Padre Bay experience

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Agreed that burying trash is just ridiculous. With a little work you can truly reduce the amount of trash you have to manage. We find it's easier to take the 5-10 minutes to do the dishes, than deal with the extra volume of trash created by paper plates and paper cups. We've also set up recycle bins for plastic and cans. With the recycling items separated, the volume of the general trash, the smelly, leaky bags, is minimized.
 
PowellBride said:
Agreed that burying trash is just ridiculous. With a little work you can truly reduce the amount of trash you have to manage. We find it's easier to take the 5-10 minutes to do the dishes, than deal with the extra volume of trash created by paper plates and paper cups. We've also set up recycle bins for plastic and cans. With the recycling items separated, the volume of the general trash, the smelly, leaky bags, is minimized.
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We always used melamine plates, cups, etc., and did dishes. Didn't take long and actually takes up less space than trying to carry a ton of paper goods. Since we always planned our meals ahead of time, pre-prepared as much as we could at home and froze and then BBQd we had little stinky left overs for trash. When we went to the Marina approx 2 x on a trip we took the trash and put it into the dumpsters for trash at the marina. Like you we separated out the plastic water bottles and cans. I can't understand why anyone would think burying garbage is okay at Lake Powell...
 
I beach camp, and still everything in, everything out. I can’t understand how people would think it is ok to bury trash. I bring a burlap coffee sack or three with me, one to wet down and keep on top of my cooler and a few to put the doubled up plastic trash bags in. The burlap prevents tearing and makes the trash easy to bring back, and they are reusable and cheap. No one like to smell garbage on the way home but if you brought it in you need to get rid of it...without burying it.

TR
 
TR. said:
I beach camp, and still everything in, everything out. I can’t understand how people would think it is ok to bury trash. I bring a burlap coffee sack or three with me, one to wet down and keep on top of my cooler and a few to put the doubled up plastic trash bags in. The burlap prevents tearing and makes the trash easy to bring back, and they are reusable and cheap. No one like to smell garbage on the way home but if you brought it in you need to get rid of it...without burying it.

TR
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People think that because landfills bury trash that it is ok to bury their own trash.
 
PowellBride said:
We pack the garbage bags, into the empty coolers on the way out, when we can. Easy to clean up if they leak
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Yes, and cuts down on the smell, though we normally packed our dirty sheets, towels, etc., in the coolers - and then unloaded them in the garage near the washing machine so we could start the laundry going right away. One thing about boat-camping we planned each meal down to the inth degree with a couple of cans of salmon in case of a storm and not being able to BBQ in the rain....we didn't normally have any left over food that leaked, any food we didn't eat [which was usually a shrink-wrapped slice of ham to BBQ, stayed in the freezer/meat cooler til we got home and then we'd dump here in the weekly garbage.
 
I know this thread is over a month old, but I thought I'd provide a short update from a 2nd trip last week camping in Padre Canyon. How's the saying go....crazy is defined as........

I had a 5-day trip with family from Phoenix, and we decided to once again try Padre Canyon due to being far enough away but still close. Our trip started last Thursday after labor day and ended this past Monday.

We were anchored for not more than 10 minutes when a surf boat passed behind us close, but not too close, pulling a tube, but making a fully ballasted wake. I had anchored our 25' runabout bow-out, luckily, but the wake of this boat nearly sank our runabout boat - the waves hit semi-broadside and shook the boat so violently, with the bow dipping down to within a couple of inches of taking water over the bow several times. I sincerely believe a smaller boat would have been sunk.

We considered then and there moving, but to where? Where can you avoid this without heading far uplake? My wife went to talk with the perps and ask them to go wakeless behind our boat as there wasn't room between us and the rocks behind us to travel safely at full wake. My wife said the houseboat owner (assumed) scowled at her, but the surf boat driver said they would go wakeless behind us, and we had no further issues from them through Saturday when they left. (Thank you!!)

After this group left, another group took their same beach, and sure enough within an hour, they were surfing behind us at full wake - the wake was not as large as the earlier boat, but it was still not cool. We waved them down and asked them not to drive behind us at full wake because of the proximity to us and the rocks behind us. They wanted to know 'why' we would ask them this and I explained how big their wake was when it hit our anchored boats. They said OK, and we had no more issues.

I can only surmise that the drivers of these boats don't understand just how large and steep their boat waves are when they are fully ballasted. I did note that in both of these instances, they didn't pull surfers directly behind their own houseboats, slowing down before reaching them for some reason......

Anyway, thank you to the boat captains that we asked to stop making huge wakes directly behind us. Not having to worry about this reduced the stress levels significantly for our group and kept our anchored boats safe.

p.s. - there was a surf and wakeboard group using the channel in front of us that started surfing at 7 a.m. and ended at dark, nearly non-stop for 12 hours a day over the weekend - it was great fun to watch them as these guys were good - if not pros, many of them were close, and because we could watch them from our boat without being rocked by their HUGE wake all day as there was an island between us and them, it was very entertaining. The wakes this boat put out were larger than what my 42' cruiser could produce.
 
Tiff, sorry about your being harassed by RUDE jet Dorks. I have been boating Powell for 38 yrs. now & have learned,
Go North ! many great spots before San Juan & in S.J. Bring xtra gas, lots of rope and you can go about anywhere.
We like to camp on slick rock. Keeps everything much cleaner. Use a hammer drill to anchor eye bolts in the rock. Buy good ones not H.D. Ones. They screw easily and do not leave unsightly scars. You can also tie to large rocks. We have anchored our 28 ‘ pontoon in 55 MPH wind and did not break away. ALWAYS use 2 bolts on each line for security.
Bring xtra trash bags to pack out other peoples trash. At least i can say we have encountered more nice people than rude over the years. The “ Golden Rule “ rules. Many happy trips ahead. We will me boating a lot starting mid oct. thro Nov.
Best time of the year. Enjoy!
 
T.kidd said:
Tiff, sorry about your being harassed by RUDE jet Dorks. I have been boating Powell for 38 yrs. now & have learned,
Go North ! many great spots before San Juan & in S.J. Bring xtra gas, lots of rope and you can go about anywhere.
We like to camp on slick rock. Keeps everything much cleaner. Use a hammer drill to anchor eye bolts in the rock. Buy good ones not H.D. Ones. They screw easily and do not leave unsightly scars. You can also tie to large rocks. We have anchored our 28 ‘ pontoon in 55 MPH wind and did not break away. ALWAYS use 2 bolts on each line for security.
Bring xtra trash bags to pack out other peoples trash. At least i can say we have encountered more nice people than rude over the years. The “ Golden Rule “ rules. Many happy trips ahead. We will me boating a lot starting mid oct. thro Nov.
Best time of the year. Enjoy!
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Oh boy, here we go.😬
 
I considered selling my boat after run-ins with jerks. 20 years as a police officer, and they follow me! Aside: we spent Thanksgiving on the lake last year. Peace and tranquility! See you this weekend!?
 
People in General are wound too tight in this world today. I ask "Why would you select Padre Bay" when you have a ton of beach just down from there.
 
airford1 said:
People in General are wound too tight in this world today. I ask "Why would you select Padre Bay" when you have a ton of beach just down from there.
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I don't know if you were asking your question of me, Tiff, or someone else, but here is my answer:

1. Padre Bay has an abundant number of steep sand beaches (i.e. going from shoreline to +7 ft deep quickly) which is a requirement for anchoring my large cruiser. Luckily, this is not the type of beach that most houseboats look for and its definitely not a requirement for them.
2. The sandy beach options offer long stretches of beach that can accommodate several boats/houseboats being next to one another - great if you are anchoring with several families, which we do a lot in the summer.
3. Many of the beaches offer protection from wind/storms
4. The distance from the marina is under 2 hours cruising slowly, or about 30 minutes via runabout - nice for picking up/dropping off visitors mid-trip (which I try to avoid, but can't always do)

Contrary to your statement, for my boat's anchoring needs anyway, there are not a "ton of beaches" that work for us, especially not further up lake. In an early July trip this year, over two days, my wife and I and two dogs explored the entire shoreline on both sides of the lake in our dinghy from Dungeon Canyon to Forbidding Canyon (Rainbow Bridge canyon) going in and out of every nook, cranny, and canyon. (It was a lot of fun!!) We found exactly 3 beaches that could safely accommodate our anchoring requirements over this entire stretch of lake (and noted them for potential future use at the relevent water level).

We do love to go WAY further up lake when we can - i.e. San Juan arm, Escalante, Oak, etc., but when we must stay closer to the marina, you can't beat Padre Bay or Gunsight beaches (Warm Creek has good anchoring options for us also, just missing the red rock that we love).

And BTW, from now through May, we can (and do) stay in Padre Bay with little concern for the oblivion's who tend to ruin the Lake Powell experience for many all summer.

The below photo was taken late afternoon December 28, 2017 with us anchored right in the channel in Padre Bay (where we would NEVER consider anchoring at any other time of the year) - not a single boat had gone by for over 24 hours when this photo was taken.IMG_20171228_1238381.jpg
 
Padre Bay = first large bay for Wake Boarders to dock and play. I'm just saying I would of expected the experience you got. That's todays world. It's all about ME.
 
We have been on the lake for the past 30 years and have seen an significant increase lately in a lack of safe boater knowledge and courtesy. I wish the guvment would require mandatory coast guard classes to obtain a “boaters license” similar to a drivers license for all who register or operate a boat and a stiff penalty for those without. Similar to the fire extinguisher and insurance card fines. Many boaters act like they are driving in a Wmart parking lot with 6K lb cars without brakes and that their stupidity or ignorance does not affect you or your safety.
A radio call to the Park Service has summoned a ranger to patrol the bays occasionally and almost always results in a ticket for stupidity for someone.
I threaten to carry a flare gun on board but am afraid I would be accused of shooting fireworks over some vessels bow.
For now we just try to go where others are few in numbers. Try being overly courteous to others and you will blow their mind.
The Big Canoe “out”
 
thebigcanoe said:
We have been on the lake for the past 30 years and have seen an significant increase lately in a lack of safe boater knowledge and courtesy. I wish the guvment would require mandatory coast guard classes to obtain a “boaters license” similar to a drivers license for all who register or operate a boat and a stiff penalty for those without. Similar to the fire extinguisher and insurance card fines. Many boaters act like they are driving in a Wmart parking lot with 6K lb cars without brakes and that their stupidity or ignorance does not affect you or your safety.
A radio call to the Park Service has summoned a ranger to patrol the bays occasionally and almost always results in a ticket for stupidity for someone.
I threaten to carry a flare gun on board but am afraid I would be accused of shooting fireworks over some vessels bow.
For now we just try to go where others are few in numbers. Try being overly courteous to others and you will blow their mind.
The Big Canoe “out”
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Try being overly courteous to others and you will blow their mind. I love that sentence. We do the same and it does blow people away. Lots of "thank you" yelled to us over the years.
 
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