Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Sunday on the River

Sunday July 17, 2011
Utah Lake State Park
Lake Shore Campground site 25
Provo, Utah


We’d decided yesterday that we
would get out on the lake and/or river
to do some kayaking today in the early morning.

We haven’t been kayaking since the flooding
in Arkansas and Tennessee brought it mostly
to a halt and then we moved into the desert
where there was no water and then to the mountains
where the kayaking is white water.
I’m what is known as a binocular kayaker.
Mostly flat water in which I can use the foot
pedals on the rudder to maneuver the boat
while I have my eyes glued to my binoculars
pointed at the shore or the trees or the reeds.
So there was a lot of gear to get reorganized.
David made some lunches, I got all the gear
out of the car (our towable garage)
and we set about getting the kayaks on
their carts so we could walk them over to
the launch at the marina.

Sunday on the River 001

Ready to go.  Handle in hand.

P1110794

We put carts in the boat compartments.
Time to get launched.
Sunday on the River 003

Pushed off into this gorgeous scene.
Sunday on the River 004

Not even the sail boaters were out yet.
Sunday on the River 006

We paddled over to check out the flooding more closely.
That’s the rest rooms and information kiosks
Sunday on the River 007

Some of it was actually pretty funny
and we can laugh since no one was hurt and
no property destroyed.  Just VERY high water.
Sunday on the River 010 

Sunday on the River 013

Passing the rest rooms on my way to
the picnic tables you’ll notice
that I am obeying the sign
and have no intention of parking.
P1110798

We paddled outside the rock lined harbor
and into the BIG lake.
24 miles long and 13 miles wide.

This is the Harbor
P1110801 

Lake
P1110804

We paddled over through the reeds to the mouth
of the Provo River

Sunday on the River 018

At this point there was no one on the river but
these folks coming out to join us

P1110814

Sunday on the River 023

So we followed them

Sunday on the River 027

Sunday on the River 028

They seemed to know where they were going.

Sunday on the River 029

But little by little they drifted off to the sides
and we were left alone to find out way.

P1110815

Sunday on the River 030


















Hey Carrie,  I think I found George & Gracie!

Sunday on the River 033

Before long we came to this sign on a pedestrian
bridge which had a locked gate in the middle.
P1110818


We decided that kayaks were not “vessels”.
That vessels had motors.
And on up the river we went.
Not long after that, we came to the
car bridge leading into the park.

P1110823 

Check out the clearance between the high water and
the bridge.
But we made it with inches to spare

P1110822 

P1110820


And the river was beautiful

P1110827

Sunday on the River 036


We rounded a bend and found the boat dock
for a private campground we had passed
on our way to the park.

Sunday on the River 046


They had a lot of canoes.

Sunday on the River 047

But this one was fabulous.  Looks like a Voyageurs canoe doesn’t it?

Sunday on the River 049

Beautiful skies, beautiful water….
It was just a gorgeous day.
P1110841 


We paddled as far up the river as we were willing
given its current which got stronger and stronger as we went
and then turned around and floated back.

P1110842


See how hard we are both working at this point. 
:-)

Sunday on the River 052


This second half of the trip was more like a float.
Wonderful!

P1110859


Sunday on the River 057

Sunday on the River 058


Binocular Kayaker at work
P1110853

In a shorter amount of time than it took to paddle
UP the river, we were back at the high water bridge.
P1110863


Under I go again -

P1110864


David seems to have to bend over farther than I do.
LOL

Sunday on the River 068


The Sunday boaters were out by noon when
we got back to the harbor.

P1110868

Sunday on the River 082 

Sunday on the River 083


We’d paddled over 5 miles according to my Garmin
sports watch by the time we pulled up to shore
in time to see this group going out.


Sunday on the River 085

I think this is the captain inspecting the crew member’s work.

Sunday on the River 084


Out of the water, kayaks on the carts and
on the way back home.

Sunday on the River 087

We spent the heat of the afternoon
NINETY FOUR DEGREES
doing odds and ends and keeping cool.
After dinner I starting looking at our
camping possibilities at Yellowstone and
found that they do have a campground with some
hook ups but that they were all booked through August.

Oh well we’d thought we were boon docking and so we are.
But now I’m wondering if I need to make reservations at
the no hook ups campgrounds.
I hate reservations.

Oh well I’ll figure it out tomorrow.

Time to watch the sunset.
Sunday on the River 092


These were all taken from our patio and except for
the one below, I was too short to be able to see over
the wetland grasses to the mountains.
But you can just see them here barely.


Sunday on the River 094

 
Sunday on the River 100


Hope to walk over to the lake to catch the sunset
over the water tomorrow night.
Great closing to a Great Sunday on the water!

Ain’t Life Grand!!

10 comments:

  1. I am Laurie's Mom (owensontheroad)
    I love your blog and photos You guys are great!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

    So glad we got back out on the water. What a great paddle. Your photos are beautiful. The sky, clouds, mountains and water were just gorgeous today!! As if that wasn't enough... then came the SUNSETS!!!!

    Life is Grand :o)))))))

    ReplyDelete
  3. A lovely boat trip. I got a kick out of the way you paddle, with your feet and the binoculars to your eyes. That is so you can see the waterfalls before you get there, right?

    That really was a low bridge, good thing it was low tide...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Life is Grand!!!! You really had a ball out there on the water! Levonne, A Camp Host's Meanderings: An RV Adventure

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great paddle. And your sunset photos are fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Will tell you a secret... when we were in the Keys I swore I would never be in a spot like that again without a kayak... how do you like the ones you have? we are thinking of the sit on top of kind ...

    ReplyDelete
  7. You have some great sunset pics today as well Sherry! Yep, life is grand!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Don't you love it when you get to paddle up and float back. We did that all the time in Florida. Loved it. Our boat is getting dusty in the desert.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This was just an awesome day, even if I was only able to read about it!
    Life is, indeed, grand.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Can't wait to see similar mountains in 2 weeks! And, I hope the sunsets will be a gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete

Your comments are the best part of this blog for me.
I LOVE hearing from you!