Marina Bum
Escalante-Class Member
I ran up to Page on a quick turnaround trip for a few days just to winterize a few boats, pull a towable houseboat and put that boat into storage in town.
The weather was amazing and I looked up a friend who said he’d be there at the marina with a friend of his. They offered to help and man I could have used some but I knew they were there to fish and hang out so I was very hesitant to take them
up on the offer.
I needed to install 4 carbs on each outboard, fire the engines and drive that trailerable over to the Legacy Ramp. I needed a ride one or both ways if I attached my trailer and truck and left them over there. Then I needed to do a solo retrieve on a tiny dock of a 36x10 craft.
As day two got away from me quickly doing my chores winterizing at the yard in town and knowing that I had to leave by early afternoon the next day to be home in time for Thanksgiving I reconsidered my friend’s offer. I checked in with them and the fishing wasn’t the greatest so they were planning on going back to the marina early afternoon.
The afternoon was incredible, warm and dead calm. I decided to see if I could tow the boat over to the docks and just leave the carburetors off, that would save a few hours or more. I do admit I have a hard time asking for help and/or trusting people. This was a fairly big ask for two guys who would need solid boating skills. Could I trust these guys I asked myself, then I laughed.
Bill is a Vietnam Vet who worked his whole life in the petroleum industry as an engineers assistant drilling for oil in Alaska. He loves to boat and fish.
Jeff is a former Military Firefighter who served in Iraq, is an EMT, a Certified EMT Trainer, Retired Civilian Fire Captain and he’s also a Certified Coast Guard Captain who loves Lake Powell. He boats and fishes at least two months a year here. Plus Elkie is his first mate!
I guess that should do it, maybe they could handle it? LOL
What will the lake be like when all the guys I know with these kinds of chops are no longer there?
I sure did appreciate their help!
These pics look a bit blurry but I’m posting them anyway
The walk back down
They drug it over with Jeff towing and Bill in the house boat to cast me a line, it went smooth as silk. I had the trailer backed down and Bill and I walked it onto the trailer. When I pulled out Bill walked the dock dragging the bow to keep it in contact with the trailer so I didn’t even have to get a toe wet. Bill told us afterwards that he’s 83, still fishing the lake and playing tug of war with boats. You’d never know it! I hope I’m still doing in when I’m that age,
It was almost dark, after 6:00 in Utah and I was told that the booth was still open up top. I thought I’d tow out and put the boat away in town and come back to the houseboat later that evening but experience told me “to not too,” that it could turn into a nightmare and take all night. A trailer problem, a yard issue or an overly officious hut person not letting me go without a hassle or not at all could put a damper on my evening. Once I parked at Legacy I jumped back in Jeff’s tow boat and we headed back to my houseboat where we kicked back for a few cold drinks and some good laughs. (Good idea)
The trip back at dusk on the water was beautiful and by then you needed a jacket and a hat but it was beautiful to see the sunset on Navajo Mountain in the background covered with snow. Plus I didn’t have to haul any bags down from the marina parking lots, they were in the boat with me right to my back door.
I woke up at 4:00 am after an amazingly restful night ( I usually sleep well on the lake, IDK why) I poured some coffee down my throat, donned my long johns, a hat, a jacket and a headlamp and started hiking. I left at 5:00 and decided to hike the shoreline to the Legacy Ramp rather than hike out from the marina to the road, over past the campground and beach entrance and then back down to the bottom of State Line and then back Legacy Ramp. I figured it would be three times faster without the altitude but I didn’t know how the shore hike would go,
As I started out walking on the docks all the way from P Dock it was brisk and moist out. I wondered if my long johns, light jacket, hat and boots would be enough. I bet that as I kept walking that it would be. I kept moving quick until I was warm. I hiked the parking lot over to Wahweap ramp and then down to the shore line and then headed North towards Legacy.
It was very dark, the kind of night on the lake where you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face but the stars were incredible. I had to cut back West to East a few times following the shore below the hotel until I passed the tour boat and hit the big swim beach, then it was a straight shot to the Ramp. I definitely needed the headlamp and I had a spare in my pocket, It was easy going but there was an angle to the beach at the water line that wasn’t ideal so I hiked up a bit higher,
As I hiked solo in the dark I realized how happy I was over the last 36 hours and how amazing the lake is at any time. To me there is an unexplainable energy I can feel when I’m there. I’m not really some kind of metaphysical neo-hippie but there just really is something about that place if you are there to receive it. I feel reinvigorated and recharged every time I go there.
Since I have a locals sticker and proof I store my boat locally I did not hike the shore in the dark to avoid the hut occupant, no. My boat had a few muscles and is not going anywhere else or back into Powell until it’s dry and I clean them off. I did not do this to avoid what happened to my buddy the previous week where under similar circumstances he was tagged, sent to Antelope for a “professional Cleaning” costing hundreds of dollars at his expense. Only they were not open for a few days so he had to abandon his boat there and fly his airplane home so he could go to work. He had been informed and threatened that if he was a no show for that decontamination that “they will call law enforcement.” WTH (Sounds like a Racket and a half) But I did not share how to take the shore in just a 45 minute easy hike before the shed was open to encourage anyone else to do the same even though that was the outcome. Nope, not me.
I would never personally be so stupid as to contaminate another lake, my sticker and local lease says so. It would be nice if the folks in the hut took my word for and my locals sticker at face value but I don’t mind, I like solo hiking
The weather was amazing and I looked up a friend who said he’d be there at the marina with a friend of his. They offered to help and man I could have used some but I knew they were there to fish and hang out so I was very hesitant to take them
up on the offer.
I needed to install 4 carbs on each outboard, fire the engines and drive that trailerable over to the Legacy Ramp. I needed a ride one or both ways if I attached my trailer and truck and left them over there. Then I needed to do a solo retrieve on a tiny dock of a 36x10 craft.
As day two got away from me quickly doing my chores winterizing at the yard in town and knowing that I had to leave by early afternoon the next day to be home in time for Thanksgiving I reconsidered my friend’s offer. I checked in with them and the fishing wasn’t the greatest so they were planning on going back to the marina early afternoon.
The afternoon was incredible, warm and dead calm. I decided to see if I could tow the boat over to the docks and just leave the carburetors off, that would save a few hours or more. I do admit I have a hard time asking for help and/or trusting people. This was a fairly big ask for two guys who would need solid boating skills. Could I trust these guys I asked myself, then I laughed.
Bill is a Vietnam Vet who worked his whole life in the petroleum industry as an engineers assistant drilling for oil in Alaska. He loves to boat and fish.
Jeff is a former Military Firefighter who served in Iraq, is an EMT, a Certified EMT Trainer, Retired Civilian Fire Captain and he’s also a Certified Coast Guard Captain who loves Lake Powell. He boats and fishes at least two months a year here. Plus Elkie is his first mate!
I guess that should do it, maybe they could handle it? LOL
What will the lake be like when all the guys I know with these kinds of chops are no longer there?I sure did appreciate their help!
These pics look a bit blurry but I’m posting them anyway
The walk back down
They drug it over with Jeff towing and Bill in the house boat to cast me a line, it went smooth as silk. I had the trailer backed down and Bill and I walked it onto the trailer. When I pulled out Bill walked the dock dragging the bow to keep it in contact with the trailer so I didn’t even have to get a toe wet. Bill told us afterwards that he’s 83, still fishing the lake and playing tug of war with boats. You’d never know it! I hope I’m still doing in when I’m that age,
It was almost dark, after 6:00 in Utah and I was told that the booth was still open up top. I thought I’d tow out and put the boat away in town and come back to the houseboat later that evening but experience told me “to not too,” that it could turn into a nightmare and take all night. A trailer problem, a yard issue or an overly officious hut person not letting me go without a hassle or not at all could put a damper on my evening. Once I parked at Legacy I jumped back in Jeff’s tow boat and we headed back to my houseboat where we kicked back for a few cold drinks and some good laughs. (Good idea)
The trip back at dusk on the water was beautiful and by then you needed a jacket and a hat but it was beautiful to see the sunset on Navajo Mountain in the background covered with snow. Plus I didn’t have to haul any bags down from the marina parking lots, they were in the boat with me right to my back door.
I woke up at 4:00 am after an amazingly restful night ( I usually sleep well on the lake, IDK why) I poured some coffee down my throat, donned my long johns, a hat, a jacket and a headlamp and started hiking. I left at 5:00 and decided to hike the shoreline to the Legacy Ramp rather than hike out from the marina to the road, over past the campground and beach entrance and then back down to the bottom of State Line and then back Legacy Ramp. I figured it would be three times faster without the altitude but I didn’t know how the shore hike would go,
As I started out walking on the docks all the way from P Dock it was brisk and moist out. I wondered if my long johns, light jacket, hat and boots would be enough. I bet that as I kept walking that it would be. I kept moving quick until I was warm. I hiked the parking lot over to Wahweap ramp and then down to the shore line and then headed North towards Legacy.
It was very dark, the kind of night on the lake where you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face but the stars were incredible. I had to cut back West to East a few times following the shore below the hotel until I passed the tour boat and hit the big swim beach, then it was a straight shot to the Ramp. I definitely needed the headlamp and I had a spare in my pocket, It was easy going but there was an angle to the beach at the water line that wasn’t ideal so I hiked up a bit higher,
As I hiked solo in the dark I realized how happy I was over the last 36 hours and how amazing the lake is at any time. To me there is an unexplainable energy I can feel when I’m there. I’m not really some kind of metaphysical neo-hippie but there just really is something about that place if you are there to receive it. I feel reinvigorated and recharged every time I go there.
Since I have a locals sticker and proof I store my boat locally I did not hike the shore in the dark to avoid the hut occupant, no. My boat had a few muscles and is not going anywhere else or back into Powell until it’s dry and I clean them off. I did not do this to avoid what happened to my buddy the previous week where under similar circumstances he was tagged, sent to Antelope for a “professional Cleaning” costing hundreds of dollars at his expense. Only they were not open for a few days so he had to abandon his boat there and fly his airplane home so he could go to work. He had been informed and threatened that if he was a no show for that decontamination that “they will call law enforcement.” WTH (Sounds like a Racket and a half) But I did not share how to take the shore in just a 45 minute easy hike before the shed was open to encourage anyone else to do the same even though that was the outcome. Nope, not me.
I would never personally be so stupid as to contaminate another lake, my sticker and local lease says so. It would be nice if the folks in the hut took my word for and my locals sticker at face value but I don’t mind, I like solo hiking
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