Monumental Houseboating on Lake PowellRead Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/cruise02/hboats02/powell.html
MILLIONAIRE STRIPERS Our weekend party boat pulled out from Wahweap Marina fully stocked with booze, beer, bait, and soon to be baked boatswains. We were pulling a pair of wave runners and a fishing boat through Colorado River channel. past buttes, bluffs, banks, spires, cathedrals, and towering monuments, kind you see at Bijou during a John Wayne/John Ford film festival.
Before pulling out of marina we power boated over to marina store to buy fishing licenses. There was a million dollar fish tournament going on at Lake, Powell, and we were determined to catch that rascal. We were informed that we had to have a fishing license for both Arizona and Utah, because Lake Powell shares borders of both states. We realized that we had Utah licenses but were fishing in Arizona waters.
PADRE POINT
It took a couple of hours to motor up and around Padre Point and Padre Bay and into Labyrinth Canyon, and across transparent state-line from Utah to Arizona. We were happy to moor in Labyrinth Canyon because a storm was brewing. "Scurvie" and his crew of motley maties buried four anchor lines in oxide red/orange powder sand, and then it was a round of cocktails as Cheetos and other snacks were busted out.
After storm blew over, sun came out in a radiant splash, and Janna, "Jet Boat Queen," was first out on water, blasting through narrow confines of Labyrinth Canyon to its terminus. Water-skiing and jet skiing is best in broad, calm waters of backwater bays, like Labrinth, but not in Colorado River main channel, Water safety rules of Utah and Arizona apply: 800 RIDE PWC — Utah; 602/774-5045 — Arizona.
Meanwhile, everyone else threw their gear into assigned bunks. That night Chef Boy-ar-dee "Scurvie" whipped together a cordon bleu salmon dinner fit for a five star table as sun set on Tower Butte, a ragged, decayed molar rising like a Pleistocene fossil out of plateau off our port side.
LET'S HAVE A RUM PUNCH
After a few more rum punches, it was a conversation of past adventure bragadoccio, yarns, and blarney. Everyone seemed to agree in appointing Scurvie galley swag for rest of trip, even though it was mainly hotdogs and sandwiches during day. But next night it was marinated steaks grilled on propane foredeck stove, with meat proving to be as tender as sandal soles. I didn't tell Scurvie I used my cut as fish bait. I think everyone else demoted him a Michellin star or two as well, but no one wanted to cook, so we continued to pump up his food finesse.
LAKE POWELL GOLF
The two teenage boys onboard, "Wild Bill" and "Wild Blakely," lost their imaged milion dollar fish prize poker hoards to Professor in a continuous game of Five Card Stud, reminiscent of Barbary Coast, with Professor's made-up rules.
The next morning Danny powerboated Jaime and Scurvie into National Golf Course in Page, Arizona, for a round or two on links. Everyone else just sunbathed on top deck like ruby-throated rainbow trout left too long on grill. Some people should never be allowed into wilderness. The skipper (Danny) returned a few hours later as another terrific storm swelled up, sending greasy sunbathers below. Golf ball-sized hailstones pummelled alumnium houseboat roof like popcorn, rattling everyone's nerves, and then gleamed in oxide sand and red sandstone rocks, like while alien gemstones. As this spring storm blew out lake returned to a pacific peace.in time to pick up two pickled duffers stranded at 19th hole. Read more on Lake Powell National. Click Here.