Marina Bum
Escalante-Class Member
Terms and definitions were always my friend when I was a student or have had to take exams of any kind in my professional life. I was given the advice by a good teacher that just really understanding the lingo would help you score a few extra points and since I was never the smartest guy in the room that advice has served me well. (study the terms and definitions)
It occurred to me that Lake Powell lingo has a strange sound to it all its own like every other pursuit or interest. When you have a beach capable boat in a slip on Powell and you leave the slip to beach camp most everyone calls that "Going Out." Sometimes others will call it "Taking Your Boat Out" or us Southies call it "Going Up Lake" that is as long as you get past Antelope Point anyway.
This year I started with 6 opportunities and plans to get "Out and Up Lake"
with my kids before school starts again. For me my planning is always more ambitious in the winter and somehow sometimes things get in the way by summer. I want to "Go Out and Up Lake"" every time we hit the marina but sometimes things conspire like someone in the family is ill or someone can't be there on day one but they could arrive day three while someone else in the group needs to leave by day four etc. I've heard that described as having a lot of "Comers and Goers."
I was thwarted from "Going Out and Up Lake" on my first week and was kept Marina Bound due to a tricky mechanical issue with a distributor so I spent Memorial Day Week fixing a boat engine. (I had to pull the distributor, take it apart and change the pick up coil and the control module) That and my kids were exhausted from finals and my wife from a crazy work week. We made the best of it, spent time together, ate well, slept, watched movies and took the runabout up lake to hike West Canyon so not a total loss.
This Thursday starts my second week and here again unexpected things are happening. One of my daughters close lake friends whom she met at the Marina is going to be around with her grandparents. The girls are from different states and the grandparents schedules and ours don't mesh for arrivals and departures. So I may let the friend join us to beach in Wahweap Bay just to get "Out."
As unambitious as I sometimes feel beaching in the very familiar Wahweap Bay I do still enjoy "Going Out." Driving a Houseboat up lake for hours without the "Cut" only adds to the work load. No, it's not as adventurous as a week long "Up Lake" trip but personally I really don't feel like I'm on "The Lake" until I'm on a beach. As much as the Bum likes the Marina I feel more like I'm in a trailer park next to "The Lake" when I'm tied off there these days.
For me I've reconciled that as a family with kids and a couple that is not yet retired that spending six weeks Out and Up Lake is a rather ambitious goal for my group. I've decided that beaching near by still counts as being out and that experiencing two to three trips up lake a year will have to suffice for now.
I understand that someone has to drive the process and set the goals but there is a fine line between having fun and forcing people to your will to have fun. The old meme "The beatings will continue until moral improves" should not apply. Going with the flow instead but still wish I was "Out, Taking the Boat Up Lake"
It occurred to me that Lake Powell lingo has a strange sound to it all its own like every other pursuit or interest. When you have a beach capable boat in a slip on Powell and you leave the slip to beach camp most everyone calls that "Going Out." Sometimes others will call it "Taking Your Boat Out" or us Southies call it "Going Up Lake" that is as long as you get past Antelope Point anyway.
This year I started with 6 opportunities and plans to get "Out and Up Lake"
with my kids before school starts again. For me my planning is always more ambitious in the winter and somehow sometimes things get in the way by summer. I want to "Go Out and Up Lake"" every time we hit the marina but sometimes things conspire like someone in the family is ill or someone can't be there on day one but they could arrive day three while someone else in the group needs to leave by day four etc. I've heard that described as having a lot of "Comers and Goers."
I was thwarted from "Going Out and Up Lake" on my first week and was kept Marina Bound due to a tricky mechanical issue with a distributor so I spent Memorial Day Week fixing a boat engine. (I had to pull the distributor, take it apart and change the pick up coil and the control module) That and my kids were exhausted from finals and my wife from a crazy work week. We made the best of it, spent time together, ate well, slept, watched movies and took the runabout up lake to hike West Canyon so not a total loss.
This Thursday starts my second week and here again unexpected things are happening. One of my daughters close lake friends whom she met at the Marina is going to be around with her grandparents. The girls are from different states and the grandparents schedules and ours don't mesh for arrivals and departures. So I may let the friend join us to beach in Wahweap Bay just to get "Out."
As unambitious as I sometimes feel beaching in the very familiar Wahweap Bay I do still enjoy "Going Out." Driving a Houseboat up lake for hours without the "Cut" only adds to the work load. No, it's not as adventurous as a week long "Up Lake" trip but personally I really don't feel like I'm on "The Lake" until I'm on a beach. As much as the Bum likes the Marina I feel more like I'm in a trailer park next to "The Lake" when I'm tied off there these days.
For me I've reconciled that as a family with kids and a couple that is not yet retired that spending six weeks Out and Up Lake is a rather ambitious goal for my group. I've decided that beaching near by still counts as being out and that experiencing two to three trips up lake a year will have to suffice for now.
I understand that someone has to drive the process and set the goals but there is a fine line between having fun and forcing people to your will to have fun. The old meme "The beatings will continue until moral improves" should not apply. Going with the flow instead but still wish I was "Out, Taking the Boat Up Lake"
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