HOUSEBOAT BLOG
For nearly 20 years, Lake Powell was our consistently
favorite place to go. Its home
(Southern Utah). Its exotic. Its
relaxing. Yet there’s an element of fear
and excitement. (Except its Luxury Southern Utah and we were reared in Poverty
Southern Utah.)
1985
April 20-21
The Training Trip.
An owner is required to take newbies on the lake to teach them the “ropes”.
Brent played the piano and I read (and had
written) the theme presentation “Gathering Rainbows” for Relief Society Stake
Education Day at the Kaysville Tabernacle. After DeRay got the tire fixed on the
camper, we left an hour late for Lake Powell. DeRay, Jeanette, Brent, (Jeanne
was at Dixie) Brooke, Eddy, Amy Lyn—picking up ReNee Palmer in Bountiful and
Roland in Spanish Fork, arriving at Bullfrog about 6. Being windy and rainy, we
couldn’t move that night. We ate, played Shanghai and went to bed in “our” ½
share of the houseboat.
The next morning, we toured the lake while Roland
taught us how to anchor in the rocks, on sandy beaches, and even how to drop anchors in the lake (in case you are surrounded by sheer cliffs). We hiked on
the miraculous mesas. All the kids practiced steering the boat. Brooke even
went swimming. We were wearing coats, for goodness sake. The sun did peep out a
few times. Beautiful scenery. A wondrous experience. (We bought the half-share
for $1,300 and sold it 20 years later for the same price. A full share is three weeks a year; therefore, a half-share is one week one year and two weeks the next year. DeRay was secretary
for the last ten years, which is essentially CEO. The President does nothing
but have the meeting at his house once a year. DeRay handled all the finances,
sent out all the notices and billings, made most of the decisions, went down on
work parties several times a year. When
the boat sank, due to carelessness, he loaned them $10,000 to get it back on
the water. We even had the yearly meeting at our house once. Basically, the years DeRay was secretary he went from knowing nothing about the boat to completely revamping it - the fridge, the toilet, the swim platform, the engines, the steering. Any engineering skills he didn't use on his job, he put to good use on the houseboat.)
1985
June 23, 1985 – I made copious notes while we were
at Lake Powell and they are all lost.
Two comments I salvaged: “I love the feel of the
breeze,” confesses Eddy.
Jeanne, Amy Lyn and I were floating, building a
sandcastle, lying in the hot sun chatting. Jeanne floats a little bit away and
Amy Lyn whispers: “Where does Jeanne get her personality from?”
“I guess she just made it up,”
“Well, where does it come from?”
She then commented on the hot sun: “It feels like
it melts all your blubber.”
The three of us visited for an hour or so and Eddy
was floating out further in the bay with his life jacket on. I call to him,”
What are you doing, Eddy?”
“I’m just over here feeling sorry for myself.”
“Why are you feeling sorry for yourself?”
“Because I’m alone and lonely.”
Brooke and Michael were fishing or reading all
those last two days. Sometimes leisure is so busy. Dad spent the day studying
the log and making a chart on it.
Maybe I’ll still find my notes, but I’m afraid
they are lost and gone forever.
June
6-11. Brief daily wanderings:
Friday:
Left for the Lake Powell Vacation. Family intact.
Saturday:
Arrived at Rainbow Bridge after miles and miles of exquisite scenery.
Sunday:
50-mile canyon, Davis Gulch; slept in Moki Canyon. Les and his family (except
Michael) and Brent got off the boat in the afternoon to go home.
Monday:
Parked sandy beaches at Halls’ Creek Bay. Fishing great. Great storm at sea.
Meanwhile back at home, Brent started his job at HAFB.
Tuesday:
We hiked up to the Arch while parked at another sandy beach. Fishing nil.
Wednesday:
we hike up to the arch again very early in the morning. Cleaned the boat. Off
at 12:30. Home at 8:30 PM.
Thursday:
Jeanne boarded TWA for Newark, N.J. where she was a nanny for the summer.
A diversion from Lake Powell. I found this in my
journal while I was searching for history on Lake Powell: Yesterday I was
commenting on Brent following in his daddy’s footsteps by starting out at Hill
Field as an Industrial Engineer.
“I’m following in my dad’s too,” Amy Lyn, age 12,
confessed, “I’m not following in yours. That sounds like a dumb life.”
1986
In June of 1986, we all went down to St. George to
Jeanne’s graduation from Dixie Junior College.
Grandpa Pugh met us there.
Instead of going home afterwards, we had plans to meet Shirley, Charles,
and Amy Hart in Cedar City and spend five days on Lake Powell. In the camper were nine of us—DeRay,
Jeanette, Brent, Erika (Brent’s German friend), Jeanne (and all her “moving
home” stuff), Brooke, Ed, Travis White (his little friend), and Amy Lyn.
That night we got stuck on a rock in the houseboat
in the middle of the lake. June 7, 1986
Its getting late afternoon before we finally get
to Bullfrog. We load up quickly—the battery seems to be dead but somehow DeRay
gets it started. He is going to work on the other engine while the kids fish.
When we go to start up, nothing. Completely dead. Luckily we get a jump from a
friendly boat. DeRay and Brent decide to go back out in the main channel
instead of up the canyon we are in. At this point, the main channel is solid
rock on both sides. It is getting darker and darker. The kids are downstairs
playing Trivia Pursuit. Suddenly crash bump – bump – bump. Our real
misadventure has begun. We are sitting on a great big rock in the middle of the
main channel. We cannot move. DeRay tries for 15 or 20 minutes before we decide
it is hopeless and we may as well go to bed. The wind blew all night long
splashing water upon the sides of the boat. We don’t know if we’ve got a hole
in the bottom or what.
The next morning it is calm and beautiful. DeRay
has worked on the motor late and finished it early Monday morning. Now with two
engines he tries to work off the rock but it just spins a little. Brent,
Brooke, Jeanne, Erika and I get off the boat. I don’t know if it’s our great
weight or our great strength pushing but finally the boat is free. From the
boat, they wave us goodbye and we are stranded in the middle of the channel,
looking for all the world like people with enough faith to walk about a foot under
the surface of the water. Considering how deep the water is in most places,
that would require a great deal of faith. We bathed and washed our hair. Amy
Jayne joined us so we had quite a spree. The boys bathed on one rock and we
bathed on an adjoining rock. Amy Lyn was out of the boat too, as well as
Travis.
Soon we were on our merry way down the channel to
Rainbow Bridge. It is awesome, as it was last year and we hiked and enjoyed
ourselves there. We were disappointed they wouldn’t let us swim under the arch
as we did last year. You are supposed to sit under the shadow of the bridge
until your troubles disappear so we sit there for a long time.
DeRay & Jeanette
Shirley, DeRay, Charles Hart
Erika and Jeanette
Amy Jayne Hart and Jeanne
Travis and Eddy sitting in the shadow of Rainbow Bridge
Brent and Brooke. Eddy refereeing
On the way back, we start up Escalante Canyon then
decide to backtrack a little ways so we can camp where Charles can hike. That
night we all play Trivia Pursuit. At first we were on the top deck but when it
got dark, we had to move down to the table. Brent wins hands down. DeRay gives
him a good run for his money. As we sleep in that back bedroom, I look out and
the stars quickly move across the sky. I thought the universe was going whacky
but then I realize that we are moving. “DeRay, we’re moving!” He jumps up. He
hadn’t checked the anchors the kids had tied to the boat and one had come
undone. Brent woke up and the two of them straightened up the boat, anchored it
properly and we all went back to bed. By now, I’m wondering what Charles and
Shirley think of our sailorhood. Charles enjoyed the scenery more than he
thought he would.
DeRay, Amy J., Charles, Shirley topside
Amy Lyn, Amy Jayne, Shirley, Jeanette
Tuesday we rode up the Escalante River to the end.
The kids swam to the window, walked through and swam around. Brent, Brooke and
Travis didn’t come and didn’t come. We finally drove back to find them. They
had hiked up in a cave to investigate some Indian ruins. I couldn’t even stand
to watch them come down the steep walls.
Jeanne
Next morning the kids fished. We bathed, hiked and
relaxed. In the afternoon we drove over to the two arches where we like to
hike. Travis, Brent, and Brooke knee-boarded on the way over and they had a
great time. They all did well.
The next morning, Jeanne borrowed my shoes and
everyone but DeRay and I hiked back up to the arch. They came home with
pollywogs and tadpoles. We swam and in the afternoon went fishing. DeRay,
Travis, Brooke and Amy Lyn played Oh Heck and popped popcorn. All the kids
slept on the upper deck.
JUNE
1988
Back from Powell! We had a wonderful trip. I told
Dad I think this is the best vacation I’ve had in many a year because Brent
took such good care of Eddy. He played games with him, took him hiking, read to
him and just generally kept him occupied.
It makes all the difference in the world when someone, anyone, helps
with him.
Notes made on the boat: Left Saturday at 10. Dad,
Mom, Brent, Brooke, Eddy, Amy. (Jeanne is in Nimes, France, on mission). The
Craguns: Les, Michael, Brian, Ben and Christy, met us at the boat. Set sail in bad wind. Forgot poles, went
back, hit rock, ruined propeller. Dad sad. Wind wears us out. Shanghai after
dinner. Ed & Mom read Shakespeare. Pit with everyone except Brent who read
until midnight. The next day the kids went fishing early. The wind finally died
down. Calm. Brooke, Mom, and Michael swam, bathed, washed hair. Scrabble,
Othello, Pit and reading after breakfast. Cruised on one engine around the Bay
to a wonderful spot where we could swim to islands and rocks and sandy beaches.
Jeanette and Brent - Arch 
Brooke and Brent
Brooke and Brent on arch.
Jeanette Who knows?
After doing dishes, DeRay and I joined them at the
arch. We got there about as soon as they did because Eddy was so hard to coax,
pull and push up. As we turned to leave,
Dad’s hat blew off, first up but just about when Brooke got to it, it blew over
the cliff to the bottomless pond below. Goodbye hat from Mazatlán. The rest of
us left but Michael and Amy witnessed Brooke and Brent (stupidly) climbing down
to the bottom of the canyon to retrieve the hat. Mountain goats. Brent and I
and everyone under 15 challenged Dad, Les, Brooke and Michael in Trivia
Pursuit. It was a thriller right to the dyeing end. I wasn’t any help to Brent
but I answered their last question so they could win and we could all go to
bed. One question was: What was Mark Twain’s real name?” “I remember Mark
Twin,” Ed says, “he wrote Tom Sawyer.”
After settling in Moki Canyon, after dark Brent
took Ed up to see the stars, satellites, and shooting stars, planets, airplanes
of the night. Everyone else is reading Michael’s copy of Princess Bride.
“I wonder if the Craguns slept well,” Ed comments.
“I still love the Craguns.” Brent caught a big fish but we let it go .As we
were cruising along, my BYU hat blew off into the lake. Dad swings that big old
houseboat around and we get out the fish net and fish it in. Everyone thought
that was so much fun, they wanted me to do it again or maybe I could fall in
but then they decided they wouldn’t bother to pick me up which instantly hurt
my feelings. We’re still going upstream
to Forgotten Canyon. We hike up to Defiance House Indian ruins. It’s steep and
dangerous and with great difficulty, we get Ed up there. He and Brent sit in
the rock houses and pretend they are Indians. Dad keeps the houseboat afloat
out in the middle.
Brooke
After we drop the Craguns off, we buy ice cream.
Our next door neighbors on the sandy beaches
are water skiers and they invite our kids to go. Brent, Brooke, and Amy
get right up. They had fun. At sunset,
we hiked the beach. The sun sets in the east here. It comes up in the west;
also, north is south and south is north. Amazing!
Sour dough hotcakes and eggs for breakfast. The
nice neighbors from Idaho Falls invite us to ride over to Hanson Canyon with
them. Lovely. We know where we’ll go next time.
It was great fun to see the scenery going fast. The kids go water skiing with Dr. Brunt and
his group again. Everyone ended up
burned after the boat ride and water skiing.
Brent, Amy, Brooke
Brooke and Brent
Hiking back to the arch, we stop to study the
pollywogs, crawdad and catch frogs.
“When I was a girl,” I told Amy, “we were scared to death of frogs and
lived in fear the boys would put one down our necks.” Amy picks them up and
strokes them. Brent and Brooke figured
the height of the ledge by using a stop-watch and calculator. Shanghai, Pinochle and Rice Krispie squares
until after midnight. Just before going
to bed, we walk out with Brent to see the stars and Milky Way reflected in the
still, smooth lake.
Clean, pack, clean always takes longer than
anticipated. For the first time, I didn’t want to get off the boat and come
home. The colorful scenery, swimming in the crisp lake—so aesthetic, a giant
swimming pool—the dark, clear nights with the stars and milky way reflecting in
the stillness of the lake. We don’t get to see the Milky Way that often. The
gentle rocking of the boat as you sleep.
1989
June 14- 19
DeRay, Jeanette, Brent, Ed, Amy.
Jeanne and two friends, Shelli and
Jennifer, drove down separately.
Jeanne and Brent have returned from
their missions.
Brooke is at Camp Bartlett.
Up at 6 to be gone by 8; we got gone at 10. Not
bad. We took the Tracer to be repaired, stopped at bank, service station; to
Provo by noon. Brent was still in class. We prepared lunch while waiting. Dad
& Ed went to Reams. Finally got gone by 1:30. Stopped in Spanish Fork to
pick up Brent’s contacts, sunglasses, then motorhome started overheating so we
stopped every few miles to add water. We didn’t get to Bullfrog until 10 PM.
Tons of stuff to move from motorhome to boat. We sleep on the boat in the slip.
Per usual, the next morning we bought ice. We left
the slip around 8, driving across the bay to Halls’ Crossing and the sandy
beaches. It is too hot to hike to our favorite haunts. Gourmet meals: Chow Mein
for lunch, baked meatloaf for dinner. Nice swims, nice walks down beach, nice
naps, nice reading. HOT. We got Ed down the gang plank for a walk along the
sandy beach. At dusk, we swam until dark. We forced Ed to join us in a game of
Pit because he had talked about it all day. Then Amy was mad because he got
“corner” every time. A bit cloudy and windy. Lots of water and jet skiers.
Ed & Amy
Brent
Jeanette, Brent, Ed, Amy, DeRay
Amy & Brent
Eddy cooling off
The next morning we left for a hike at 6. It is
quickly too hot, even at this hour. Great swim afterwards. Dad made muffins for
breakfast. We picked up Jeanne, Shelli, and Jennifer at the Marina at 9 AM. We
were late and they were early.
Jennifer, Jeanne, Shelli
Gasin' up.
Brent, Amy, Jennifer, Jeanne, Shelli
We went downstream to Slick Rock Canyon past the
rock—now exposed because the water is low, where we spent the night with
Shirley, Charles, Erika, etc. We found a wonderful spot, secluded with large
“private pool” where no one else comes. We even own the Indian ruins we hiked
to on the way down.
Jeanette
Brent & Amy
DeRay & Jeanette
Brent
Amy & Brent
After dinner, campfire on beach by glistening
water. Songs and stories with
marshmallows.
Up at 6. It’s so beautiful. Fish jumping; majestic
colorful cliffs. Dad working on fridge.
Ed chattering. Amy washing grapes. Brent and Jeanne still asleep.
Jennifer and Shelli? We washed our hair and bathed and got away around 11 – the
end of the canyon was around one corner (we could easily have swam to it),
restored Indian Ruins around another one (we could easily have swam to it) so
we anchored again and Dad, Mom, Brent and Amy hiked up to them. Interesting.
Swam and set sail again for Iceberg Canyon. Toured. Found wonderful spot.
Lunch: Gourmet salad. Ed slept. Amy read. Dad, Mom, and Brent swam up to the
end and hiked up a bit in camp canyon. Brent, Ed and Amy played Pit, swam.
Burgers, watermelon for dinner; campfire. Ed went up and down the gangplank.
Jeanne and friends seemed to have a good giggling time. They are all 23—drink
pop, eat candy, wieners and peanut butter sandwiches on white bread.
Sunday was Father’s Day on the boat. Father fixed
muffins for all; even legal for Mom. Ed,
Amy and Mom swam up to the end. Dad joined us. Brent went swimming before we
pulled up anchor. We ambled upstream to Halls Crossing to empty tanks; fill up
with water. We let the girls off at 3; filled up with gas; drove to sandy beach
and had a nice swim. We pulled back in slip to finish packing and clean.
The next morning we got up at 4 and were on our
way by 5:30. We stopped every 20 miles or so to add water to the radiator.
Provo 1:30, where we spent 5 hours helping Brent pack and clean, drain and load
waterbed and most of his belongings. Home by 8:30.
