(continued)
By the time we got back to the dock the rain was coming down harder. There were a couple speedboats waiting for us and we got in and, partially sheltered by propped roofs, each of us enjoyed a nice big box lunch that contained a hearty turkey sandwich, potato chips, cookies, a candy bar, a soda and a water, and a juicy apple, all prepared by food services back at the resort. We then started off and sped through the water in the rain and wind. Rusty, our driver, noticed the inadequacy of my withering and shredded garbage bag and gave me his gigantic red waterproof coat, which warmed me up and made the ride less wet. We were on our way to explore Cascade Canyon and Cathedral Canyon, a couple of very narrow slots that wind and twist as they unfold, creating watery “alleyways.” Entering slowly and with the low hum of the motor and the towering, leaning canyon walls you feel slightly claustrophobic but delighted and like something of an explorer. You could spend days or even weeks scouting about the lake and discovering hidden places to search and swim around in.
Satisfied with our adventure and wanting to dry off, we made our way to a secluded beach at Kane Creek Canyon where there were two 75-foot house boats docked and waiting. Of course, one need not rent a house boat to enjoy a night on the beach, but it certainly makes for a comfortable experience. You can’t go wrong with sleeping on the water in a queen bed, or sitting on a sofa while enjoying a drink and being entertained by one’s favorite program on a widescreen TV, knowing that if you walk out your door you’re not going to see a bunch of houses and asphalt and cars driving by but blue waters and sandy beaches and red sandstone cliffs and rock formations. If you want you can go up top and jump off the houseboat into the lake or shoot into it off a waterslide, and then later, when it gets cooler and darker, you can sit in the hot tub in the open air and talk with friends and look up at the stars that stand out like diamonds on black velvet. Later you can make your way back down and turn on the gas fireplace and cook up a little dinner in a fully loaded kitchen, complete with a microwave, refrigerator, stove and grill.
By the time we got to the houseboats the sun was setting and the rain had stopped and the sky had cleared and the clouds later lit up in pink and purple. The rains don’t last long at Lake Powell, and with the air warmed up boats pulling water skiers appeared, as did a few jet skis. October’s a good time to visit the lake. The water’s still warm enough for swimming and you’re pretty much alone wherever you go.
After a wonderful steak and potato meal on the houseboat we built a fire on the beach and talked till sleep began to take hold. I later lay in my room looking out the window at the moonlight on the water. It’d been a good day and I looked forward to the next but didn’t mind that it wasn’t coming just yet. Lying there and staring at the water and at the stars above the cliffs in the distance was a good enough thing to be doing for now. I know what Steve, our host, was talking about at our last dinner when he said that at times the silence on the lake can be almost intimidating. With everyone asleep and the lights out I went up top to look at the sky and standing there the silence was a presence and I can’t remember the last time I experienced such a sensation. If you heard the earth had a soul you’d almost believe it standing there on the lake in the dark and in the quiet gazing up at the starlit sky.
The next morning after enjoying bacon and eggs and waffles and fruit and everything you could possibly want for breakfast we headed back to the resort on the speedboats. It was still early and the sun was up now but not too high and it hit the water and the water sparkled beautifully under its rays. The air was cool and refreshing and woke me up as I sat up front and watched the water speed by. Rusty turned on some tunes and the volume was just right and the music fast with the boat and speeding along in the morning air with your hair blowing back and the sun shining down on you and warming you up you felt glad to be alive.
A jeep picked us up at the resort and took us to Upper Antelope Canyon, which is a “slot canyon” and probably the most photographed of its kind in the world. The entrance is a narrow curved slit in the sandstone not more than a few meters wide. Once inside, the temperature drops and you find yourself moving along very slowly and doing a lot of standing and staring. The sunlight filters down the smooth, creamy-looking sandstone walls, creating constantly-changing patterns and shadows in many subtle shades of brown, pink, and red. Some sections of the canyon are wide and bright, while others are narrow and dark and cave-like, with no light reaching the sandy floor. Shafts of sunlight shoot down in places creating circular patterns in the sand. Near the entrance there’s a spot where the canyon widens some before narrowing again and one of the beams was coming down and our guide, Dave, grabbed a handful of sand and threw it towards the light and when it hit it looked as if sucked in by the beam and then held in a glittering whirl. At a brisk pace you could walk all the way through in just a few minutes, but the environment is arresting and forces you to take your time and pay attention. By the time you walk out into the sunlight on the other side you’ve spent a good half hour to 45 minutes.
After exploring the canyon, we made our way back to the resort and relaxed and swam in the outdoor pool and relaxed some more till dinner back at the Rainbow Room. The quality of its food and service cannot be overstated. I ate yak in mountains of northern Yunnan in China and have been craving it ever since and was finally satisfied when I bit into my first piece of buffalo. If that didn’t make any sense, it wasn’t really supposed to. The meat was good anyway, tender and full of flavor, and clearly prepared with care. From appetizer to dessert, the meal was perfect, every course placed before you looking like a piece of art. The evening at the restaurant was representative of my experience at Lake Powell as a whole: extraordinary from beginning to end.
I drove home that night and wasn’t on the road long before thinking how nice it would be to be back on the water, surrounded by cliffs and canyons and starry skies above. But I’ll go back. There are certain places in the world that once experienced take hold of you and call out for you once you’ve left and Lake Powell is one of them.
