Travelogue

Sunset over Lake MeadThe last day of dragging the boat around the country was upon us, for today we would reach Lake Mead, the boat’s intended home -- at least for awhile.

We had decided before embarking on this trip that rather than bringing the boat all the way back to California, we would let it live for awhile in the desert. Although we had first thought of storing it at one of our favorite places on Earth, Lake Powell in Utah, we settled instead on the more easily accessible, and still very stunningly beautiful, Lake Mead, just 30 miles outside of Las Vegas.

Before leaving home, we had reserved a storage site at the nearby Boulder City Boat Storage facility. However, before tucking it away, we thought it (and we) deserved a few days playing and camping on this beautiful lake.

Day 1 – Lake Mead Marina and short sunset cruise across Boulder Basin

Happy Herb finally on Lake MeadOur original intention for our first night by Lake Mead was to stay at a motel, so that I could watch the second Presidential Debate – I am a bit of a political junkie. However, as we got our first view of this gorgeous lake from the Visitor Center, we figured it was stupid to pay a lot of money just to watch something that we could read about the next morning. It would be much more fun to sleep out under the stars and forget that the presidential election was even going on.

So, we continued down the hill from the National Recreation Area Visitor Center to the Lake Mead Marina, situated on the southern shore of Boulder Basin, on the southwestern end of the lake, about 2 miles (as the crow flies) from the Hoover Dam and only about 4 miles by boat.

We got a transient slip for the night. It was only $20 – what a deal! For now, we only booked one night, because we weren’t sure yet whether we wanted to spend the next few nights at a marina dock or anchored in a remote cove. There were plusses and minuses to both, but we would put that decision off until later.

Young lady ready to party at Lake Mead MarinaWe launched the boat at a rather dubious launch area – not knowing at the time that the real launch ramp was located about a mile west by the Las Vegas Bay Marina. However, things went smoothly, and we were soon established in our new home for the night at the end of the transient dock.

You could tell we were near Las Vegas, just by the general party feel there was to the marina. It was quiet now, being a Monday night in late September, but I could just imagine what this place was like on a summer weekend. Most of the boats in the marina were houseboats – perfect for large groups of people celebrating the end of a work week. One right nearby left one of their revelers behind – a scantily clad, mannequin atop the upper deck gazing out over the lake, probably wondering where her party friends had gone.

We didn’t stay settled at the dock for long. The evening light was getting so good that we decided to take the boat out for a short spin across Boulder Basin to get an unobstructed view of the sun setting on the colorful sandstone cliffs surrounding the lake. It was absolutely stunning.

The hills surrounding Boulder BasinWhen we got back to the dock at around 7:00 that evening, I walked over to the Boat House Restaurant at the end of the dock to check out the menu for later. It seemed pretty quiet, but the door was open, so I entered only to find empty tables and two people sitting at the bar, one of which was screaming at the TV set, which happened to have the presidential debate on. She stopped dead in her tracks, collected herself, and in her best restaurant hostess voice informed me that the kitchen had just closed.

So, it was Mountain House freeze-dried beef stroganoff on the camping stove for our first meal on Lake Mead.

I could deal with this.

Day 2 – Indian Canyon Cove

Rainbow (with no rain) by marinaSleeping in the Grady’s cozy littler cuddy cabin hadn’t been so bad – perhaps the gentle rocking and the sleep aid helped. It was quite nice to open the cuddy door and be greeted by the sun rising over the colorful cliffs. Since our boat is not exactly a yacht, it was nice to be able to just walk down the dock for the amenities we normally take for granted, like a restroom and shower.

Before heading off for breakfast at the marina restaurant, Herb and I had a mature discussion as to whether we should stay in the marina tonight or anchor in a cove. I know how much Herb loves remoteness and solitude, so I give him a lot of credit for letting me win for tonight with my desire for the creature comforts that the marina could provide. I promised him that tomorrow night we would venture out into the wild.

Herb hanging out in Indian Canyon CoveWhen we walked into the Boat House Restaurant, I immediately recognized our waitress as being the politically impassioned one from the night before. I didn’t want to embarrass her so I pretended it never happened. However, when Herb made a comment about having never been here before, meaning Lake Mead Marina, she pointed at me and said, “She has!” which made me feel a bit as if I had been an intruder on her private moment of rage.

We quickly changed the subject and asked her if she could recommend some nice, remote coves to anchor in. She called over another gentleman that worked at the marina to join the conversation. Either none of the employees ever get out on the lake, or they’re keeping their favorite coves secret, because neither of them had any suggestions to offer.

After breakfast we went into the marine store to book another night at the dock and ask them about good places to go on the lake - still, nothing. They suggested we buy a detailed map of the coves, which of course they didn’t have, but suggested their nearby sister marina, Las Vegas Boat Harbor, might. I have never seen a marina so unable – or perhaps unwilling – to provide information to its guests.

Lolo demonstrating use of float in Indian Canyon CoveSince we had to go to the food store in Boulder City anyway to stock up on supplies, we drove over to the other marina to see if they could perhaps be more helpful. I have a feeling that this is the main marina, because not only did they have the necessary maps and employees that were actually well informed and willing to share their knowledge, but there also was a top-notch concrete launch ramp – nothing like the sandy, undeveloped one we had used the night before.

Armed with navigational maps, local knowledge, and provisions from the food store, we headed out on the boat for a day of relaxation and fun.

The girl at Las Vegas Boat Harbor had given us the name of several coves to explore that would be scenic as well as possible to anchor in. Anchoring is a challenge in many of them, because the bottom tends to be rocky, making it difficult for the anchor to take hold, or, even worse, get stuck on a rock you finally do get hold of.

The water was smooth as glass and we cruised up the Boulder Basin Arm for about 10 miles into Sandy Cove on our left (excuse me, “port”). There were already a few boats anchored there, so we continued on looking for a cove to have to ourselves.

Desert Bighorn Sheep in Indian Canyon CoveJust across from Sandy Cove, on the south side of the Arm, we discovered lovely and deserted Indian Canyon Cove. As expected, we (and by we, I mean Herb) had to spend a bit of time making sure we wouldn’t drift into the cliff walls. Not trusting solely that an anchor dropped to the bottom would keep us secure, Herb swam to the canyon walls – there really was no shoreline – to hook an anchor behind a rock.

Once secure, we set about the business of reading, swimming, gazing at the canyon walls, etc. It was as if we were the only inhabitants for miles – at least, the only ones on two feet. We were only there a short time before we heard what we thought was a minor rockslide along the canyon. For the next half hour, we quietly watched five desert bighorn sheep delicately make their way down the steep canyon wall to drink from the lake. They were absolutely beautiful!

It was quite hot out – probably close to 90 degrees -- but frequent dips in the 80 degree water made it very comfortable. We even managed to use our yellow float, which over the 10 years we have owned it, has never failed to wash away all our stress and cares.

Lolo admiring the sunsetOn our way back, we stopped briefly in Fishfinder Cove to watch another incredible sunset.

Afterwards, my trusty captain safely navigated us in the dark back to the marina. That evening, after showering in the marina showers, we sipped wine, watched the stars, and ate the delicious salads we had bought at the Boulder City Vons today.

It had been a great day! Everyone needs some pristine wilderness to replenish the soul. A good marina shower after that replenishing isn’t so bad either.

Day 3 –the Narrows and Sidewinder Canyon

This was the day I promised Herb that I would enthusiastically leave the comforts and conveniences of the marina to camp out in the wild in a cove of his choice.

View from our runI tend to be a bit restless when confined to small spaces, so knowing me as well as he does, Herb suggested we go for a run before departing on our journey - to get it out of my system. He calls it “running the spouse.”

As the lake is set in a basin, there was nowhere to go but up. So, we ran up the steep road from the marina back towards the Visitor Center atop the hill. Fortunately, we didn’t have to run along Highway 93, as there was a paved trail that paralleled it. It was already getting hot, so we stopped at the Visitor Center for a drink of water and then headed back down. It felt great to stretch the legs, and the views were fabulous along the way. I was now ready to sit still for awhile.

Back on the boat, we set out across Boulder Basin, which thankfully, once again, was as smooth as glass. In about 10 miles we passed the entrance to Indian Cove Canyon, where we had spent a delightful day yesterday, and continued on towards The Narrows, which connected Boulder Basin to Virgin Basin.

Approaching the NarrowsThe waterway connecting the two basins is about 5 miles long and significantly narrower (hence, the name), with beautiful cliffs, colored in layers of beiges and browns, rising steeply from the water’s edge. I am not sure, but I think the beige-colored rock used to be underwater when the lake was at full capacity, but is exposed now because the lake is down over 100 feet. That is about how far from the lake surface that the color distinctly changes from beige to brown.

Along the way, we cruised into a few coves to scout out possible anchoring spots for the night. The cove map we had bought back at the Last Vegas Bay Marina yesterday underlined in red all the coves that were good for houseboat mooring. These were the only ones we would consider.

Our first contender was Sidewinder Cove on the southern side. It definitely had potential – very private and pretty, with a narrow part at the end where we could place an anchor on the canyon walls on either side.

Cruising through the NarrowsWe also checked out James Bay, also on the southern side, and Coyote Cove, on the northern side. Both of us liked Sidewinder Cove best.

However, before heading back to settle in for the night, we decided to continue out to the entrance to the Virgin Basin, just to see it. This last mile or so of the connecting waterway between the two basins is the official “Narrows.” At its narrowest point, I would have to guess that the canyon walls on either side are less than 100 yards apart.

Tomorrow we would explore out further into the Virgin Basin and up into the Overton Arm. For now though, we would cruise back to our home for the night at the end of Sidewinder Canyon.

Boating in Paradise is not all fun and glamour, so before settling into relax mode, there was the little issue of anchoring to deal with – and this was an important one, because we would be relying on it to keep us secure while sleeping.

Sidewinder CoveUsing our yellow float to straddle and paddle to the sides of the canyon, Herb affixed an anchor on each side of the canyon so that we would stay put and not swing around and possibly into the rocks during the night.

I then took control of the yellow float and showed him how it should be used.

The sun was scheduled to set around 6:30, and since we were positioned between two canyon walls, it would get dark soon after that. Since wine and sunsets go so well together, Captain Herb declared an early start to cocktail hour, especially considering we would probably be in bed by 8:00.

Tonight was a new moon, and Lake Mead is a dark sky area, so needless to say, the number and brightness of the stars we saw that night was incredible.

Day 4 – the Narrows, Overton Arm, and Cathedral Cove

Captain Herb in Cathedral CoveThe sun rose around 6:30 am, and as a result, so did we. We probably had gotten about 9 hours of sleep anyway. The boat was still securely anchored to the sides of the canyon. In fact, it had stayed so still during the night that I forgot I was even sleeping on the boat.

The canyon that morning was so quiet and serene. I must say I do like the way camping eliminates the clutter and noise of life and makes you focus on the simple things. Breakfast was just that – simple. Just bagels and cream cheese and coffee, and I would have to say they tasted better surrounded by pristine wilderness.

Our plan for the day was to take a cruise back out through the Narrows into the Virgin Basin, and then north up the Overton Arm. During a previous visit to the Lake with the boys back in 2007, we had rented a ski boat from the Echo Bay Marina up in the Overton Arm.

Cathedral CoveHowever, now due to the low lake levels from the multi-year drought, that marina was closed. In fact, it was probably more than a half a mile from the lake now. A sign back at the launch ramp by our marina had warned boaters that there were no services north of The Narrows. That meant that only boats that could carry a lot of gas could make a trip up here and back. The good news was that there was no one up here, which meant that we had this whole section of the lake to ourselves. The bad news was there was no one up here, so we better not get in trouble.

Before departing, we took a quick dip, as it was already getting hot. Also, Herb had to retrieve the anchors from both side of the canyon first, or we weren’t going anywhere.

Back in the boat again, we cruised out of the cove and turned right into the Narrows, which in my opinion is the most stunning part of the lake. In comparison to the closeness of its canyon walls, the openness and vastness of the Virgin Basin felt more like an ocean.

Herb relaxing in Cathedral CoveWe cruised up the Overton Arm looking for coves underlined in red on our map, meaning that they were good for houseboat mooring. Anchoring even in these recommended coves is tough, so we weren’t about to try one that wasn’t.

After 10 miles of nothing but non-underlined coves, we finally pulled into Cathedral Cove and immediately knew we had found our spot for the day. It was unbelievable, and there even was a little piece of sandy shore at its end where we could disembark and hike into a slot canyon.

If this cove was recommended for houseboat mooring, I would hate to see what one that wasn’t looked like. As we slowly inched our way towards the canyon’s end, I sat at the bow scanning the water for rocks, of which there were many, just enough below the surface to make them difficult to see, but close enough to do damage to a motor.

Anchor setting here was really challenging, because we had to not only ensure that the boat didn’t swing into the sides of the canyon or drift to shore, but also that it didn’t swing into any of the submerged boulders. It took quite a bit of maneuvering before we felt comfortable enough to relax.

Refreshing dip in Cathedral CoveWe spent an absolutely incredible afternoon swimming, floating on our yellow float, and hiking into the slot canyon. It was like we were the only people on earth. I can see why boaters are hesitant to share information about their favorite coves. I might regret sharing the name of this one myself.

The wind began to pick up later in the afternoon, so we figured we better get out of here while we still could.

Releasing the anchors was going to be difficult. We would have to keep the motor running during the process, because we had to keep the boat from moving into the rocks once it was free. That meant that I, rather than Herb, would have to do the swimming and retrieval of the anchors, because he would need to be driving the boat.

It did take a bit of time, but I was able to free the anchors and get back onto the boat without calamity. Whew!

Slot Canyon by Cathedral CoveJust as we eased out of the cove into the Overton Arm, the high temperature alarm went off on the boat. Herb turned the engine off and restarted it, but the alarm went off again.

I quickly switched into panic mode. We were 40 miles from anywhere. All that solitude that we had been gloating about all day was now going to come back to bite us on the bottom.

Meanwhile, Herb calmly surveyed the situation. He took the motor cover off to let it cool off for a bit and checked to see that nothing was blocking the water intake. The best theory he had was that all that sitting in the hot desert sun plus having to idle it for a long time while I struggled with the anchor – figured it was my fault – had caused the engine to overheat. If we just let it sit for awhile and cool down a bit, everything would be fine. God, I certainly hoped so.

After about 20 minutes, he tried the engine again. I braced myself for the screechy alarm, but the only sound was the roar of our trusty motor.

The 36 mile cruise back to the Lake Mead Marina was wonderful – and thankfully, smooth. We even made a quick side trip to see the Hoover Dam.

Day 5 – Prep and Store the Boat

Tucking the boat away for awhileBoating and camping on Lake Mead had been a blast, but it was time to tuck it away and head home.

Before leaving on this trip, Herb had reserved a 27-foot outdoor spot in the Boulder City Boat Storage facility, about 10 minutes from the lake. We love our boat, so we felt bad about leaving it behind and a little worried that it would be well-cared for – kind of the way we felt when leaving the kids with a babysitter for the first time.

However, we couldn’t have been more pleased with the facility. It was so clean and organized, and the manager was great. We knew the boat would be in good hands.

We had always stored the boat in our back yard (and for the past year in Herb’s brother’s yard), so I had not been as involved in the prepping for storage process. I usually helped Herb back it in the driveway and then went in the house. Apparently, a lot more happened after that, and today I was privy to it. I was exhausted just watching him – just kidding, I helped whenever I could.

Over about a 4 hour period, we (mostly Herb) washed and cleaned the boat, raised it up on jack stands, preserved the gas, removed the batteries, built a frame for a cover and installed the cover and another plastic tarp on top of that, opened the storage lockers for ventilation, emptied its contents into the Suburban, and on and on.

We didn’t get done until 4 o’clock in the afternoon, so any hopes of getting home tonight were pretty dashed. That’s okay. Another night on the road would give us time to reflect on the highs (of which there were many) and lows (of which there were a bit more than we would have liked) of our odyssey, before getting back to the realities of home.

Description

Sunset in Boulder BasinLake Mead National Recreation Area on the Nevada/Arizona border encompasses 1.5 million acres surrounding the Colorado River as it flows from the Grand Canyon through the desert to Lake Mojave. The centerpiece of the recreation area is 110-mile-long Lake Mead, the largest man-made lake in the country and a mecca for swimmers, boaters, anglers, windsurfers, and sightseers.

The lake was formed back in the 1930s by the construction of the Hoover Dam, which rises 726 feet above the bedrock and stretches 1,244 feet across the Black Canyon, making it the highest concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere. Because of the dam, Lake Mead can store up to 2 years of Colorado River flow. The water is then released in a regulated flow as needed. Today the reservoir irrigates over 2 million acres of land and supplies water for more than 14 million people.

Lolo demonstrating use of floatIn addition to its practical usage, Lake Mead attracts more than 9 million visitors each year who come to enjoy its many recreational opportunities. One of the big draws is the weather, which is usually sunny and hot, up to 110 °F in summer with water temperatures in the mid 80's.

For those that are just driving through, the Lakeshore Scenic Drive along the western end of the lake and the Northshore Scenic Drive along the entire northern portion of the lake wind through desert basins and canyons, providing striking panoramic views of the crystal blue lake set against a background of colorful mountains.

There are 5 major access points to the lake along the way (clockwise from the Hoover Dam):

• Boulder Beach, on the Lakeshore Scenic Drive just a few miles north of the Alan Bible Visitor Center, is the most popular swimming beach on the lake. It is also the only one that you don’t need a boat to get to. Nearby is the Lake Mead Marina, which rents boats, and the shady 154-site Boulder Beach Campground.
• Las Vegas Bay lies seven miles north of Boulder Beach. The 89-site Las Vegas Bay Campground sits on a bluff overlooking the lake. There is also a marina with boat rentals.
• Callville Bay is located at the end of a 4-mile hilly spur road off the Northshore Scenic Drive. There is an 80-site campground and a marina for boat rentals.
• Echo Bay is located at the end of a 5-mile hilly spur road off the Northshore Scenic Drive, about 24 miles east of the turnoff for Callville Bay. The Echo Bay Campground has 166 sites and there is a marina with boat rentals.
• Overton Beach is another 10 miles east on the Northshore Scenic Drive. Its marina and campground have been closed due to lowering lake levels.
• The best way by far to explore the beauty of the lake and the surrounding canyons is by boat. Either rent one on your own at one of the many marinas or take a cruise on a paddlewheeler to and from the Hoover Dam with Lake Mead Cruises.