Oh, you wild raging river
From the fountains of the mountains
You ripple down the valleys
Growing wide and swift and deep
With what power you cut your canyons
How long agoYou Wild Colorado , Johnny Cash
I recently had a last-minute opportunity to spend four days on the Colorado (Grand) River from Moab at the Potash boat ramp to the Bullfrog Marina in Lake Powell.
Roughly 140 miles or so.
It is a motorized trip, but I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
It was a much different trip than my previous ~70-mile paddle down the first part of this trip.
But the red rocks, the quiet camps, and the river made for a memorable four days overall.
Reaching Spanish Bottom concluded the furthest down the river for me. The iconic place still proved scenic, and the local residents did not seem too concerned to see us.
But we soon reached the portion new to me, Cataract Canyon and its famous rapids.
I do not have the skill set to pilot through such a place, and felt grateful for the opportunity to see the river in this way.
Sitting in the front of the boat, I enjoyed the ups and downs of the river roller coaster and got splashed once or twice, which is rather good on a hot September day!
We soon reached the end of the rapids and could see what people half-kiddingly call the “Dominy Layer” – silt from the damming of the Colorado River to form Lake Powell.
I also enjoyed seeing places where I only seen from the canyon side. Looking at it from a river view proved a different experience.
The water became calmer and almost lake-like with the reservoir not far downstream.
We had a third night of camping at the outskirts of Lake Powell…or as I called it, “The River Styx” as I knew a river to buried under this lake.
Still, the quiet evening (at least initially, the wind picked up quite a bit) and the setting sun’s color made for a memorable camp.
We soon entered Lake Powell proper.
It had a different vibe from the past few days, leaving the quiet behind of the river for the busy lake at the start of the weekend.
Oddly, I fell back in time to my formative years in Rhode Island during the few times I found myself on a boat in Narragansett Bay or even the more frequent times at an ocean side town – I could see the “party boats,” the grandparents out with children, jet skis, music, etc. It’s a bit jarring. Of course, I came via a motorized boat myself. It is not my typical outdoor recreation, but it is not that far removed from my childhood years in many ways.
All in all, a memorable experience. I prefer the slower paddling travel but can certainly appreciate and enjoy the river this way.
It’s a classic Johnny Cash song covered by a favorite singer.