We were with close family and friends for this trip. Twenty seven of us, ten adults and seventeen kids. It was quite the adventure getting out to and setting up camp. The weather began to get awful after we left the marina. The houseboat was fine in the rough water but it was too much for those of us that were transporting the jet skis. I had Austin on one with me in a group of four skis and we went for cover on shore to avoid all the lightning strikes. He and I ended up tipping over near the shore and the kids that were with us started getting scared. It was only getting worse and the water more rough. So we took them back to the houseboat and did a slow speed transfer to get them safely onto the houseboat. Then we bolted for cover again. This time aiming for a cove where the water was less rough. The air was very cool and the rain was cold. I was starting to shiver. When we finally got to the cove, I jumped into the water to warm myself. The water is still very warm this time of year. The four of us ended up chatting and hanging out in the water until the storm passed. Later on Austin let me know he had a moving experience with prayer. He prayed that the storm would let up and it did.
We waited about forty five minutes in the cove then headed out. Only now we had the problem of finding our group on the houseboat. We weren't sure where they were going. We searched for a while asking other boaters if they'd seen a houseboat that looked like ours. We eventually found them, then helped them find a beach where we could camp.
We were in the process of anchoring the houseboat to shore when another intense storm rolled in. Unfortunately, this storm was worse than the previous. There were many of us lined up along a rope, having a tug of war, struggling to keep the boat in place. The wind kept almost blowing the houseboat free and the rain didn't help us any.
We made several attempts to bury anchors in huge holes during the storm. The wind continued to blow the houseboat, ripping the anchors out after we'd buried them. We finally ended up deciding we needed to bury them four feet deep. It was at this point that it started to hail. Some of the ice chunks were as big as a quarter. Most were dime sized. Thegn and I were digging the four foot pit for the anchor at the time, while the other adults were pulling the rope to keep the houseboat from blowing away. In a moment of despair, I stopped to look up and saw sheets of hail pelting everyone and everything. I actually put my sunglasses back on for eye protection. We all ended up with welts and bruises. We had no other option but to push through.
Another group across the bay saw our plight and came to help. We got the hole dug, threw in the anchor and while Thegn buried it, I ran to the back of the boat to take up the slack between the boat and the anchor. Which relieved those pulling the rope to hold it in place. I feel bad, one of those adults is 7 months pregnant. Fortunately she's okay. To keep the anchor in place we carried one of the smaller jet ski's and placed it over the buried anchor to add weight and keep it from coming loose. After this point the storm began to let up.
With that main anchor in place we were able to continue burying the other's. Poor Austin was the only kid who helped through the hail storm. He held the jet skis in place so the adults could wrestle the houseboat. He had welts too. I feel bad but I'm so proud of him for stepping up and helping how he could when it was needed.
The tents on the roof of the houseboat had been collapsed during the first storm so they wouldn't blow away. Unfortunately, this let the rain in, which soaked almost everything. The remainder of the evening was spent reclaiming and setting out blankets and sleeping bags to dry.
After this adventure, everything went smoothly. We had fun playing and exploring on the jet skis, digging in the sand, catching frogs, hiking, fishing, eating and just hanging out enjoying the water, sand, sun and stars. The stars are really one of the most amazing things to enjoy at lake powell. The milky way really pops and it's so beautiful.
We waited about forty five minutes in the cove then headed out. Only now we had the problem of finding our group on the houseboat. We weren't sure where they were going. We searched for a while asking other boaters if they'd seen a houseboat that looked like ours. We eventually found them, then helped them find a beach where we could camp.
We were in the process of anchoring the houseboat to shore when another intense storm rolled in. Unfortunately, this storm was worse than the previous. There were many of us lined up along a rope, having a tug of war, struggling to keep the boat in place. The wind kept almost blowing the houseboat free and the rain didn't help us any.
We made several attempts to bury anchors in huge holes during the storm. The wind continued to blow the houseboat, ripping the anchors out after we'd buried them. We finally ended up deciding we needed to bury them four feet deep. It was at this point that it started to hail. Some of the ice chunks were as big as a quarter. Most were dime sized. Thegn and I were digging the four foot pit for the anchor at the time, while the other adults were pulling the rope to keep the houseboat from blowing away. In a moment of despair, I stopped to look up and saw sheets of hail pelting everyone and everything. I actually put my sunglasses back on for eye protection. We all ended up with welts and bruises. We had no other option but to push through.
Another group across the bay saw our plight and came to help. We got the hole dug, threw in the anchor and while Thegn buried it, I ran to the back of the boat to take up the slack between the boat and the anchor. Which relieved those pulling the rope to hold it in place. I feel bad, one of those adults is 7 months pregnant. Fortunately she's okay. To keep the anchor in place we carried one of the smaller jet ski's and placed it over the buried anchor to add weight and keep it from coming loose. After this point the storm began to let up.
With that main anchor in place we were able to continue burying the other's. Poor Austin was the only kid who helped through the hail storm. He held the jet skis in place so the adults could wrestle the houseboat. He had welts too. I feel bad but I'm so proud of him for stepping up and helping how he could when it was needed.
The tents on the roof of the houseboat had been collapsed during the first storm so they wouldn't blow away. Unfortunately, this let the rain in, which soaked almost everything. The remainder of the evening was spent reclaiming and setting out blankets and sleeping bags to dry.
After this adventure, everything went smoothly. We had fun playing and exploring on the jet skis, digging in the sand, catching frogs, hiking, fishing, eating and just hanging out enjoying the water, sand, sun and stars. The stars are really one of the most amazing things to enjoy at lake powell. The milky way really pops and it's so beautiful.
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| I tried taking some long exposure shots of the stars. They didn't capture any of the milky way. |
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| The rainbow and waterfalls after the storm. |
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