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| Backlight and a snowy Navajo Mountain |
All eight of us settled down for a bit of a rest mid-day,
waiting for the light to soften and warm before we moved on to our next
destination. Then I heard it. My favorite bird call. I’m a casual birder at best, but the song of
the Canyon Wren wakes
up my hippocampus and brings back a flood of joyous memories.
Every place I’ve heard this bird is magical
and extraordinary to me, including here on Lake Powell. They sing to me in Grand Canyon, through
Southern Utah Canyons, and in my part-time home among the rocks in Yarnell
Arizona. These are all places where I
get that “no place I’d rather be” feeling and my brain has associated it with
the sound.
I’m given to pointing this bird call out to friends, which
has taught me that this joy is rather a
personal thing. Others are
unimpressed. No matter; I can be content
without on my own.
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| Gary Ladd |
It had been three years since I’d last been on the
lake. I think this was trip #6, each
with Gary Ladd in one capacity or
another. The Glen Canyon Natural History
Association hires Gary, the photographic expert on Powell, to lead “Lens on the
Lake” Houseboat trips. After that trip
in 2015 the price nearly tripled with the arrival of a new Executive Director. Disillusioned, I didn’t plan any more until
my withdrawal symptoms got the better of me and I cajoled a group, including
Gary, to rent a boat and spend a week on the lake together.
Much could be said (ahem) about the condition of the rental
fleet at Wahweep Marina, but I’ll skip that discussion. Likewise, I won’t
detail the preparations required. There’s
some work involved, but I’m not complaining.
Feel free to contact me if you’re contemplating a trip.
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| Reflections and re-reflection in Cathedral in the Desert |
Incidentally, Gary wrote an article in the May 1977
issue of Arizona Highways about what I think was his first boat trip on the
lake. He rowed its length in a wooden
dory. He’s had hundreds of trips since
then, I’d wager. We appreciated the
depth his experience many times on the lake.
He knew just what time to visit Cathedral in the Desert to witness a
dazzling light show as the sun first penetrated the narrow canyon. He also knew just where to hide from windy storms,
of which we had several, and where to take best advantage of glittering reflections
on windless days.
Speaking of storms, we were blessed with one heck of a
double rainbow…
…and some dramatic clouds.
I confess to having rather mixed feelings about this body of
water. I’m not old enough to remember
the Colorado River in Glen Canyon, but the photographs are striking. There are folks who, feeling the loss of Glen
Canyon acutely, would like the dam destroyed. Perhaps the most famous of these was Katie Lee, who died
at her home in Jerome Arizona last November at 98. The license plate on her Prius read “DAM DAM.”
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| Reflections, and our 53-foot houseboat for scale |
On the other hand, the lake gives access to so much natural
beauty. I could have hiked for a year before
its construction and not seen what we did in a week. The reflections alone are worth a visit. Ultimately, we have far too much tied up in
water storage, power generation, and recreation to easily drain this lake. It won’t happen in my lifetime.
As Gary writes, “Lake Powell overflows with Paradox.”
So many riches are here for a landscape photographer. Sometimes I get restless, thinking I’d rather
be there, or over there. Given that I
can only be in one place at a time, though, I just try and make it a good
one. One with canyon wrens.
More images are in the Page and Lake Powell Gallery on the
website.
