Lake Powell Part 3 of 10

LAKE POWELL

DeRay, Jeanette, Brooke, Ed, Amy and Bonnie Wight

September 3-7, 1994

Yesterday the winds blew so hard

that in an attempt to better anchor,

we became completely unanchored,

leaving Brooke and the moorings on shore

while we were adrift at sea.

Life jackets, double air mattresses

and everything left outside

blew with the gusts;

except Amy grabbed the air mattress

in a gallant act of heroism

far beyond her usual strength.

Eddy put on his life jacket and

picked up the games that swirled inside.

We were fearful; in an attitude of alert

as the wind whipped us mercilessly about.

Dad started the engines to give us control

and shouted commands to the crew below

who fought to hang on and tighten the ropes

once they were reunited with the boat.

Then as Bonnie, Amy's friend, put it

"We came in and prepared dinner."

How versatile these brave land-locked

sailors have become. . .

Brooke, Amy doing dreaded anchors

Ed on deck

Brooke floating - the reward for doing the anchors

DeRay & Jeanette in dingy

From the beginning of this expedition

which started too late, then we couldn't

find a place to camp with darkness approaching

(It's Labor Day weekend and people and jet skis

and boats and noise are everywhere.

We come for the calm.)

we seemed condemned.

DAY ONE we were lucky to find

sand to nose into arriving just as

small boats were vacating a sandy beach

at the very end of Lake Canyon.

We didn't even mind that straight across

from us were Seventy Times

The Farley Family Reunion

plus dogs and reckless jet skiers.

DAY TWO we found a serene cave

at the end of Annie's Canyon

only to discover every boat

upon the waters came and went

or stayed and played loud music.

While jet skis performed their usual

Circle de Circle Moronic Act.

DAY THREE was sunny after twelve noon

so we ventured on to find our solitude

which we ferreted in a smaller cave

at the end of another arm in Annie's.

We smiled at our good fortune

when a jet ski duo came exploring

and we hear one say, "I'll go get the others."

Three jet skis, a boat, a float, and

two swimmers came to our private cove

and jumped off the cliff all afternoon,

with beer and cheer and verbiage

we're not accustomed to

except maybe in the movies.

DAY FOUR we get up for a hike

(a climb to be more precise)

while the kids sleep until the

sun awakened them far too early at 9 AM.

So when the boisterous cliff-jumpers

moved from the next cove up

we relocat there, but, alas,

it was cloudy nearly all day long

so chasing the shade was futile,

and then in the late afternoon

the violent winds exploded!

Almost as suddenly as they erupted;

the winds stopped. . .

and Amy and Bonnie prepared dinner.

And we played games

and slept outside as if havoc hadn't happened.

I'm going to miss the reflection of the stars

in the still waters at night when I'm sleeping out

with total quiet and air so fresh your lungs rejoice;

the silence and the darkness.  Listen to the silence.

Only disturbed by an occasional airplane overhead

or a fish jumping in the water.

Did DeRay even snore?

Well, maybe our backs are a little sore

but that could be because we were in bed so long.

No alarms, no duties; no laundry or weeds to hoe;

just simple survival; ourselves and nature

and beauty and repose and CALM AFTER THE STORM.

DAY FIVE morn the mountains and sky

sun and shade are mirrored in the serene loch

at such a perfect temperature that

the water and our bodies become one entity.

(reminding us of our pre-birth state?)

and we feel we never want to get out;

maybe eventually evolving into fishes.

Ah! Could we stay forever under the protection

of the colossal cliffs and crags and crannies

and geometric designs that dazzle our beings!

After the storm came the calm

and it was so very, very still.

Jeanette E. Hugh, September 7, 1994

1995

June 21 – the day after Brooke and Elizabeth’s Wedding – 24

DeRay, Jeanette, Ed, Brent and Jan

(Amy left yesterday for Scout Camp for a summer of high adventure)

Off for Lake Powell by 8 AM. Arrived around 3 PM. It’s warm and wonderful; calm and safe.

      Since Jan has never been to Rainbow Bridge, we sailed down there. After we thought we were leaving, Brent and Jan went on a 2-hour hike without telling us. Waiting is not one of my strong points. A new rule: Never take off without telling your shipmates; don’t leave people waiting without explanation.

Eddy, Brent, Jan

Eddy, Brent, Jan, & DeRay

Brent, Jan, & DeRay

Jeanette & Brent

Eddy, Brent, Jan

Captain Ed & Admiral DeRay

DON'T HIT THE WALL!

DeRay & Jan

Brent, Jan; Ed & Jeanette

Ed; Brent & Jan

DeRay, Jeanette, Brent, Jan, Ed RAINBOW BRIDGE

Brent

Brent

Jeanette Rainbow Bridge

DeRay, Ed, Jeanette Rainbow Bridge

Jan Rainbow Bridge

Jan Rainbow Bridge

DeRay, Jan, Brent RAINBOW BRIDGE

Brent & Jan kissing RAINBOW BRIDGE

Brent & Jan

DeRay & Ed silhouettes at Rainbow Bridge

The next morning we hiked up Cottonwood Canyon to the top of Little Hole in the Rock. 

Jan

Jan

Jan & Eddy

Eddy & Jan

Grooves from ropes pulling wagons up Little Cottonwood

Ed & Jan

Jeanette & Jan

On the pioneer trail

Jan & Jeanette

Jan

A stop for a swim and bath. Rush back to get gas before the station closes at 8 PM, staying in the slip that night.

 Ed taking care of the trash.

Ed

Off by 7 AM but it wasn’t good enough. We went over the Burr Trail and didn’t get to Orderville until 12:30 PM. The Lawrence/Lucy—Amy/Lynn Esplin Reunion at the Seminary Park started at 10 AM. All of Mama and Daddy’s children were there and all of Aunt Lucy and Uncle Lawrence’s living children. We stayed at a motel at the Y as well as Tena, Bessie and their children and DeLoy, Grace, Karl and Lindi.

SYNOPSIS: We RAN to Logan to pick up Amy; RAN to the airport to pick up Brent and Jan. RAN to Farmington to help prepare food for the reception with the kind help of Amy Jayne; RAN to celebrate Father’s Day; RAN to Brooke and Elizabeth’s wedding; RAN to the reception; RAN TO Lake Powell, RAN  to Rainbow Bridge; RAN up Little Cottonwood Canyon past the Little Hole in the rock; RAN over the Burr Trail which cried out to be viewed slowly and carefully--on horseback, for example. The scenery was so expansive, it boggles the senses. RAN to the Seminary Park in Orderville for the Esplin reunion and wonderful food and reminiscing with the help of Shirley, Lynn, Amy, and Mack and treasured picture-taking with all eight of Mama and Daddy’s children and all living children of Uncle Lawrence and Aunt Lucy—sadly, we didn’t have time to RUN to the V; RAN down to go through the old house with the same linoleum, banisters and wainscoting, opening up a floodgate of memories. RAN to Kanab; RAN down to Lucy and DeMoin’s; RAN on their 4-wheelers with Carol and two of Effie’s to the cave; RAN back to Kaysville. At least, we didn’t have car trouble like some people we know! (Namely, Verla and family who planned a trip to Vegas but the car kept stalling and they had to abort.)

September 1-4, 1995

DeRay, Jeanette, Brooke, Elizabeth, Ed, Amy, Bonnie and Becki

Because Carl and Lindi and Shane stayed overnight with us on their move to Oregon, we didn’t leave home until around 7, picking up Elizabeth in Provo. We arrived at Bullfrog at 1:30 and finally got settled around 4 AM. People were coming and going all night so I don’t know who disturbed who. Amy, Bonnie and Becki even wake up eventually as we blow up air mattresses and jockeyed for space.

DeRay

The next morning after breakfast, we leave for unknown destinations, ending up in Annie’s which has changed so much from last year that we couldn’t recognize it. We are lucky enough to find a canyon of our own where we have shade from 10 until 4:30, at which time the sun began to feel good after a swim. The boat from hell came in late in the evening but they were at least ½ mile away. The waves rocked our boat up against the rocks which was the only irritation. We had lovely seclusion to swim and play games and eat candied popcorn; sun and shade in just the right amounts. Elizabeth and Brooke jumped off the rocks and we swam and visited for most of the afternoon. Everyone is involved in a book. It’s very peaceful and pleasant.  The cliffs are very steep and high; we can only see a V of sky and at night it’s so still and quiet that you can’t even tell you’re on a boat. Brooke and Elizabeth fixed BBQ’d chicken, potatoes and corn on the cob.

 This is how you relax after a hard summer at Boy Scout Camp.
The legs belong to Brooke & Elizabeth

Ed, Amy, & Becki

DeRay, Elizabeth, Ed

Jeanette

Amy & Bonnie

Elizabeth

Becki

Elizabeth

DeRay

Hot cakes for breakfast, cantaloupe, watermelon, bananas, apples, tomatoes, cucumbers, and corn—all fresh from local gardens enhances life a great deal. Amy fixed omelets yesterday; today we made hotcakes w/bacon. Bacon and tomato sandwiches for lunch and the girls fixed Taco Soup for dinner. Brooke and Elizabeth went for a hike tonight and came back too long after dark. We visited under the stars on the top deck tonight instead of playing games.

I was up early the next morning for a wonderful hike. We should have hiked more. We need a few more days. It’s too hot to hike in the middle of the day; it gets dark too early to hike at night and we’re all too tired to hike early. Gruel for breakfast. Left-overs for lunch after we get back to the slip. We enjoyed the 3-hr ride back. Everyone helped clean the boat and we were on our way by 2 PM. We stopped in Hanksville for malts; didn’t stop again until we got home around 8 PM. Unpack; start the wash.

This turned out to be Brooke’s last trip on the houseboat at Lake Powell.