lake to the powell

Oh, Lake Powell! This trip was especially fun (but we say that every time!).

One of the days we went on the most incredible hike up West Canyon. We followed a stream up through the canyon, wading in tad pool and bug infested waters! The farther we hiked the narrower the slot canyon became (and the colder the water got!). At some points we were walking in water up to our ankles, and at others we were flat out swimming. The whole experience of exploring the slots via water was incredible and truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

After two hours of hiking everyone but a few of us was ready to head back, so we split up. And boy did they miss out! We discovered another slot canyon with water that ended in a deep pool of water surrounded by high walls. Johnny miraculously monkey-climbed the walls and found a stick to help pull the rest of us up out of the pool. What came to view as we climbed out of the narrows was the largest, most breathtaking red rock amphitheater. It was so big we had to lean against a rock to look up at it because it literally made you dizzy. It was fun knowing that very few eyes got to see this natural wonder because most hikers probably turn back long before they reached this. On our way back we all jumped off the wall back into the deep pool and finished our hike about five hours later. It was a looong day, but it was unforgettable.

Another fun thing we always do at Lake Powell is build a huge waterslide. We had fun making trains, racing down, and getting some pretty awesome sand wedgies (those are the best). One day we played King of the Tramp: all the guys wrestled for like 20 minutes on the tramp, trying to push each other off. The girls played too and I won! (Excecpt when Dani played, and then she destroyed me!)

On the last night we had a huge relay race that included kayaking, gainers, diving to the bottom, changing swimsuits, etc. I was lucky enough to get the job of eating yogurt as fast as I could. It went into my brain. Anything for the sake of winning, right? At the end of the contest we had a bonfire with smores and presented our team flags. When Bryan presented his team's flag he opened it up and it said, "Dani, will you marry me?" He proposed (officially, that is)! Dani and Bryan are getting married! Needless to say, we all voted his team to win.

What a great trip! Too bad we can't just live at Lake Powell the whole summer!