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Late to Lake Powell this Year, but Great Photo Ops!

 
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Tony Ferris



Joined: 30 Jun 2008
Posts: 65
City/Region: Mead, CO
State or Province: CO
C-Dory Year: 2000
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Endurance
Photos: Endurance
PostPosted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 10:22 pm    Post subject: Late to Lake Powell this Year, but Great Photo Ops! Reply with quote

Too many reasons to list, but we didn't make it boating much this year. Plans were to get to Lake Powell to meet many C-Dory owners and make some new friends. My boss had other plans for me, but we made it to Bullfrog on October 2nd and found a nice beach for the evening:



On the mile from the dock to this beach, we found thought maybe one impeller was bad. I couldn't get much output out of the pee tube, even after trying to clear it of obstruction. I have a good friend at the Ticaboo boat shop, Dave, and pulled out the next morning. He helped me drop the lower unit and the impeller was fine. He blew some compressed air through the system and cleared the obstruction and we launched again. Nice to have friends! After heading south past the Rincon, I took a few more photos. Nothing too spectacular, but a nice run through the narrows towards the Escalante confluence:



After a couple of hundred trips to Lake Powell, I've never ventured onto the water in bad weather. We always had a small houseboat and ran for cover at the slightest breeze. This week was an exception. The weather was terrible, but I got a chance to see waterfalls like nothing I'd ever seen in all the years of going to Lake Powell, along with getting a chance to test the boat in some bad weather. On Monday evening, we camped at a nice cove many call Cactus Juice Cove (actually Chuckwalla Springs) where we saw the first of hundreds of waterfalls:



A closeup in different light:



The next morning we awoke to a glorious sunrise:



Heading uplake the weather immediately took a turn for the worse, it was raining in sheets:



We headed into Iceberg Canyon to find more waterfalls and encountered even more rain:



We were not disappointed by the waterfalls:







After the rain lulled, we caught a few smallmouth bass trolling and my wife caught a nice 2-3lb striper:



We camped at the back of Iceberg Canyon on Tuesday night, where a beautiful show was put on for us with even more waterfalls:





















During the night, it rained and rained and sleeping was great! We woke to a start only to realize the rain had gotten into the cockpit enough the automatic bilge pump came on. It gave me a warm feeling to know things were working as advertised!

The next morning, as we headed out of the canyon to the main channel, we were greeted by an ominous dark cloud:



About 3-4 minutes later, my friend Dave at the Ticaboo boat shop called me on the ham radio to ask our status. We'd been out of contact inside the canyon long enough he began to worry with all the bad weather. He explained that the NPS had radioed all boats to head for cover, that a tornado warning was in effect!

While I was anxious to test the seaworthiness of the boat, the words "tornado" and "Lake Powell" do not go together well and we headed back into a cove on the west side of the lake between Iceberg and Slickrock Canyons. I could see a wall of rain coming as I tied up.

Peeking out of the back cover, I saw this scene:



Soon, hail began pounding the area and waterfalls appeared everywhere:







Soon, a river began entering the lake next to the boat. The current had the port side line taught:



This waterfall raged for well over an hour before we decided to head uplake:



It even sent a large log floating just past the boat:



NOAA radio reported even more storms headed our way the next day and we had even more excitement ahead - we were headed to Emmett, Idaho, to meet our week old grandson. As the sky cleared, we headed uplake, only to see more beautiful sites:

















All in all, it was one of the most exciting trips I've ever taken to Lake Powell. Maybe next year, I can finally make it to a C-Dory gathering there and meet some of you.

Oh, and we got to meet my beautiful new grandson, Peter, the next day!



We even made a visit to Hell's Canyon on the Idaho/Oregon border. It was spectacular:



Eventually, it was BACK to Lake Powell to pickup our boat:



After 3000 plus miles, we had a great time, but I miss Lake Powell already and I'm ready to head back! Maybe next year I'll meet a few of you. Hope you enjoyed the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Oh, and those tornadoes reported... my friend Dave saw one touch down about a mile south of the boat shop at Ticaboo. He said he'd never seen anything like it.
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Adeline



Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 985
City/Region: Vancouver
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 1989
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Adeline
Photos: Adeline
PostPosted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 10:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for sharing those wonderful images. I haven't seen this face of Powell before.

If I ever get down there I'll pray for rain...

Coming from the Pacific Northwest, I never thought I'd say that.

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jkidd



Joined: 23 Oct 2006
Posts: 1609
City/Region: Northern, Utah
State or Province: UT
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Voyager
Photos: Voyager (JK)
PostPosted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 1:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice pictures Tony I don't think I have seen that many waterfalls. I have only been there a couple of times when there was enough rain for a show.
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JamesTXSD



Joined: 01 Mar 2005
Posts: 7444
City/Region: from island boy to desert dweller
State or Province: AZ
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: "Wild Blue" (sold 9/14)
Photos: Wild Blue
PostPosted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 9:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gorgeous! A spectacular photo essay of a truly magical area, presented in a way that most don't get to see. Thank you for sharing that with us!

And congratulations on the new GrandBaby!!

Best wishes,
Jim B.
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hardee



Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 12632
City/Region: Sequim
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Sleepy-C
Photos: SleepyC
PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 1:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tony,

Thanks for sharing. Those are spectacular photos. The weather adds drama to an already beautiful place.

What Ham radio are you using there and is that a better source of communication than the marine vhf for that area?

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

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Tony Ferris



Joined: 30 Jun 2008
Posts: 65
City/Region: Mead, CO
State or Province: CO
C-Dory Year: 2000
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Endurance
Photos: Endurance
PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 7:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just use a 2m VHF radio, but it's capable to utilizing the 146.960 repeater that's located on top of Navajo Mtn, so you can talk from one end of the lake to the other through the repeater. A lot handier than just regular marine VHF. Neither work inside the deep canyons though. The 146.960 repeater requires a 100Hz CTCSS tone for access. A good friend owns and runs the repeater, Wayne (W7WAC). If you can find him on the radio, he can change the frequency of his IRLP node and you can communicate around the world through other repeaters using VOIP. Kind of handy.

There's also a repeater on Mt. Ellen in the Henry Mountains north of Bullfrog. It covers the north end of the lake pretty well. It's on 147.080 and requires a 136Hz CTCSS tone. That repeater is linked to many other repeaters all over Utah and has very wide area coverage. It too has IRLP capability, usually reserved for club members. If you find Bret (WX7Y) he is usually gracious enough to turn it on for you if you want to call a distant repeater via the Internet.

Glad you all enjoyed the photos. I enjoyed shooting them too!

Tony
NA0US
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Wandering Sagebrush



Joined: 21 Jan 2005
Posts: 2768
City/Region: Northeast Oregon
State or Province: OR
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Constant Craving
Photos: Constant Craving
PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 10:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wonderful photos!!! I am sorry that we didn't get to meet on the lake.
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El and Bill



Joined: 08 Nov 2003
Posts: 3200
City/Region: Lakewood, CO
State or Province: CO
C-Dory Year: 2000
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Halcyon
Photos: Halcyon
PostPosted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 10:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great photos - thanks for sharing
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Halcyon 2000 CD 22 Bought 2000 Sold 2012
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Tony Ferris



Joined: 30 Jun 2008
Posts: 65
City/Region: Mead, CO
State or Province: CO
C-Dory Year: 2000
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Endurance
Photos: Endurance
PostPosted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 5:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Been trying to figure out how to add a few photos here, so I added a few to an album if you want to see more waterfalls.

Lake Powell Waterfalls - October, 2010:

http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album1364&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php
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