirsten made a chocolate cake using chocolate crunch sweets which she had to crush first of all, and also some cinnamon rolls!
And whilst Kirsten wrote on the computer, Helen hovered, tidied up, made a new toilet bottle, took the rubbish out, did the washing up and put everything away. By the time we´d done everything it was 1 am in the morning and time for bed!
14.11.2003: Lake Powell
This morning we had cinnamon rolls for breakfast and after filling up with water and dumping the dirty water we drove off and went to look at the marina again and the stunning blue of Lake Powell surrounded by all shapes and sizes of red rocks.
After stopping at a view point we drove to Glen Canyon Dam and went on a free guided tour for an hour which was very interesting. A man at reception even spoke German to us! He also gave us the tip of where to get good Chinese food in Page so we drove there for an all you can eat buffet! They even had doughnuts for desert - not exactly Chinese!! But then, we are in America!
Next stop was Walmart where we bought a small electric heater for $17 (and has paid for itself a thousand times over since then!!) Then Kirsten needed a toilet and after a stop at a launderette (no sink or loo paper) we ended up paying $2 for a drink at KFC so we could use the toilet!
Then we drove to Antelope Point hoping to dry camp there for the night but there was a man on the gate which would be closing in 30 minutes so we decided to camp up at Walmart for the night and went to the cinema to see Matrix 3. Not as bad as Matrix 2 but still a waste of money! We only went to find out what happens at the end - which is exactly what the film makers want! We sure fell into that trap!!
15.11.2003: Lake Powell - Vermillion Cliffs
We got up at 8am and it only took us 15 minutes to get ready and drive off. But we´d forgotten to put the safety catch on the fridge which promptly came open on one of the bends and shed a few things! So we had to stop and put everything back inside! We won`t forget the fridge again!
We drove to Antelope Point and made bacon and eggs for breakfast - to give us the strength to get the canoe off the roof and back on again! We also made sarnis for lunch. We drove Winnie down the ramp to the lakeside. Helen climbed onto Winnies roof, untied the canoe, turned it over and then slid it forward so that Kirsten could get hold of the front. Then lowered the back end down. Surprisingly, it only took us 20 minutes.
After parking Winnie back up at the car park, we carried the canoe into the water, got our paddles, put our life jackets on and set off for the first time in our canoe! It was sunny and warm and we paddled along the left side of Lake Powell and then into Antelope Canyon. We paddled through the ever narrowing canyon, with its sheer red walls and our voices echoing as the canyon got narrower. Unfortunately two boats followed us down the canyon, disturbing the mirror effect on the waters surface and our peace and quiet!
Then we went through what we first thought was a floating toilet but it turned out to be lots of broken up wood and the water was very murky. We`d reached the end! So we turned around and paddled all the way back. Helen did more paddling as Kirsten was taking photos! Then we set up the video on a floating pier so that we could take a video of the two of us trying to look like professionals!!! Well we did until we wanted to turn the canoe around and paddle back into the video!
Kayaking in the Antelope Canyon.
We`d been out for nearly 3 hours - enough for our first time! Then we had to get the canoe out of the water, fetch Winnie and get the canoe back on top! We sat and had lunch whilst discussing a plan of action. Helen got onto the roof again and then we attached a Carabiner so that we could set up a pulley system and make it easier to haul the canoe up onto the roof. The canoe weighs 5.5 stones!!!
Well, using our pulley system was the easy bit but then Helen had to detach the rope from the pulley, whilst holding the full weight of the canoe, and then pull it over the side onto the roof!! That was a real struggle! Helen came dangerously close to dropping it as her fingers got caught up in the rope and were getting squeezed. Somehow she managed to free her fingers and still hold the canoe. After a few tries she managed to haul it onto the roof and onto the struts. Then Kirsten pushed her end of the canoe up and Helen pulled it onto the roof. Kirsten climbed the ladder and we turned the canoe over and tied it onto the roof. We`d done it! It took us about 30 minutes to get it back on but seemed a lot longer!
Then we drove a short way to a walk to Horseshoe Bend - steep canyon walls around a river which had carved a horseshoe bend around the canyon. Quite impressive. Afterwards we drove to Lees Ferry (about 45 miles) to a campground arriving at 5pm. It cost $10 dollars for the night but there were no showers. So we decided to find a spot to dry camp as that's the same thing as a campground with no showers but doesn`t cost any money! We drove about another 15 miles and found a spot off the road across from the Vermillion Cliffs and parked up for the night.
After making pasta and Gorgonzola sauce for evening meal, we washed up and played cards before going to bed at 10-30 pm. An exhausting day!
