lake powell pics and info?

[DaveH]

Defiant house hotel? At bullfrog.
Or is the north end a locals only thing?
Some flat landers are not bad. Ha.
Maybe i should get a faster boat

you would be nuts to go to the north end of the lake from the south side. LONG ASS drive.

bulfrog and Hite are used by boaters coming from UT and CO. and even then only eastern side of UT. even coming from Salt lake, most go to Page.

why spend an additional day driving? use that time to venture further up the lake in your boat.

i missed a trip once where friends launched from page and broke down somehwere near escalante. got a tow to bullforg. you dont want to know what it took to get his truck and trailer to buflfrog to retrieve the boat.

 

[riverroyal]

Yeah. Maybe for my 2nd trip i will have a faster boat. Maybe
Im really looking forward to going
Fresh tune up on verado
2 new batteries
4 new trailer tires
Vhf radio
Sea scooter for fathers day
Lithium charger for devices
Gps and gaia
Wagon for the dock
Ready to roll!

 

[98special]

Vhf radio bought last night. Been wanting one for awhile. We have Verizon. AT&T and the vhf now.

Cell is pretty useless without satellite hook up. VHF might work.
I can guaranty it won't be your last trip!

 

[98special]

Defiant house hotel? At bullfrog.
Or is the north end a locals only thing?
Some flat landers are not bad. Ha.
Maybe i should get a faster boat

We launch at Halls, then head up 26-28 miles to Castle Butt. Hite, White and farley canyon launches are closed due to lake level, sooo no wake boats due to lack of fuel. This was yesterday.

 

[mesquito_creek]

Defiant house hotel? At bullfrog.
Or is the north end a locals only thing?
Some flat landers are not bad. Ha.
Maybe i should get a faster boat

Utah people at bullfrog are great! My point was logistical, it hard to get to by land also in that it adds mileage to the road trip. 5 hours vs 8.5 out of Phoenix. The Cali people would be adding 3 plus to an 8 hour trip.

Just respect the size of the lake and plan accordingly. The whole Lake is awesome. I wouldn’t run that far up in my single engine eliminator just because I am pretty conservative with my planning. I took a twin screw cruiser without issue knowing I had two motors. I go with just my wife and one/two other people without any partner boats most of the time, so I plan my time based on that.

 

[Gramps]

View attachment 890623
Davis Gulch in the Escalante.

La Gorge Arch in Davis Gulch

 

[2Driver]

Stayed at Bullfrog last year in the fall. nice enough. Took the ferry.

 

[24 Sleekenforcer]

 

[havasu5150]

Vhf radio bought last night. Been wanting one for awhile. We have Verizon. AT&T and the vhf now.

Purchased a VHF Radio yesterday as well. Trying to cover all bases

 

[mswasey]

Defiant house hotel? At bullfrog.
Or is the north end a locals only thing?
Some flat landers are not bad. Ha.
Maybe i should get a faster boat

The North end is not locals only by any means, it’s just a little geographically difficult to get there coming from the South.

 

[sintax]

we only did one trip to the northern end of the lake, it seemed like it took forever to get there. I do remember really enjoying it though, minus all the logs that were randomly floating.

 

[mswasey]

Just a couple more pics! @seanroberts @JD Dearden

 

[Activated]

@JD Dearden should tell you about his awesome camping spot in the middle of the lake. lol

Bullfrog has a hotel we have stayed at and they have single wide mobile homes above the hotel on the hill. Have used both with no complaints.

 

[JD D05]

@JD Dearden should tell you about his awesome camping spot in the middle of the lake. lol

Bullfrog has a hotel we have stayed at and they have single wide mobile homes above the hotel on the hill. Have used both with no complaints.

Buoy 66 lol! I dont mind the lodging in Bullfrog. But Halls Crossing is awesome also. Hour longer drive but very few people.

 

[Ol Man]

I don't think I have seen a post about the kind of weather you could experience. Really high winds and rain can come up pretty quickly and you may not notice, especially if you are exploring a canyon and cannot see far. If you encounter this kind of weather, try to get to a spot where you can last out the storm. The swells on the main channels can get pretty large. I always carry a pair of motorcycle goggles so I can see.

 

[98special]

I don't think I have seen a post about the kind of weather you could experience. Really high winds and rain can come up pretty quickly and you may not notice, especially if you are exploring a canyon and cannot see far. If you encounter this kind of weather, try to get to a spot where you can last out the storm. The swells on the main channels can get pretty large. I always carry a pair of motorcycle goggles so I can see.

Always keep an eye on the southwest (especially in the afternoon). Storms can move in quick and furious.
Sunk a boat a couple years ago in Slot Canyon. Google it, it's friggin scary and dangerous!
Keep you VHF tuned to and turned on to the weather station.

 

[sintax]

I don't think I have seen a post about the kind of weather you could experience. Really high winds and rain can come up pretty quickly and you may not notice, especially if you are exploring a canyon and cannot see far. If you encounter this kind of weather, try to get to a spot where you can last out the storm. The swells on the main channels can get pretty large. I always carry a pair of motorcycle goggles so I can see.

thats no joke. We spent MANY summers dry camping out by lone rock in Aug - Sept times. You can be out there and it be dead calm, not even a breeze. 20 min later your anchors and 3' shore stakes are getting ripped up. Its the only time in my life i've ever seen a loaded white igloo fishing cooler go tumbling down the beach. Its during those events you realize why the early people quickly became god fearing.

 

[JD D05]

I don't think I have seen a post about the kind of weather you could experience. Really high winds and rain can come up pretty quickly and you may not notice, especially if you are exploring a canyon and cannot see far. If you encounter this kind of weather, try to get to a spot where you can last out the storm. The swells on the main channels can get pretty large. I always carry a pair of motorcycle goggles so I can see.

Oh ya few weekends ago me and some friends ran from Bullfrog to Antelope and saw some freinds way down south. We headed back North around 2 and had perfect weather all day. Later the same day my friends almost sunk the boat the coolers were floating.

 

[seanroberts]

Just a couple more pics! @seanroberts @JD Dearden View attachment 891184 View attachment 891185 View attachment 891186

We launch on July 2nd! When are you going to be there Mike?

 

[RiverDave]

Curious. Is there an iPhone App that runs off Satellite for GPS Map of Powell ?

download navionics.. I used it when we went to powell and it was extremely handy..


the lake is so big I thought I was still on the main lake more than once and was going down arms.. lol. They said the lake on the gps sometimes would show on the gps and it would be dry land. Some of the cut throughs weren’t there etc.

Be careful because there is giant mountains that can come right up to just beneath the surface of the water and you don’t see them until you are right on top of them. I was using the gps for that as well!

 

[mswasey]

We launch on July 2nd! When are you going to be there Mike?

Hey Sean! We’ll be there July 1-5. Still deciding on Bullfrog or Wahweap, hoping we can meet up with you at some point.

 

[DUNEFLYER]

Oh, currently the only thing open at Antelope is fuel and shitter pumper, ALL stores and the restaurant is closed. They were supposed to open on June 6th but that got pushed to July 7th. The peeps on the docks were hoping but not very optimistic about the July 7th opening.

 

[DaveH]

Hey Sean! We’ll be there July 1-5. Still deciding on Bullfrog or Wahweap, hoping we can meet up with you at some point.

trying to get my 270 back together but planing on being there for the 4th weekend as well for the 4th out of wahweap

 

[2Driver]

Keeping an eye on weather is good but its best to keep your marine radios monitoring on channel 16.

 

[Taboma]

Keeping an eye on weather is good but its best to keep your marine radios monitoring on channel 16.

Does Powell have marine VHF repeaters ?
Would otherwise seem your normal VHF line of sight propagation (Which when out on the ocean can provide long range communication possibilities) with all the canyons, twists and turns even on the main body, would seriously limit your range. Unless you can relay boat to boat in case of an emergency.
Haven't been to Powell since 1977, spent a week in late September from Wahweap to Bullfrog and back, girlfriend and I boating camping in my 19' Reinell cuddy. Bet we didn't see 10 boats during the entire week --- ahhhhh, the good ole days. Water all the way under Rainbow Bridge back then.

 

[mesquito_creek]

Does Powell have marine VHF repeaters ?
Would otherwise seem your normal VHF line of sight propagation (Which when out on the ocean can provide long range communication possibilities) with all the canyons, twists and turns even on the main body, would seriously limit your range. Unless you can relay boat to boat in case of an emergency.
Haven't been to Powell since 1977, spent a week in late September from Wahweap to Bullfrog and back, girlfriend and I boating camping in my 19' Reinell cuddy. Bet we didn't see 10 boats during the entire week --- ahhhhh, the good ole days. Water all the way under Rainbow Bridge back then.

A marine VHF radio does not have duplex Transmission / Receive capability in a manner to use a repeater. Meaning you can't put your radio on 16 where it technically would need to transmit on 156.800 and receive on and offset like 157.xx at the same time. Thats how mobile to mobile would need to work on a marine radio thorough a repeater. BUT I believe that the NPS and Coastguard has reserved frequencies and radios with the duplex capability to use a repeater. I know they have the repeaters on Navajo and most likely at other locations like Dangling/Halls etc.. I imagine they can monitor 156.800 pick it up and respond to you back on 156.800 with the proper duplex radios over the repeaters and behave like simplex transmission to your ears on a marine radio.

So recreational boat to boat is line of sight and would need to relay boat to boat... But if you mayday on 16, you may get picked up on a repeater that emergencies could respond to.

 

[Gramps]

I have been in the area south of Dangling Rope and have used channel 16 to speak to Wahweap. Also if I remember right one time I was at the confluence area (MM 65 -70) and used marine VHF to talk to the rental dock at stateline.

 

[2Driver]

I have been in the area south of Dangling Rope and have used channel 16 to speak to Wahweap. Also if I remember right one time I was at the confluence area (MM 65 -70) and used marine VHF to talk to the rental dock at stateline.

base unit with a big antenna I suppose and not a hand held?

 

[Gramps]

base unit with a big antenna I suppose and not a hand held?

rental houseboat, I think it was a "dash mount" marine VHF but we also carried handhelds in our boats

 

[mesquito_creek]

So I am pretty sure that there are "reserved" channels for commercial/emegency/port operations that can use repeater functionality. Off the top of my head I think 24-27 or something is reserved for duplex. But I don't think your non licensed off the shelf marine radio has access to them. I would need to crawl under my cockpit cover in 100 Plus degrees right now to validate that...

But yes, commercial port operators like Wahweep would most likely be able to communicate to you through a repeater that is more acting like a cross bander or one-way repeater to your simplex radio on your boat/handheld.

So I guess my point is you can't hail your buddy showing up 2 days late at wahweep from out in Last chance through the Navajo Repeater doing boat to boat. But yes you can most likely get a hold of emergency services or port/marina operations through a repeater/relay like infrastructure using your houseboats VHF on 16.

So you can pick up anything being transmitted out from the repeater on 156.800 on channel 16, ... but you wont hear the conversations being picked up/going into that repeater on 156.800. Its going to sound like a 1 way conversation.

You might also hear things coming from that repeater at 100+ watts, but not be able to hit it with your 5watt handheld or 25w fixed mount mobile.

 

[Hdgasser]

Is there towboat or boat us on powell??

 

[JD D05]

Is there towboat or boat us on powell??

Yes but I can be difficult to get help.

 

[Taboma]

A marine VHF radio does not have duplex Transmission / Receive capability in a manner to use a repeater. Meaning you can't put your radio on 16 where it technically would need to transmit on 156.800 and receive on and offset like 157.xx at the same time. Thats how mobile to mobile would need to work on a marine radio thorough a repeater. BUT I believe that the NPS and Coastguard has reserved frequencies and radios with the duplex capability to use a repeater. I know they have the repeaters on Navajo and most likely at other locations like Dangling/Halls etc.. I imagine they can monitor 156.800 pick it up and respond to you back on 156.800 with the proper duplex radios over the repeaters and behave like simplex transmission to your ears on a marine radio.

So recreational boat to boat is line of sight and would need to relay boat to boat... But if you mayday on 16, you may get picked up on a repeater that emergencies could respond to.

Excellent answer, thank you. I know offshore we've often used ship to ship relays to communicate for emergency purposes to reach the CG, when the distances were to great. So at a minimum if the Powell NPS or CG had the ability to hear a mayday, that's good to know.

 

[2Driver]

Excellent answer, thank you. I know offshore we've often used ship to ship relays to communicate for emergency purposes to reach the CG, when the distances were to great. So at a minimum if the Powell NPS or CG had the ability to hear a mayday, that's good to know.

Yeah keep in mind that unless you are severely injured or crashed they will tell you to call the Marina

It was pretty interesting to monitor channel 16 and hear legit calls that NPS would not respond to. I suppose they can only be stretched so far and aren't a tow or mild distress service. We listened to one houseboat dead and adrift heading for the rocks and NPS just said call Aramark.

When the weather suddenly gets bad channel 16 lights up. we heard lots of calls for help, one boats on the rocks family going into the water at dusk was one I remember.

We also heard boat owners doing relay of messages for boaters radios that didn't have the reach

 

[Activated]

Yes but I can be difficult to get help.

Lol

 

[EBT531]

Curious I see some pics with boats beached and some nose out anchored close to shore. Other than the obvious if the shore isn't sandy, is there a reason to park nose out vs beached?

 

[2Driver]

Curious I see some pics with boats beached and some nose out anchored close to shore. Other than the obvious if the shore isn't sandy, is there a reason to park nose out vs beached?

as for our skis we anchored bow out as the wind can produce some serious incoming waves. I would rather the bow take those than the transom

 

[mesquito_creek]

Curious I see some pics with boats beached and some nose out anchored close to shore. Other than the obvious if the shore isn't sandy, is there a reason to park nose out vs beached?

I anchor bow out because I will be sleeping inside with the genny and AC running. Any wind or waves would be much better breaking off the bow. Plus if I sleep in, the bass boat or first water ski boat could send a roller my way. Also you can’t exit my bow to the beach, so the stern ladder facing the beach is nessessary.

I drop a bow anchor with 40 feet of chain with the push if a button, then I let out about 150 feet of rode and back the stern toward shore. I bury an anchor on shore with about 75-100 feet of rope then reverse the bow anchor on the windlass and tighten it all up.... takes about 5 minutes and I am set for the night.

 

[mesquito_creek]

When I take my 21 foot whaler I just put it on the beach or whatever in the short term... then side tie it to the houseboat.

 

[BajaMike]

 

[98special]

Video of Lake Powell storm sinks boat.
https://www.houseboatmagazine.com/2015/06/flash-flood-at-lake-powell

 

[DaveH]

Video of Lake Powell storm sinks boat.
https://www.houseboatmagazine.com/2015/06/flash-flood-at-lake-powell

this serves as a good reminder to take a good look at where you camp and shelter.

often times the overhangs we find so appealing can turn into water falls if there is a heavy rain.

look for black stains on the rock walls/overhangs to indicate water run off paths. another sign is a pile of debris at the base of the cliff.

the scarier part is you can be in nice sunny weather, but a few miles away a monsoon is dumping huge amounts of water and then the water finds its way to the cove you are sheltering in.

if you see cumulous clouds building early in the day its a good sign of thunderstorm activity in the afternoons. always have a radar app on your phone to keep an eye on things.

 

[EBT531]

Video of Lake Powell storm sinks boat.
https://www.houseboatmagazine.com/2015/06/flash-flood-at-lake-powell

Good timing. I was looking at the forecast and it looks like the winds will pick up a little (10-15mph) Sunday through Tuesday next week. I'm hoping the winds don't effect the canyon water as much and we can still enjoy a day relaxing on a beach.

 

[havasuhusker]

I remember, sometime in the late 90's or early 2000's my parents and I got caught in a bad storm. We were in Wahweap Bay and the swells had to be at least 6'. We were in a 24' pontoon boat, smallish OB, so top speed was like 28 mph...anyway, my dad was trying to make it to the boat ramp and I just remember the waves literally breaking over the boat. We were all completely drenched. It's the first time where I thought I might honestly get tossed overboard and possibly drown.

We somehow convinced my dad that we had to turn around and find a cove or mountain to hide behind. So, he gives the boat all the power it had in order to turn around without getting rolled over by one of the waves. It was sort of a hold my beer and watch this moment. Well, the old man pulled it off and we found some shelter and cleaned the shit out of our pants. Things didn't start to calm down until the wee hours in the morning, at which point we high tailed it to the ramp.

It was by far the most scared I've been on the water, but it also (thinking back on it) was one of the greatest experiences as it gave me a whole new appreciation of my dad (may he rest in peace).

 

[Your ad here]

One thing to watch out for are the European tourist on the water in the rental boats or pwc. They have no clue as how to properly drive the water crafts and will cut you off, come directly head on, ride the pwc right across your bow, squeeze you in a canyon. Years ago driving the houseboat, one in a rental houseboat next to us by Antalope turned right into us and almost made contact. How the hell do you not see a 65' boat? Once you get North of Padre bay you can relax.

 

[DaveH]

Good timing. I was looking at the forecast and it looks like the winds will pick up a little (10-15mph) Sunday through Tuesday next week. I'm hoping the winds don't effect the canyon water as much and we can still enjoy a day relaxing on a beach.

mild winds (say less then 15kts) have very little effect on the lake. the deep nature of the canyon the lake is in, the constant bends and turns.....you can always find some seclusion. if its blowing 20-25+ then it becomes more challenging but even then a deep narrow canyon will reduce wind effect significantly. not to say you wont notice it but its far from being out in a big basin with rollers coming straight down the lake. plus 30 stay off the water.

 

[bk2drvr]

Any tech to help with navigation is good but you’ve got the bouys as a backup. I navigated the lake from Antelope to Rainbow Bridge to Dangling Rope and back to Antelope by the numbered bouys and the lake map without a problem.

oh and I’ve never been on Powell and it not rain at least one day.

 

[Gramps]

Always keep an eye open for the houseboats full of nudists...............................

 

[jhoogie]

We are leaving out of Wahweap on the 1st for our first trip to powell. We are doing the house boat route, and have decided on setting up the houseboat somewhere in Last Chance bay. Are we on the right track for the camping location? and about how long to get there in the houseboat?

 

[2Driver]

We are leaving out of Wahweap on the 1st for our first trip to powell. We are doing the house boat route, and have decided on setting up the houseboat somewhere in Last Chance bay. Are we on the right track for the camping location? and about how long to get there in the houseboat?

We spent a week in Last Chance and found some really good beaches. Just look at the bouy markers for mileage and figure 2/3 - 3/4 throttle speed, what ever that is for your house boat, and do the math. It’s no wake all the way through the cut so figure that. It’s about 21 miles to the mouth of LC then another 5-6 to the back depending on water level.