Lake powell

just got back. The water is up, and the trafic is down. I have never seen so few boats/people in mid june. the best water i found was in bullfrog bay. never thought id say that. those sandy beaches sure help i guess. Another great trip.

Hey Chris: you have any photo's from you trip, It would cool to see the water level up. And do you know how much till the lake is at full pool??

about 100 more feet of water till full pool.

Hello, I need help...
We're going out on July 9th, and we're debating whether to go up to Good Hope or down to Escalente. We just got a new house boat, we have a 2004 Tige`, and don't want to mess up the boats, or ANYONE else that is going. We also want water that is the most clear. To anyone that has been there, what has the water been like? And which direction would you recommend going? Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much!
*Danielle

Well, not to be rude, but if they bought a houseboat and not a couple maps, you'll have a hard time.

Stay around Bullfrog Bay if that's the case.

Escalante is not for camping very much. Nice day trip, but few sites you can get a house boat into.

Lake Canyon and Ice Berg have nice ones.

Sounds like research is needed on your family's part. Fred's Guide to Lake Powell ( internet ) is a very good resource with maps of bays and canyons and camping areas too.

Don't worry about clear water.

Considering that I've been to Lake Powell for the last 15 years of my like, and my family has gone many times before that, we know the lake VERY well. But thanks for the... consideration. We've heard rumors about the water, and what the conditions are like, and I was just wondering myself. As far as to the "research needed on my family's part"... They are also doing the same thing as I am... Because we live 10 hours, its not like we just KNOW the conditions, and because its been changing on a reguar basis. But thanks for the advise...
*Danielle

I get the Mag "Lake Powell" If your intrested in going or you have been going for years im sure theres information in there that might make your trip better. There 4 issues a year each issue has detailed lake maps, (big ones) it highlights of water adventrues and canyon's if your into seeing the sight's. check it out

Well, I guess you don't need any help then, since you're 15 and been going 15 years and the water is up from last year.

You already know that though eh "Babe"?

All I wanted was a simple update on what the water was like, and where was recommended to go. I am well aware that the water is up from last year, its why I'm asking these questions, because if it wasn't, then we would know where to go!! I'm a girl, and I know what I'm talking about. Thank you very much!
*Danielle

Hey Chris C,

was there much wind up there? Anything over ~ 12knots?

danielle, the worst obstructions were the occaisonal tumble weed. down towards esclante it was beautiful. we got great water all day. i am only 22 but have been to powell at least once every year of my life, and we have never had trouble finding camping near or in esclante. aslo sory no pics, but it is at about the same level as 2 yrs ago if that helps. also, went north to red canyon, it was allright, but of course more drift wood. hit me up if you have any questions about powell. ccarrin2@mscd.edu. ill try to help not be an ass!
Nick, there was wind as with any powell trip. we only had camp torn up once cause of it. niace mornings than at night the storms rolled through.

Matt.....Danielle comes looking for info, but you rip on her and tell her that she and her family need to do research. Ummmm....what do you think asking for info is??

Danielle....I understand completely. I have been going to Powell on a regular basis for 11 years....and while the land/canyons don't change, what is available due to current water levels does change every year....sometimes quite significantly. The best resource I know of for Lake Powell is: http://www.wayneswords.com/index.html. Many of the people posting on that board either live there or frequent the lake, so an inquiry there on current conditions will yield a helpful response. From reading recent threads, the water north of bullfrog is still stained with lots of debris from the inflows from spring runoff. It sounds like it would be nicer heading downlake currently. Hope that helps.

To be honest, her first post sounded like she's never been there at all. Hence the "research" statement. I "research" all the time and I've been going there since the 70s.

I gave info. Especially as to where to find spots to beach a house boat. Fred's guide is excellent.

After being lambasted in the second post, the little child got me riled. Period.

Reread her first post, then mine. I see nothing wrong with my response. If she'd been more clear, it would have made a difference.

Matt- I think that my first post was very clear and everyone else has had no problem understanding it. I was simply asking about the WATER conditions. The lake has come up 50' so far this year and everything we have heard is that the water is not clear until south of Bullfrog.

Like I said we have been going there all of my life and my parents for even longer so we do know the lake and canyons. I was just looking for information about the water conditions from anyone who may have been there recently.

I am not sure where you get off being all rude. Please read and understand what people are asking before you start to insult them. It is sad that a few mean people like you ruin a great site like this.

Thanks to Mike, Chris and Sound Illusions for all of the helpful information.
*Danielle

Yeah, Um... Danielle, your first post wasn't clear at all, not to mention you hi-jacked someone elses thread. I wasn't gonna say anything until you spurted out the BS above.

Leggester took the time to give great response to a vague post, and then you jump all over him like he insulted your intelligence or something.

By the way I have been reading articulate and informed posts from Leggester for 3 years and over 3800 posts. It's people like leggester that provide substance and knowledge that make wakeworld so successful.
Get off your high horse and pull that nose out of the stratosphere so critical responses to your posts won't seem so harsh.

Root,
Her first post was Very Clear. She was just asking advice about the current conditions and opinions on where the best water was.

It was her second post that screwed everything up!!

But Matt did come off a little harsh. She did say thanks twice in her second post as a follow up to Matt's post back to her.

Danielle,

When you get there just take the TIGE out and go exploring. One of the great things about Powell is that it is different everytime you go ( water levels).

Go find a new spot or go to your favorite spot and enjoy.

K. I came across harsh. My unreserved apologies.

K. I came across harsh. My unreserved apologies.

Ok, this seems to be TOTALLY out of control...
I apologize for anything that I may have said to offend anyone, but... I did get defensive when Matt said my family needed to do research too... FYI we have posts on WaynesWords.com and we also have e*mails out to the people who were on out last houseboat, as well as the ones on our new one, asking them how the lake was, and what it was like, etc.

My last post was also driven by the this: "After being lambasted in the second post, the little child got me riled. Period." I believe it is self-explainatory... (the little child part) I became defensive in the second thread, because this was not what I was expecting to get as a responce. As to I was looking for opinions on what was better, north or south.

As far as hi-jacking Chris's thread, I saw it as a perfect chance to maybe get some feed-back from him, as well as the others that visited this thread. That was it.

I was appreciative of Matt's post, but defensive at the same time.

I'm sorry, and again, thank you for any and all the responces that I received.
*Danielle

Yeah, the thread was about lake powell, her responce was about lake powell, whats wrong with that. had I ended the 1st post with "does any one have any questions", it would have sounded a bit ghey. so right on danielle and chill every one else. ( me included)

My family was thinking about taking my senior trip to Lake Powell and I had heard you could get really nice rental boats and things like that. We don't have a wakeboat so we don't think it would be worth towing it there from OK. Has anyone rented houseboats or stayed in condos etc. Feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Hey Danielle, I've been to Powell four times this year and I'm going down from the 6th unitl the 16th with family and then friends, look for three X-Stars and possibly my wakesetter if I haven't sold it yet, from the 10-16th. Good Hope has a lot of floating debrie, and the water is a lot more mercky(spelling) than it is the further south you go on the lake, it's still good, but if your afraid for boats getting ruined stay south. The lake is up about 60-70 feet from what I have been told, and is still going up about a foot every two to four days, so a lot of stuff is just barely under the water that was way out last year or even in March, the finger that seperates Bullfrog from Halls is about 20-30 under now. The Escalante area is amazing right now, still have some debrie, but not as much as you do north, and there are plenty of camping spots around the Escalante river inlet, and up the river. The last time I was down was the first of June, and my buddy just got back from there last week and said the lake has gone up about 20 feet since we were there, it's crazy. Also I like the lake lower, more spots to camp, plus you get rid of the rock walls so you don't get reverb as bad, but I miss Hite, the best kept secret on the lake, but it's doesn't exist anymore and won't unless the water comes up another 50 feet, and the replace the ramp that got washed away with the runoff.

Gruel, if your going to rent a boat or stay in a condo you will need to go to Wahwhep, as bullfrog/halls crossing on have crappy ski boat rentals, plus wahwhep(spelling) has more hotels/condos, and would be better for a senior trip.

And Chris I'm going to have to raise the bs flag on good water in Bullfrog bay, that doesn't exist even in March when me and a bunch of buddies went down and stayed on my houseboat, it was good, but we still had rollers from boat traffic in the bay. Hope this helps.

oh ya feel free to contact me at russ@bentstakeproductions.com for any other info.

oh ya expect thunder storms at night, July thru early Sept is the time Powell is famous for it's nasty storms with all the Monsoon moisture coming from the south, go caught in a flash flood in our canyon three years ago, luckly we got the houseboat unhooked, but the people in the bay next to us were screwed, house boat was burried in 7 feet of silt that got washed down from the storm, so be careful camping up secluded canyons and pay attention to water drainage markings on the sandstone before you set up camp.

Russ thanks

Chris- Major thanks to you. One for letting me "take over your thread" but also for just supporting me to the fullest extent, pretty much through it all.

Russ- Also. Major thanks to you too... This is what I had intended to read when I originally posted this. It helps a TON and lets us get a better idea of what we will do.

Thanks again!!
*Danielle

Glad I could be of service, hope you two enjoy your trip.

Russ, 4 trips to Powell already - I'm very jealous. We went 1st week in June (Wahweap), and I already miss it. We've got to plan another trip fast.

i know thats what I said, but i swear. at about 2 oclock, the boats all hit camp, and past the marinia setup it was butter. I still think I may have been dilusional(sp?)

Chris, I think you had one too many to drink, or caught a wiff of the peodie the indians were smokin, everything looks like butter then No it's just it's very rare to see butter in Bullfrog, even at sunrise or sunset.

Bdehaan, ya it's been good times, I try to go at least 8-10 times a year and usually I just leave my houseboat on the bouy and sleep there, it's just nice to get away from the mountain lakes. Plus I'm trying to go as much as possible before I move to Philly for dental school, which also makes me sad as I have to sell my boat.

we will be heading to powell the last week of jully. we are heading out from bullfrog. what else is their to do? bars or coves where people hang out? any info would be great. we are getting a house boat and bringing a super air and moomba with us.

BDehann,

Show us some pics!!!!

Im jonesen for Lake Powell and I have to wait until Sept!!!

It is NOTHING like Lake Havasu if that is what you are thinking with respect to sandbars/coves. The real beauty of Powell is its immense size and the ability to get AWAY from everyone else. You ski and board in the morning and evening when it is glassy (and any other time it is glassy if you are so fortunate), then spend the rest of the time exploring the many canyons, hiking, visiting old indian ruins, a trip to Rainbow Bridge, reading, hiding from the sun, etc.

Powell does not have the party scene you would expect to see at Havasu. Though, I have seen some pretty substantial self-contained parties on individual houseboats.....

cool we could have fun any where

We're heading out of Bullfrog in September. I've been doing some research on the lake, but would like to hear from people that have been as far as must see places. We're thinking about not traveling any further down the lake than Forbidding Canyon (Rainbow Bridge), focusing our travel to this area and some of the San Juan. Any thoughts?

Russ - 8-10 times a year is unbelievable. We're lucky if we make it twice. That's it, I'm talking my family into a trip in October! Hear ya, on the mountain lakes. We're going up to East Canyon tomorrow for the first time - not looking forward to the crowds and cold water. Congrats on dental school. You're selling a Malibu, right? Unfortunately, not in the market THIS YEAR.

E double U - We still run the 35mm, with some sweet lenses, so no pictures to actually post. Maybe I'll get some of our other crew to post because we had some nice ones. Stayed in Face Canyon, and loved it. Found a couple of VERY cool slot canyons. I'm joneses for Powell too, and I just got back.

Extremely great camp sites and ski conditions up the San Juan if the water gets up another 40'.

It's about an 8 hour house boat drive from Bullfrog to get there.

san juan has no services, which means no people. awsome water and camping if you can bring extra gas, and maybee make runs to dangling rope. well worth the hastle

San Juan is amazing to ride in, and was dope when they had the old indian reservation marina up it a ways before the water started dropping, and no one went up their, but I would not recommened driving from Bullfrog to go to the San Juan, you'll get rapped just on houseboat fuel, plus Dangling Rope is usually 20-30 cents more a gallon, because they know your screwed if you need to fill up there. If you go to the San Juan go from Wahweap, it's only about a four to five hour houseboat drive, give or take an hour.

Tim most of the main site seeing places are smake dab in the middle of the lake around the Escalante River inlet and south a little. Most canyons have cool stuff up them, but you need to hike to most as the water is still a little low.

Bdehaan ya it's a blast the most I ever went in one year was 15 times, basically it was every other weekend starting in April and going unitl the first of November, it was a blast, plus it didn't cost that much as gas was half what it is now. I'm riding East canyon tonight with a few buddies, but I usually don't go their as it's too hard on the truck to pull up the windy roads.

I thought the Navajos never actuly built a marina, just talked about. it. I allways herd that the govt wouldent give the rights to build in gcnra?

Ya it was a small floating marina, like dangling rope, no place to launch just get gas, it didn't fair to well, only lasted a couple years in the late 80's early ninties, when we had our houseboat in Wahweap, plus a lot of Lake Powell is on Reservation land, like Antelope Point, and that is why you can't swim or walk underneath the Rainbow bridge anymore as they view it as a sacred site.

yeah, I knew the reservation fact. My dad couldent rember if there once was a marinia up by piute farms way up the arm, it got floded out and never rebuilt. is that right?

Don't know if it got flooded out or not. I remember something happening and it wasn't worth the repair costs.

Good thing too. Remember all the batteries found at Bullfrog and Hite?

oh yeah, fun with toxins. god i love aramark