Kayak Lake Powell - Moki Canyon
I have wanted to Kayak Lake Powell for a few years now, so when the priests in my ward asked me for some recommendations about their summer high adventure I quickly suggested Lake Powell! They all seemed to be very excited about that. None of them had ever been on a kayaking excursion before, this would be a first for most everyone on the trip :)
This High Adventure started off right. The youth in our ward had planned a temple trip to Manti to do Baptisms for the Dead. This was a really neat experience for me. It has been a while since I have helped a youth group do Baptisms for the Dead, and it was great to be able to help. I had the opportunity to do all the conformations (with Brother Anderson). The spirit was strong that day and it was neat to be a part of it all. One of the really nice things about the Manit Temple is that I dont feel rushed in that temple. The temple workers took time to shared experiences with us and to talk to us. It is always so nice when that happens.
After the temple the Priests went their separate ways. We were on our way to Lake Powell! We met Brother Johnson in Hanksville, and from there we made a detour to Leprechaun Canyon. The bottom section of Leprechaun Canyon is non technical and VERY pretty. It was a perfect place to stop and work our legs. It wasn't a long hike and before we knew it we were in the middle of the beautiful narrows that are known to some as Leprechaun's Belfast Boulevard. The boys all had a blast in that canyon. We attempted to climb up some of the obstacles, but had to start heading back before it got to dark. needless to say, it was a very enjoyable hike.
Before we knew it we were at Stanton Park at Lake Powell. I expected to be fighting for a campground, but to my great delight, we drove right down to the lake not even passing by another campsite. For that first night we had a whole peninsula all to ourselves. Camp was quickly setup and it wasn't long before we were all chowing down on our tin foil diners. This first day was success! So far everything was working out as planned!
DAY 2
Come morning we all woke up and began the process of packing up our Kayaks. This was the first day of the kayaking portion of our adventure. For many, this would be the first time in a sea kayak. It was an exciting morning.
The destination for this day was Moki canyon. We were told that there was OK camping in that canyon, and that the canyon was very pretty. Since this canyon was only about 4 miles from where we were camped in Stanton Campground, that seemed like the best place to begin our adventure.
The weather was overcast and a little windy. The overcast weather was a true blessing, but dealing with the wind demanded that we learn fast how to maneuver the kayaks well. It wasn't to long after we began our trek that some of our boys tipped over their kayaks. This only proved to be a good learning experience for us all. I was impressed with how well the boys worked together to get the problems solved.
The kayak trip to Moki canyon was beautiful! It was truly amazing to see all the colorful kayaks, so small, against the HUGE sheer 300' redrock sandstone cliffs. This is what I had come for! The majesty, the beauty, the color, and peacefulness, the awe and wonder; that was why I had longed to be here in a kayak. It was perfect!
A few hours after we left camp, and about 5 miles later, we finally found our way into Moki Canyon and located the perfect camping spot. We landed on a peninsula that had a gradual smooth rock beach to dock our kayaks on both sides, and in the middle was a sandy bar where we could pitch our tents. On the other sides we found some small hills and cliffs where we could go to have the privacy we needed for our "personal" moments. Most importantly, we had cliffs all around us that accommodated the jumping skill levels of all the youth. Ranging from 0 to 50 feet, we all had cliffs we could entertain ourselves with. The campground was PERFECT!
We spent all day here relaxing, swimming, napping, and messing around. Some of the leaders went out fishing and had a wonderful time. Only Brother Johnson caught fish though. But the ones he did catch were huge! Brother Jensen had a few bites as well.
All in all, this day was wonderful. The sun was hot, the water was warm, and the opportunity for FUN was plentiful. The cliff jumping was amazing too. I don't think I have ever been to a place with better cliffs to jump.
DAY 3
Today was the day we would escort our Young Men's Presdient back to his car so he could go home. But before we made that trek we hopped into our kayaks and explored more of Moki canyon. During the exploration we found more high canyon walls, beaches, camping spots, cliffs, and beautiful alcoves! Todd our blow up turtle came with us on all of these adventure. The young men had a blast with that turtle. They even attracted the attention of some of the ladies passing by ;)
I managed to swamp my kayak 3 times on this little adventure! That was an adventure in and of itself.
Once we were all done exploring, we gladly spent some more time cliff jumping and swimming. The weather was HOT and being in the water was really the only way to deal with it.
After the swimming and cliff jumping was over, we packed up our kayaks and headed back to Stanton Creek Campground, where our cars were parked. The paddle back was smooth sailing and much quicker than our trip getting to Moki Canyon. Once back at the cars, we set up camp and sent Brother Johnson on his way.
A storm blew in that evening, and the 30 min of 50 mph wind weren't too fun to deal with. We blame Brother Jensen for asking Bishop what he would rather deal with. Bishop was asked if he would rather have wind or sun, and Bishop chose to have wind. Well.... That evening we had plenty of wind! Bishop got what he asked for LOL!
The storm looked nasty, but really we only dealt with the wind and a few sprinkles. In the end it ended up being a blessing. We enjoyed the cooler weather that evening. It made sleeping much easier. Before we went to bed, we found ourselves all gathered by the lakes shore goofing off and having fun teasing each other. funny stories were being shared and all seemed to be having a good time. It was then that Bishop took the opportunity to have a devotional with us. It is moments like these that make High Adventure Camps worth doing. Bishop took 45 min and talked with us about his concerns and asked all of us to enable the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives. He pleaded with all of us to come to the Saviour, and if needed, to go to him (the bishop) so that he could help us. It was great to her him talk about the potential of the youth and to encourage all of them to be stronger: to avoid pornography, and to do things that strengthen their testimonies. All in all, it was a very good devotional. We should have had one every night! :D Noted for next time! :)
DAY 4
We woke up to a calm and peaceful lake the next morning. To finish off our trip, we all got back in the kayaks one last time for a quick trip around the nearby inlets. There was lot of fun stuff to see, and of course the boys had fun swimming, and swamping each others kayaks. The cliffs weren't ideal for jumping off of, so not much of that happened, but we all did enjoy the easy paddling and swimming.
soon after noon, we were all back to the cars and packing up. All were looking forward to the hamburger waiting for them at Stan's Burger Shack in Hanksville. A huge yummy Hamburger, fries, and shake were AWESOME after eating freeze dried meals every day for 3 days. I know I LOVED my hamburger and hot fudge - cookie dough shake!
The rest of the drive few by. Brandon, Wes and Kale were in my car, and we were talking the whole time. Huge thanks to them for keeping me entertained the whole way home. It was great talking with them. We sure do have some AWESOME kids in our ward!
So.... the trip was incredible. Lake Powell was everything I hoped it would be. I can't wait to do a trip like this again!