Utah Vacation-Colorado River

The focus for today was the Colorado River. We planned a loop that included Lee’s Ferry, Horseshoe Bend, and the Glen Canyon Dam. There was one other place along the route that we also had to stop and revisit.

The other day, when returning from the North Rim, we stopped at Jacob’s Lake Inn for dinner. This place is known for its cookies and thick shakes. Being early, we skipped the shakes, but did not skip the cookies. We bought two chocolate chip cookies and two chocolate parfait cookies. The latter is a special cookie that does not use baking soda. It is more dense than a normal cookie, and had special Belgium chocolate chunks. The hard part was waiting for lunch to try them.

We continued on to our next stop at Lee’s Ferry. Lee’s Ferry is one of the few spots along the Grand Canyon that you can actually reach the river. It is the spot where all river expeditions begin. According to the signs, once you enter the river here, there is no turning back until reaching the other end of the canyon.

Boat launch at Lee's Ferry

We found a picnic area near the launch ramp and had lunch. As I ate, I thought about all the people on all the expeditions that passed through this spot. I wonder how many of those people loved it and how many regretted it. Today, we saw many people take a motor boat up river to the Glen Canyon Dam, then float back downstream in kayaks and canoes. That sounds like something I would totally enjoy. Oh, and I also ate one of the cookies… and it was fantastic.

Before the dam was build, the Colorado River was described as “Too thick to drink and too thin to plow”. It was full of red sediment from all the tributaries flowing into it. Now, it is an emerald green and looks quite inviting. Just down the river from the launch ramp, the river sees its first set of rapids. It amazes me that there is so much water in the river, while for many many miles, there is nothing but desert.

Next on the agenda was Horseshoe Bend. This bend in the river is very popular and is visited by many people. It is so popular, I saw a large, framed photograph of it going for $1000 at a gift shop. It is between the dam and Lee’s Ferry, so floaters pass through here on their way downstream. As the crow flies, the bend is very near to Lee’s Ferry. As the car drives, however, is quite a different story. Getting up out of the canyon takes many miles, and a very cool bridge.

Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River

The Navajo Bridge crosses Glen Canyon downstream of Horseshoe Bend and Lee’s Ferry. The bridge was complete in 1928. It is 467 feet above the river and spans 834 feet. There are actually two bridges – one for traffic and one for pedestrians. We also noticed that the bridges, along with holes in the nearby cliffs, are used by California Condors. Pretty cool.

Navajo Bridge over the Colorado River

Our next stop was the Glen Canyon Dam Visitor Center. We passed by here earlier in the week and made a point of revisiting. The Visitor Center itself was closed, but we were able to walk around the premises and read about the exhibits.

Andrew and a turbine blade at Glen Canyon Dam

Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell

Our final stop was Lone Rock. It is a solitary rock formation in Lake Powell. There is a campground nearby that was full of everything I find bad about camping, all in one place. I won’t go into details, but I felt sad for the poor rock, out there all by itself, surrounded by humans with all of their noisy power toys.

Lone Rock in Lake Powell

Then it was back to the condo. As you may know, I have been participating in running events and I recently bought a Garmin fitness tracking watch. I am following a running plan and Sunday is my long run day. Rather than skip it, I decided I had time to do it today. Susan and I walked to the nearby park, then I ran/walked 3.5 miles. After my first uphill run, my lungs started to get irritated and I started coughing. I don’t know if it was the dry air, the dust from passing cars, or the altitude, but whatever it was, I removed the hill from my following laps and started to feel better. While running, I passed by several people out enjoying the evening and they were all very nice and interactive. I like small town people.

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