Lake Powell Adventure 2006 – Day 3
Synopsis: Motor to Camp III off Pollywog Bench, then hike up the slickrock. (Tuesday, November 21.)
In the morning, we left for better hiking prospects. Don managed to get the houseboat out without any further collisions. Even with the destruction the previous day, I was impressed.
As the houseboat motored slowly out of the Escalante Arm, we left in two crews to explore Cathedral in the Desert. Erin and I were in the first crew.
![[pr/img_0083_panoA.jpg]](pr/img_0083_panoA.jpg.medium)
|
Leaving the houseboat for Cathedral in the Desert. |
![[pr/img_0086.jpg]](pr/img_0086.jpg.medium)
|
Don waiting in the motorboat at Cathedral in the Desert, which is 40-odd feet deep in water. |
![[pr/img_0092_joined.jpg]](pr/img_0092_joined.jpg.medium)
|
View upward from inside Clear Creek. This is a panoramic image assembled from 13 randomly-oriented individual photographs — go Hugin! |
![[pr/img_0091.jpg]](pr/img_0091.jpg.medium)
|
Limit of navigation in Clear Creek, above the Cathedral. Note how well this area, exposed for perhaps five to ten years, is recovering. |
![[pr/img_0105.jpg]](pr/img_0105.jpg.medium)
|
Returning to the houseboat. |
Before lunch, we found a campsite at a bench just outside the Escalante Arm, landed, and headed out for a dayhike.
![[pr/img_0108.jpg]](pr/img_0108.jpg.medium)
|
Houseboat moored at Camp III. |
![[maps/hiking-iii.jpg]](maps/hiking-iii.jpg.medium)
|
Map of hiking from Camp III. |
![[pe/img_0052.jpg]](pe/img_0052.jpg.medium)
|
Beginning our hike with Martin in the lead. |
![[pr/img_0112.jpg]](pr/img_0112.jpg.medium)
|
Rivulet in a slickrock bay. |
We pretty much wandered around the nearby landscape in singles, twos, and threes. Erin and I started off with Martin, but then split off when Martin went up a spot that was too scary for the two of us.
![[pr/img_0117.jpg]](pr/img_0117.jpg.medium)
|
Bill K. approaching from below. |
![[pr/img_0118.jpg]](pr/img_0118.jpg.medium)
|
Dad, Karl, and Petey at our lunch spot. As soon as we showed up, they left! |
![[pr/img_0119.jpg]](pr/img_0119.jpg.medium)
|
Erin traversing. This looks quite terrifying in the photo, but I don’t remember crossing anything particularly remarkable. |
![[pr/img_0123.jpg]](pr/img_0123.jpg.medium)
|
Bill K. and Don returning down the ascent that Erin and I turned back at. We were trying to go up the ridge at the left of the photo and got as far as the top of the highest red band. |
![[pr/img_0125.jpg]](pr/img_0125.jpg.medium)
|
Martin atop a distant ridge. |
![[pr/img_0126.jpg]](pr/img_0126.jpg.medium)
|
Navajo Sandstone. |
![[pr/img_0128.jpg]](pr/img_0128.jpg.medium)
|
Bill K. descending. |
![[pr/img_0135.jpg]](pr/img_0135.jpg.medium)
|
Purty rocks. |
![[pr/img_0136.jpg]](pr/img_0136.jpg.medium)
|
Erin descending yet another rock layer. |
![[pr/img_0137.jpg]](pr/img_0137.jpg.medium)
|
Secret place within the boulders. (This is underwater when Lake Powell is full.) |
![[pr/img_0140.jpg]](pr/img_0140.jpg.medium)
|
Home sweet home, complete with nudity. |
Following are some photos from folks in other parties.
![[pk/PB210191.jpg]](pk/PB210191.jpg.medium)
|
Karl and my dad on their Looney-Tunes route up through the first band.
Photo by Kathleen Gruetzmacher. |
![[pk/PB210197.jpg]](pk/PB210197.jpg.medium)
|
Wind-scoured rock.
Photo by Kathleen
Gruetzmacher. |
![[pk/PB210199.jpg]](pk/PB210199.jpg.medium)
|
Lake Powell.
Photo by Kathleen
Gruetzmacher. |
After the hike, it was another gargantuan multi-course dinner.
![[pw/pb210077.jpg]](pw/pb210077.jpg.medium)
|
Melissa, Erin, Gracia, and Martin in the reading nook.
Photo by Bill Priedhorsky. |
Please continue reading on Day 4.