Around Page, Arizona on the Utah Border

Lone Rock Beach and Dispersed Camping

Page is one of our favourite places in the southwest. The Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell are all here, as well as the now infamous tourist attractions Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend which draw tourists from all over the world (that it's only a few hours from the Grand Canyon is a bonus). We came here for our first time in 2008 - pre-retirement, pre-trailer. We keep coming back. We usually camp on Lone Rock Beach (got stuck here in 2013 with our son), and for the first 2 days of this year's trip, we set up home on the shores of Lake Powell again. But then we find a hidden, secret gem. Just across the highway and about 1 mile up a dirt road under the formation known as Wild Cat Tank, we find free camping. So for the first 2 months of our trip, we pay for camping for only 2 nights, and that only cost $24. We only expect to stay near Page for 2-3 days to replenish our supplies, but we find so darn much to do that we stay 2 weeks.

Stud Horse Point

The rock cliffs where we camp are called Stud Horse Point. I don't know why. These hoodoos or "toadstools" adorn part of the rim, and we spend hours hiking around them and down the rock ledges to Wild Cat Tank.

It always amazes me how these layers form. The ones that Brad is inspecting look like a painter's brush strokes swept off the canvas.

White Pocket

White Pocket in the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument is another area we loved the first time we visited in 2013, but that day was uber-windy, so we planned to return, and that day is here.

The crazy swirling, undulating, cross-bedded shapes and colours are what draws us to this place. It's a long, sandy drive out here and last time we rented a jeep, but this year we make the drive in our own truck with the tires deflated to 25-30 PSI to give us better traction (the tires are usually at 80 PSI when we're pulling the trailer). None of the roads present a problem for us, but we always hear stories of folks getting stuck in the deep sand.

The caprock (the rock on the top) is white, giving White Pocket its name. Those white rocks remind me of pillows because of the way they are cut into rectangles and rounded on the edges. The low, eroded basins hold water when there is rain, and there's quite a bit this fall.

To many of you, it's just another picture of rocks. To me it's my favourite dessert with whipped cream, pecans and fudge on top.

A waterfall of colour. Here you can see the "pillow effect" nicely.

Wiregrass Canyon and Crosby Canyon

A sign on the way to the western shores of Lake Powell remind us there are no lifeguards here. Such a strange sign to see in this dry landscape. The lake is still many miles away.

Great camouflage Jack! We scare this jackrabbit out from under a bush, but then he freezes. We talk to him and take pictures and even move around him, but he stays still for a long time. Then he hops towards us! Weird. Hope he isn't a rabid rabbit.

More local wildlife. This is a Common Buckeye. Those spots really confuse predators. Beautiful, isn't it?

One of 2 natural bridges that have formed inside Wiregrass Canyon. Streams on both sides of the rock wall pounded at a central spot until cracks in the wall cause the rock to break free, forming a hole.

Wiregrass Canyon is a hiking trail, but we are able to drive down Crosby Canyon to Lake Powell where there are several dispersed campsites along the water's edge. Not a place we could bring our trailer, but great for car camping.

Kelly Grade and Burning Hills

Can you see the road that climbs this mesa? Me neither! Even as we are driving the Kelly Grade, part of Smoky Mountain Road that runs some 80 miles between Big Water and Escalante, we can't for the life of us figure out where Mr. Kelly built this road with his beloved grader. But it's there - heads off to the right for a bit then cuts back to the left climbing this 1,500 foot high cliff; it then winds around the back and up on top of the mesa. It's so steep in some sections that our wheels spin (not in 4WD), and it's long, several miles from bottom to top. But the view of Lake Powell and the surrounding benches is beautiful.

Just a few miles after reaching the top of Kelly Grade, we find these burning coal seams - these are called the "Burning Hills". Apparently, this area is rife with coal (would never have suspected that), but somehow a few spots in this area have lit, and the coal is smoldering underground.

The seams aren't very long nor are they deep, and the stench is so bad I cannot stand upwind of them. But to Brad they smell like money because it smells just like where he used to work - coal is used in steel-making and it's the sulphur and tar odours that are released when burning. Yuck!

Alstrom Point

Alstrom Point is about a one hour drive from Big Water, Utah on pretty good dirt roads, and Glen Canyon NRA signs point the way. The views of Lake Powell, Navajo Mountain and the surrounding red rock formations are spectacular.

Sunset from Alstrom Point.

Horseshoe Bend and Other Scenic Spots in Town

Page is a great town because there are so many scenic spots right IN TOWN. Here is the Glen Canyon Dam as seen from Scenic View Drive behind Denny's Restaurant. There is also the Rim Trail which circumnavigates Page supplying views of Lake Powell, Glen Canyon and the surrounding red rock desert.

Brad hanging over the Colorado River and Glen Canyon at Horseshoe Bend. When we first came here in October 2008, there were only a few other tourists. Now, there are at least one hundred - the parking lot is almost full. Page advertises as far away as Asia, and it's paying off - for them. We prefer hidden, unknown gems, but Horseshoe Bend is beautiful in its symmetry and well worth the visit.

Glen Canyon West Rim

Page is on the east side of the Colorado River and Glen Canyon. On the west side are hydro towers and power lines, dirt roads and open air. We spend a day hiking along the west rim opposite town. The walls are 700 feet high. The Colorado River is emerald green and a constant 48F. Tourists take raft trips down and back up the river, even this late in the season.

A local guy who walks his dogs near our trailer every morning tells us about the Cable Trail. We stumble across this trail during our hike along the rim towards the dam. Long abandoned by the Glen Canyon NRA, the cables that used to run through the top of these metal poles are gone, but we can still follow the poles.

Brad drops down the 8-foot crevice using the supplied rope, and walks along the fin to the end, where another 8-foot drop is but this one without a rope. We did not bring our own rope today, so this is as far as we go and we hike back up. We'll come prepared to do this trail from top to bottom next time.

Bucktank Draw and Birthday Arch

A lesser traveled trail about 20 miles north of Page, Bucktank Draw leads to Birthday Arch and a couple of short slot canyons. Brad manages to climb around and get on top of the arch.

Me goofing off in one of the slots.

Brad pretending he can climb vertical walls, and he gets pretty far.

Lake Powell, AZ and UT

Because Brad and I want to make this trip a memorable experience for Brandon, we rent a boat to explore the canyons in Lake Powell, and we rent a jeep to go to White Pocket which is on a very sandy 4x4 road.  The first part of the experience is to camp on Lone Rock Beach along the shores of beautiful Lake Powell.  We were here last year and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The water is clear and blue; we have campfires on the beach; it's great.

Lake Powell is much lower this year than last, so we head to an area further down the sandy access road where we can camp closer to the water.  Let's remember, our trailer weighs about 14,000 pounds (sorry - I'm not converting that to metric, but it's a lot).  Our truck has amazing pulling power with it's 6.7 litre diesel engine, but we get stuck in deep sand anyway - because our tires are pumped up to 80 psi which is as tight as a drum!  In soft sand, tires are best around 10-15 psi.  Anyway, Brad does about two tries of backing up a bit and taking another run at it, and presto like magic there's a guy with a jeep beside us ready to pull us out.  And he does!  Now we owe him beer!

But wait, the fun doesn't stop there.  When we rent the boat, we get about 40 minutes from the marina when we beach on a sand dune in Navajo Canyon, only to start sinking!  The boat takes on so much water that the bilge pump can barely keep up.  Brad is sure that the plug isn't in, but he can't find the hole.  He takes a ride back with a group on a rented houseboat to call the guy we rented the boat from so he can arrange a rescue.  Only 15 minutes after Brad leaves, our boat rentor comes speeding by in another boat, sees us on the sand dune and rips up to us.  He had realized within 10 minutes after launching us that he forgot to put the plug back in the boat after he last used it and came to rescue us, with images in his head of us drowning in the middle of one of the VERY DEEP canyons.  He was very grateful we are all safe and I'm grateful that I told him which canyons we planned to explore.  He has to tow us back to the marina, where we meet Brad who is full of "cheer" having spent the hour's trip on the houseboat partying with the group of engineers who rented it.  Brandon and I are a little less happy.

We rent the jeep from the same guy who rented us the boat - perhaps a mistake.  But I insightfully ask Scott and Patty - our new bff's with the jeep who pulled us out when our trailer got stuck - to join us.  We are unfamiliar with the roads to White Pocket which come with all kinds of warnings about soft sand and preparing for a several day stay in case you get stuck because rescue won't be coming quickly, and Scott is an expert 4-wheeler.  We are disappointed that our rental jeep is a Jeep Cherokee, but no matter.  After bumping along Houserock Valley Road for a while, Scott stops us and "airs down" our tires to about 15 psi.  After that, the journey is much more smooth, and the deep sandy spots are no problem at all.  We make it there and back quite safely, EXCEPT that when we stop to take a photo on the way back, our jeep keeps stalling when Brad restarts it.  It takes about 20 or 30 tries for it to keep running, after which we book it back to Page, Arizona where we picked it up.  Adios boat and jeep!

But wait, there's more.  After we drop the jeep off and have dinner in town, we get back to our beautiful camping spot on the beach and there's a wind/sand storm blowing!  The sand is drifting around our trailer.  Scott and Patty have already moved their RV off the beach into the parking lot, as well as pulled someone else out of the sand.  Most RVs have moved up the beach where the sand is hard packed.  Scott and Patty are leaving tomorrow mornings, and we don't want to be stuck out on the beach with no help, so we do the same after we air down the tires in the truck, since Scott has a big compressor and can put the 80 psi back in when we're done.  We manage to get our trailer off the soft sand without any surprises, except that the truck and trailer are now full of fine sand which gets through every crack and blows in every time the doors are opened.  Well, who's cleaning that up?  Oh - me!

As for Brandon, he thinks this is all great fun, especially getting stuck in the sand - well, getting unstuck.  He and Brad also use the truck to pull someone else out of the soft sand, which Brandon thinks is awesome.  Boys!

So I think we created the "memorable experience" we were going for here.  Brandon sure won't forget these last few days.

	Scott in his jeep towing our truck AND trailer through the soft sand on Lone Rock Beach.
	Brandon and Marilyn standing on the edge about 1,100 feet above the Colorado River at Horseshoe Bend, just south of Page, Arizona.
	Being towed back to the marina through Navajo Canyon on Lake Powell.
	Brad and Brandon at White Pocket, a strange rock formation with incredible colours.
	All three of us at White Pocket. This is a truly fabulous spot, but it is so windy this day, it's hard to enjoy.
	Colourful piles of clay and dirt that have formed in the Vermillion Cliffs, Arizona.

Beach Camping, Utah/Arizona

(First, I must admit to being lazy.  I should have written this blog almost a week ago when it all happened.  Anyway, better late than never...)

Camped at Lone Rock Beach, Lake Powell

Our next stop is Page, Arizona, only a few miles from the Utah border and about one hour from Kanab (our previous stay).  We camp right on the shores of Lake Powell just 7 miles northwest of Page inside the Utah border.  It has been 4 years since we were last in Page, and at that time we never made it to the lake (we also didn't have the trailer then), so this time it's a must.  We are the only ones camping here besides the campground host (this is an official primitive [no services] campground of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and a small nightly fee is charged), but we have the entire beach to ourselves.  Last time we were in this area, we visited Antelope Canyon, a brilliant slot canyon with hues of orange, yellow, purple and white depending on the light rays penetrating into the canyon, and Horseshoe Bend overlooking the Colorado River some 2,000 feet below cliffs that would excite the Wallendas - and Brad who sat on the edge of the abyss... we will forego these sites on this trip.  We pass most days here this year chilling out on our beach chairs.  It's just too peaceful here to go anywhere, and with views of the Vermilion Cliffs, the deep blue lake and Navajo Mountain in the distance, what more could we want?  Lone Rock sits several hundred yards out front of us.  We can see how low the water level is (about 87 feet below "full pool" or 54% full) by the bleaching on the bottom of the rock walls all around the lake.  Many marinas are closed because they are unusable.  Wahweap Marina, a few miles east of us, is still open and full of beautiful boats.

Campfire on the beach, Lake Powell

Wahweap Marina, Lake Powell

Grady and Marilyn walking on the beach at Lake Powell

 We expect Grady will love going for walks here because of the sand and wide open spaces, but the opposite proves true.  The sand is wet and hard in most places because of the cold, damp nights, so he doesn't roll around in it much like he did the soft, red sands of the dry creek beds in Utah.  He also seems afraid of the lake, which he won't go near.  He's very interested in the coots swimming there, but only as a cat watching birds.  And the ravens - these really frighten poor Grady because they start to attack him from the air.  They swoop at him, looking like they will pick him up in their talons.  I have to hover over the poor kitty to keep him safe.  I didn't think these scavenger birds actually hunt, but I guess they will - or perhaps they are trying to scare him away from their territory.  But Grady's last straw is the Russian Thistle (tumbleweed) bushes that forest a soft sandy area between the NRA road and the lake.  This plant, found throughout the desert regions of the southwest, are vicious, at least this time of year when they are dried up and consisting of only tiny pea-size spheres coated with tiny thorns that stick to everything including the rubber soles of our shoes.  And they hurt.  So here's the story...

Carrying Grady in my sweater (thistles in background)

It's our first day at Lone Rock Beach and we take Grady out for a walk.  At first, he's content walking about 20 feet from the shore, eyeing the water but not getting too close.  Or maybe he's interested in the single female mallard who is swimming beside me, quacking at me as I walk on the beach.  We head away from the water and suddenly the ravens (there are about a dozen flying around or sitting on the sand) start to circle Grady.  A few swoop at him and the cat seems to become frightened.  Maybe he realizes that he is out in the open with nowhere to hide - whatever the reason, Grady heads for an area where the Russian Thistle is growing in abundance, like a miniature forest.  We let him wander around the bushes (thankfully the prickles don't stick to his fur), but now to get him back to the trailer, across the open sand with ravens circling overhead.  I start to lead him back (it's maybe a 1/4 mile) and he starts to follow as he usually does, but then he takes a 90 degree turn and heads down the beach.  I follow him, trying to catch him - impossible.  He keeps a few steps ahead of me recognizing the game.  Determined to get him home, I throw my sweater over him and pounce on him, wrap him up and try to carry him back.  Now, Grady is not a cat who likes to be carried - ever!  He squirms so violently with all claws reaching in all directions, and he eventually knicks my wrist.  I put him down and scruff him.  "Let him follow you back," Brad says.  I believe this to be a mistake, but I let him out of my sweater and try to lead him back to the trailer.  Grady turns and walks back to the Russian Thistle plants.  Brad follows him while I go back to the trailer to get his carrier.  When I return, Brad announces that he lost Grady somewhere in the thistle bushes.  These bushes are about 3 feet in diameter and dense!  It turns out that Brad started to chase him, trying to get in front of Grady to turn him back around to the trailer, and Grady proceeded to jump into the middle of a thistle bush!  As Brad was figuring out how to get Grady out of the bush, Grady ran through it and disappeared on the other side!  Now I have a lost cat.  But after about 10 minutes of searching (and calling), I see a little gray face peering out from under a bush.  As I get closer, he meows at me.  Whew!  I open the carrier, put it down in front of him and he scoots right inside.  Mission accomplished!  Back at the trailer, I release the thistle-jumper and - he's perfectly fine.  Not a scratch!  There are one or two thorns (not the full thistle ball) embedded into his fur, but not his skin, so I pull them out.  Grady is very spooked and hides for about an hour, but is fine after that.  Except, he doesn't want to go back outside.  Maybe that's a good thing!

Glen Canyon Dam

The only activity we muster the energy to do is to take a tour of the Glen Canyon Dam.  The only other couple on the tour is from Ottawa - what a small world!  Our wonderful tour guide explains the building of the dam and bridge which was completed in 1963, tells us about the water levels of the reservoir (Lake Powell), how much water must be released for downstream consumption (the Colorado River supplies water for agriculture, power, municipal use and recreation to Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, as well as Mexico), and answers every question skillfully.  This dam is only 16 feet shorter than the Hoover Dam on Lake Mead (downstream).  The town of Page was built originally to house the dam workers and today is home to over 8,000.  All of the land surrounding the town is either federal (the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area which feeds into the Grand Canyon National Park about 15 miles south) or Navajo Nation Reserve.  It is beautiful country, and the Colorado River and Lake Powell only enhance this stark, arid landscape.