Hermine Tippel
Active Member
July 20, 2023
My RV is ready and loaded. I am the advance party for our annual Houseboating Family vacation. Off I go, arrive safely at Dry Storage where happily my houseboat and pontoon boat are set out and ready for moving supplies for our stay in. It is hot! 102, even in the cabin. I take it easy and move "stuff" in little by little.
By around 2pm I head down in my RV to Hobie Cat Beach for some relaxation and cooling swims. It is delightfull. I find a great spot near the water driving over some soft sandy spots. This worries me a bit about my return but, I have done this many times, no problem getting back out!!!
I relax and enjoy beautiful Lake Powell. Well it is time to go back for some more unloading etc. I break camp, hop in my RV and take off.
AND, promptly get stuck in soft sand. I try to get out but only go down deeper in the sand. Nervousness creeps in. I decide to call the Bullfrog Marine office for help. Unfortunately Captain Titus tells me they are not equipped to help my out but gives me a phone number of a service located in Hanksville. I contact them immediately but am told their truck broke down and it would be a day or so before they could help me out. Oh boy. I call NPS, no response. I call NPS Emergency number: no response.
I see a truck approaching and reluctantly flag them down and ask for help. No-one has a towrope but this lovely couple from North Utah (didn't get their names) tries to pull me out using luggage straps. It doesn't work. Straps are too weak and break. I thank them profusely and they clearly are very disappointed they couldn't help me.
Well I am stuck. I always thought how nice it would be to just stay in my RV for an overnight on Hobie Cat Beach. Now is my chance. Need to stay overnight.
I spend a lovely evening. Have a nice dinner with a glass of wine or several (totally warranted to calm my nerves) and hope to get help the next day. I get up fairly early and after a quick breakfast get on the phone to try to get help. Call NPS, no response. Call NPS emergency, no response. Call Captain Titus, he can't help either. Now I am worried. I sit in my RV and think of what to do and am a bit lost. Suddenly I hear a truck drive up and hear a cheerful voice saying: "Hello?". I quickly climb out and see this nice young man approaching me and he says: " Hi, I hear you need some help? I am Cory, just a local yokeI, am here to help!" I am shocked and stutter "how did you find out about my situation?" He cheerfully says: " My friend Don (or Dan) at the Bullfrog marine Office told me about your problem". OMIGOD am I relieved. He quickly pulls a state of the art tow rope out of his truck, ties it to the back of my RV, tells me to start the motor, put gear in reverse and he would pull. In no time I am out of the soft sand. He tells me he would guide me out and follow me and if I get stuck again, he would just pull me out again. I like that kind of service. I manage fine and am up and on safe dirt road in no time. I stop, quickly grab all the cash I have on hand, flag him down and hand him the money. He dosen't want to take it!!!!!!!!!!. I insist and he says: are you sure? Of course I am sure. I mean, this help is worth more than the 30 Dollars cash I had on me. He finally takes it and with a a smile and good luck he takes off and I am out of trouble.
Thank you Cory. Thank you Captain Titus and coworker Dan.
NPS? I finally"heard" from them: I found a sticker on my RV door, that it is prohibited to overnight on Hobie Cat Beach. They gave me a "warning" not a fine. Now aren't they sweet.
Again, a true act of kindness.
This was my 70th trip to Lake Powell. Working on more to come. See you there!
Hermine Tippel
Oma's Haven
My RV is ready and loaded. I am the advance party for our annual Houseboating Family vacation. Off I go, arrive safely at Dry Storage where happily my houseboat and pontoon boat are set out and ready for moving supplies for our stay in. It is hot! 102, even in the cabin. I take it easy and move "stuff" in little by little.
By around 2pm I head down in my RV to Hobie Cat Beach for some relaxation and cooling swims. It is delightfull. I find a great spot near the water driving over some soft sandy spots. This worries me a bit about my return but, I have done this many times, no problem getting back out!!!
I relax and enjoy beautiful Lake Powell. Well it is time to go back for some more unloading etc. I break camp, hop in my RV and take off.
AND, promptly get stuck in soft sand. I try to get out but only go down deeper in the sand. Nervousness creeps in. I decide to call the Bullfrog Marine office for help. Unfortunately Captain Titus tells me they are not equipped to help my out but gives me a phone number of a service located in Hanksville. I contact them immediately but am told their truck broke down and it would be a day or so before they could help me out. Oh boy. I call NPS, no response. I call NPS Emergency number: no response.
I see a truck approaching and reluctantly flag them down and ask for help. No-one has a towrope but this lovely couple from North Utah (didn't get their names) tries to pull me out using luggage straps. It doesn't work. Straps are too weak and break. I thank them profusely and they clearly are very disappointed they couldn't help me.
Well I am stuck. I always thought how nice it would be to just stay in my RV for an overnight on Hobie Cat Beach. Now is my chance. Need to stay overnight.
I spend a lovely evening. Have a nice dinner with a glass of wine or several (totally warranted to calm my nerves) and hope to get help the next day. I get up fairly early and after a quick breakfast get on the phone to try to get help. Call NPS, no response. Call NPS emergency, no response. Call Captain Titus, he can't help either. Now I am worried. I sit in my RV and think of what to do and am a bit lost. Suddenly I hear a truck drive up and hear a cheerful voice saying: "Hello?". I quickly climb out and see this nice young man approaching me and he says: " Hi, I hear you need some help? I am Cory, just a local yokeI, am here to help!" I am shocked and stutter "how did you find out about my situation?" He cheerfully says: " My friend Don (or Dan) at the Bullfrog marine Office told me about your problem". OMIGOD am I relieved. He quickly pulls a state of the art tow rope out of his truck, ties it to the back of my RV, tells me to start the motor, put gear in reverse and he would pull. In no time I am out of the soft sand. He tells me he would guide me out and follow me and if I get stuck again, he would just pull me out again. I like that kind of service. I manage fine and am up and on safe dirt road in no time. I stop, quickly grab all the cash I have on hand, flag him down and hand him the money. He dosen't want to take it!!!!!!!!!!. I insist and he says: are you sure? Of course I am sure. I mean, this help is worth more than the 30 Dollars cash I had on me. He finally takes it and with a a smile and good luck he takes off and I am out of trouble.
Thank you Cory. Thank you Captain Titus and coworker Dan.
NPS? I finally"heard" from them: I found a sticker on my RV door, that it is prohibited to overnight on Hobie Cat Beach. They gave me a "warning" not a fine. Now aren't they sweet.
Again, a true act of kindness.
This was my 70th trip to Lake Powell. Working on more to come. See you there!
Hermine Tippel
Oma's Haven
