Lake Powell is truly a destination worth all the hype! It's one of the most unique lakes we have laid eyes on with gorgeous red rock for days in the middle of the desert in southern Utah and northern Arizona.
Most people go to Lake Powell for the water sports like jet skiing, boating, and fishing because the scorching weather requires a bit of cooling off from the hot summer's sun. There are 2 main marinas in Lake Powell: Bull Frog & Wahweap.
Many people prefer Wahweap to Bull Frog when the water is low because there is less driftwood and it is easier to get to bring in close proximity to I-15.
We had launched our jet ski for a few hours from Bull Frog and found a quiet little secluded corner to jump into the water, fish and hangout until I got heat exhaustion & had to get out of the sun. Bull Frog has pretty much anything you would need: gas, water, food, a bathroom, even a restaurant nearby. In the extreme heat, the ice on our cooler melted in a couple hours even though it hadn't been opened.
Not many people know much about a 3rd option called Hite. As a much much more remote option, you can reach it by car, but it is in the middle of pretty much nowhere. There is a small Marina and campground in Hite, but that's about it.
Our adventure began by pulling into Hite just as sun was turning the sky ablaze. The Smoky sunset at the Hite overlook is one sunset we won't soon forget. Sleeping in our little camper just outside of the campground was super hot that night, but it made for a gorgeous morning practically alone. There was just us and another camp far enough away to have privacy, but within slight earshot.
Kyle got up and took a fishing pole out on the dock. The water was a perfect reflection of the towering cliffs above it. After breakfast, we put the jet skis in on the sketchy boat ramp. There was all kinds of debris in the water from the high water level. We were most concerned about running over a twig that was connected to a large submerged log under water. Putting our worries aside, we set off on a one hundred mile journey before we would get back later that day.
We set off to Bull Frog. We had calculated that there would be enough gas to get there. We would fill up there and then return.
The sun was at it's highest and hottest for the majority of the trip. We made a point to stop a lot to drink, apply sunscreen and an occasional dip into the lake to cool off.
There were times that we wondered if the GPS location was right and if we were going the right way. The water was gorgeous and so smooth. The jet ski made a strange noise and turned off. Panic rolled in thinking that we would be stuck on the lake though the night without anything and a broken jet ski. We troubleshooted lots of things trying to figure out what was wrong and finally realized a small log had become stuck in the water spout. We got it out and got the ski running again. Yikes! We dodged a bullet there. Finally we saw a boat, the only boat we had seen for over 15 minutes. There's nothing like feeling that kind of seclusion. The further we went and the closer we got to the marina the more boats we would see.
The air conditioner at the convenience store on the lake was some kind of heaven. The freezing ice cream we got was even more. There's nothing like feeling like you are going to melt into the pavement. We stayed in that freezing convenience store until we felt like ice and would be able to brave the several hour journey home back to Hite.
I will never forget the last several miles late in the day gliding on glass yelling at the top of our lungs. The ironic thing is not a soul hearing us as the sound was swallowed up in the canyon.
Finally! Camp! What an unforgettable memory & a crazy day! Bed never felt so good.
