The day was cloudy with gusty winds as we made our way to Wahweap Marina.
We had scheduled a Boat Tour to Rainbow Bridge National Monument. It is about a 2 hour trip on Lake Powell to get to it.
While having an early lunch at the Resort Restaurant we tried to guess which boat we would be on.
We guessed this one.
But since there were only 30 of us it was the first one.
This one is used for the dinner cruise, weddings and events.
We boarded the boat and I was happy that we got a seat on the open top. The formation above is Castle Rock and is a landmark at Wahweap Marina.
Lake Powell is amazing. When you are out on the water you realize how really huge it is. The depth in some places is 500 feet but the average is 130 feet.
We were given head sets so we could hear the audio that points out landmarks and gives historical information on the area.
The wind made the water pretty choppy and every now and then the spray from the boat would come up and give us a wake up call.
There is 1900 miles of shoreline. We only saw probably 5% of that.
We learned the difference between a Butte and a Mesa. This is Navajo Butte.
And this is a mesa. Both have flat tops but a mesa is long and low and a butte is tall and thin.
Despite the gray and brooding skies the scenery was awe inspiring. We are so enjoying the trip.
There were a few drops of rain but they soon passed.
The gray of the sky seemed to intensify the color of the cliffs.
But it wasn't long before the blue skies started to appear.
This is called a push barge. Dangling Rope Marina is only accessible by boat or helicopter and this is how they take supplies to the Marina. Dangling Rope is up a canyon that we did not go to. Walt was disappointed because apparently they are famous for their yummy soft serve ice cream.
Touring the canyons by boat is like hiking without walking. You do get up close to the beauty.
It did make us wish we had a small boat that we could take up the many small canyons to see what lies beyond.
Oooh, we do get to go up one of those narrow high cliffed canyons.
Our Captain just skillfully maneuvered us through these cliffs.
The announcement was made that soon we would be to the dock where we will disembark and take the just over 2 mile out and back hike to see Rainbow Bridge.
Almost there! What a beautiful place.
The dock is LONG. It turns at the end to connect with the sandy path.
About 1/2 mile down the path you get the first peek of the Bridge.
A little more revealed.
There it is in all of its majesty. See the people on the left. Gives an idea of the sheer size of the Bridge.
It is 290 feet tall and spans 275 feet.
The arch is 33 feet wide. We were told that on his visit to the bridge that Zane Grey slept on top of the arch.
The Bridge has only been known to the outside world for somewhat over 100 years but Native Americans living in the area have long held the area as sacred ground. As part of the planning process for the National Monument the National Park Service consulted with the five Native American nations affiliated with Rainbow Bridge: the Navajo, Hopi, San Juan Southern Paiute, Kaibab Paiute, and White Mesa Ute. Chief among their concerns was that Rainbow Bridge-a religious and sacred place-be protected and visited in a respectful manner. Additionally, the tribes expressed concerns about visitors approaching or walking under the bridge. They agreed to adhere to their wishes and visitors are not allowed to walk under the bridge or climb it. We were asked to visit the site with the behavior that honors and respects the sacred spirit of the area. It is majestic and it was nice to have time to enjoy being there.
Normally there is a Ranger at the Arch that gives information about the area and answers questions but we had a medical emergency on our boat and the Ranger was an EMT so headed to the boat to evaluate the lady.
It was determined that she needed to be in the hospital so an emergency boat came to take her to Dangling Rope Marina where she could be helicoptered out. We were very impressed with the efficiency the staff showed in handling the situation. I hope everything was OK for her.
It was a wonderful experience seeing the magnificent Rainbow Bridge. We couldn't help saying how much we had enjoyed this day. Walt especially enjoyed that he got to be a passenger instead of the driver. (But, when we take the car he doesn't want anyone else to drive.)
Next up will be the return trip.
“Life is like a rainbow. You need both the sun and the rain to make its colors appear.”
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