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Needed to see the photo galleries.

Fisrt day on the Lake Powell  (1/5)

Journey map

J19 - Tuesday, May 29 (continued)

At 11:50 am, after our shopping for the next 5 days, we are at Wahweap Marina to determine which launch ramp we will choose (our rental must include it in the contract, not very well understood the utility but ...). I also want to look their way to put the boat into and out of the water; it actually differs a little habit of mine, probably because we're in freshwater.
We finally choose Stateline Launch Ramp which seems less crowded than Wahweap Lauch Ramp.
We return to the Big Water VC only for lunch quietly in the shade arbors and at 2:10 pm, we arrive at our boat rental. We finish papers, takeover of the boat and trailer for launching, put our luggage in the boat and head for the lake.
We put the boat in water without problem around 4 pm and we moor it at the dock. Isabelle stays alone while I go back to Big Water to return vehicle and trailer. I return to the lake with our car. I am back to 4:50 pm and we immediately "set sail" . The navigation program was established according to our desires, I think it's obvious, but also with the help of a member of VF, Jjacques01, I thank for his knowledge and his patience with my questions.
Our boat is a rather old 24' (1996), 1300 kg empty, a V8 engine of 7.4 liters, 330 horsepower and a 75 gallon tank; when accelerating, it "pushes" good but consumption should not be bad either . We can sleep inside the cabin, but it's low ceiling. A chemical toilet (mandatory if we spend the night on the lake) completes the equipment; I forgot, a cigarette lighter socket allows us to connect our cooler during navigation. The presence of this socket and its proper functioning has generated an exchange of email with the landlord as it was essential for us.
As the lake level is sufficient, we can cut through Castle Rock instead to go around Antelope Island. We have 3 different maps of the lake, the beginning is a bit tricky and we struggled to find our way, especially as the boat did not even compass (unbelievable). We quickly take our hike compass and follow buoys on our maps with a bit of trouble anyway because maps aren't identical and all buoys are not shown. Finally, with accumulated experience , we join the main channel, cruise along The Sand Hills and finally arrive at Labyrinth Bay where I planned to spend our first night on the lake.

Note: For those who are not aware, the markup is inverted with respect to ours in France; attention.

We explore the area to enjoy the scenery while seeking a convenient location for "beaching". Navigation is slow when we see a beautiful piece of rock outcropping on the surface and not reported on the map  ; I lift up therefore the propeller as high as possible and we continue our way. Suddenly, without having seen absolutely anything, our boat is "perched" on another rock, almost in the middle of the narrow channel; our journey on the lake begins with a bad start .
We take our first dip in the lake to try to refloat and luckily we sailed in ultra-slow motion, propeller raised; more fear than pain and we find a place to spend the night at 6:45 pm. We drop our two anchors and, after cocktails and dinner, we go sleeping at 8:50 pm, rocked by wavelets .

J20 - Wednesday, May 30

Wake up at 5:40am, breakfast at 7:15 and departure (although in Utah, we kept Arizona time because we must pop by Page again and it's not very complicated to add an hour ).
We go steering along the channel buoys, sometimes with few navigational challenges, especially on near Gregory Butte. Obviously, we aren't alone; a houseboat that follows us has the same hesitation than us, even sending a scooter in exploration.
The 2 GPS we have are useless, the Tomtom is clueless (this, I suspected) and Colorado 400 (outdoor handheld GPS) is not expected to go so fast. So, we move only with our maps and compass. At one point, we miss a buoy and make a foray into Wetherhill Canyon, but quickly resume the right direction. What a pleasure to navigate between these sandstone cliffs, we don't regret at all the investment (not insignificant) that represent these 5 days.
We arrive at Dangling Rope at 9:17am to refuel; it's the only resort on the lake except the three marinas and it's strongly advised o stop there. But the price per gallon is a little higher ($ 5.42) than on the "mainland". We take 22 gallons or about $ 120. On way back, we'll "discover" that we have certainly not filled the tank, but stopped at the first block of the pump .

We leave at 9:35, and after a short stop at Eye Arch, near buoy 52, we arrive at 10:28 am at Reflection Canyon. We therefore took almost 3 hours of sailing from Labyrinth Bay, but we were on "low speed" cruise and we made quite a few photo stops (FYI, we are a little north of Rainbow Bridge, nearly opposite the mouth of the San Juan River).
I found the photo of Michael Melford on Reflection Canyon in 2008 and, since then, this place had become a mythical goal, even though I know that conditions (including water level) are no longer the same. We only make a brief stop as we'll return here on our way back.
Foray into Llewellyn Gulch then we get to Hole in the Rock at 12:15 pm.
Know the history is good, and we can imagine the Mormon pioneers going down the steep slope, retaining their wagons with all their strengths. At least, we believe we can imagine, but when we see the slope (without the submerged part), I cried "tearaway"! You have to see it to believe it, and even now, I remain flabbergasted, it is simply unimaginable.
We find a little shade close by and do the lunch break. What a sight to see these cliffs plunge vertically into the water, the surface barely rippled by the few boats that pass away.

We leave at 1:49 pm and, barely a curve further, we enter in Escalante River, the most northern point of our navigation on the Colorado River. The canyons follow one after the other; first of all, Indian Creek as an appetizer, just left of the entrance, then Clear Creek with, at its end, Cathedral in the Desert and finally Davis Gulch with La Gorce Arch.
Impossible to describe in a few words our feelings but our eyes shine, sparkle. What happiness!
After leaving Davis Gulch, our attention is drawn by a plastic bottle that seems motionless, instead of drifting to leeward; slow approach, and indeed it's a "handmade" buoy indicating a huuuuge rocky plateau just immersed. I imagine the damage in case of impact.
We quickly move at Three Roof Ruin, the site is now banned, and continue to Garces Island, at the mouth of Explorer Canyon; we will not go further up Escalante River. Rapid incursion in the latter where we go hiking at dawn tomorrow, then back to the island where we anchor near a houseboat ; a few scooters roam around. Bath, aperitif, dinner and sleep after a day rich in wonders.