Arizona

The Trip to Lake Powell

by Ingrid

I can’t think of a better way to start the day than by watching a beautiful sunrise while drinking a cup of hot strong coffee.  Throw in some stunning scenery and it just doesn’t get much better.

sunrise at Lake Powell

It’s Easter Sunday and while enjoying the view this morning and the sunrise and the coffee, I couldn’t help but feel grateful and did a little reflecting. You might say, I was feeling a little spiritual. Since I’m not one to get too serious about things here on the blog, let me just say, it was the perfect way to spend my Easter morning.

We arrived in Page, Arizona, last Sunday, and the week has flown by, but then again, we’ve been very busy AND social.

slot canyons
Hiking a slot canyon with friends

Our adventure started on our travel day …

Last Sunday we bid farewell to Lake Havasu City. The drive from Lake Havasu City to Page, Arizona was just a little over 350 miles (564 km) and took us just shy of eight hours in driving time. I must add that in addition to stopping for gas, we spent over an hour stopping northeast of Flagstaff for lunch and to check out some boondocking spots for future reference in the Coconino National Forest near Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.

Coconino National Forest
Our stop for lunch – Coconino National Forest near Sunset Crater

That stop would add to an already long day and for a split second we thought about overnighting right then and there (well, not exactly ‘there’ because there was a sign clearly stating no overnight parking 😔). We could’ve gone down any number of dirt roads in the national forest and found a place to camp, but at 8,000 feet in elevation at noon time the wind was already brisk and cold requiring us to don a coat. Therefore, we knew once the sun went down, the temperature would plummet …. burr.  Time to keep the wheels rolling.

We don’t usually drive that kind of distance in one day. After all, we live on RV time and prefer to meander. Initially, we planned to break the drive up by spending the night near the south rim of the Grand Canyon and boondocking in the Kaibab National Forest where we did last September, but the weather there was also too cold for our desert-acclimated bodies – near freezing temps overnight. Therefore, the weather kept us on the move.

By the time we arrived in Page, we were exhausted and more than ready to park the RV. If we were traveling with only one truck, we could easily switch drivers making the long day less tiring, but since we were traveling with both trucks (Al in the F-250 pulling the 5th wheel and me in the Toyota Tacoma following behind), it made for an exhausting day.

When we travel outside of Arizona, we usually leave the Tacoma at our son’s home in Phoenix, but since we’ve hung around Arizona all winter, we’ve been traveling with both trucks. As our week progressed, we were glad we had the Tacoma available for a little back-country exploring, but that tale deserves its own post.

Getting stuck in the sand

When we finally arrived at the dispersed camping area north of Page and Wahweap Marina, we were eager to assess the road and get the RV parked. The Lone Rock Beach area is a popular spot with day users and campers alike. Located along the shores of Lake Powell, this would be our fourth time camping here.

Lake Powell, Page Arizona

One of the things we learned during our second visit here is the lay of the land is ever-changing. The sandstone buttes, mesas, and monoliths that make the landscape so incredibly stunning are formed from wind and rain, which means you can expect a regular dose of wind around here.

cairnsAnd all that wind likes to rearrange the sand.

One year, the best-packed road leading down toward the water might be to the left of the restroom building while another year it would be best to take the road to the right. Folks get stuck in the sand here all the time and this year it was our turn.

In an attempt to make his princess happy and give her an optimum view, Al attempted to find a nice spot closer to the water than where we’d previously camped. After all, there were Class A’s and 5th Wheels bigger than us camped at the shore. Unfortunately, the packed gravel-like areas are mixed in with the pure sand areas making it a guessing game about finding a good place to park.

It was near dusk. The wind was howling and whipping up the sand. We were exhausted from the long drive. Al stopped the truck and RV so we could talk about exactly where to park (remember he wants to make his princess happy), but what he didn’t realize was when he stopped, the 5th wheel tires were in a soft sandy spot. Once he tried to drive forward, the rear truck tires started spinning and digging deeper into the sand.

Lake Powell, Page, Arizona
Teenagers from the class A came to our aid.

Two teenagers camped in the Class A Motorhome came running toward us with a shovel and wood blocks. This was one time I was glad it was spring break with kids everywhere. Between rearranging the sand with the shovel, using the blocks under the tires, and locking the hubs into four-wheel drive, Al managed to pull out of the sand and kept his momentum going until he found a solid gravel-like area to stop.

Lone Rock Lake Powell

We kept the truck and 5th Wheel hooked up for the next two days while waiting for our friends to join us and then deciding together where to park our RV’s for the coming week. Little did we know, we’d be sharing some great adventures. What a week!

Here’s a hint of some of those adventures ….

a scenic overlook – Lake Powell in southern Utah
highlight of my week
The Tacoma is perfect for exploring the back country

Those tales will need to wait until I have some downtime to write about them. Right now, we have some more exploring to do with our friends before it’s time for them to move on. Such is the life of an RVer!

Wishing you a wonderful Sunday! 🐰🥕🌼

Links to those adventures –

ingrid-2

54 thoughts on “The Trip to Lake Powell”

  1. Pingback: Adventures at the Arizona – Utah border | Live Laugh RV

  2. I really enjoyed hearing about your adventures to Lake Powell, Ingrid. Your experiences with knowing about what the weather will do when the sun goes down, and how to get out of a sand pit, are really fun to hear, and inspiring. And the photos are, as always, a pure joy. You are both intrepid adventurers, a joy to behold.

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    1. Thank you Jet. Life would be boring without a few mishaps from time to time. There’s some incredible scenery around here and the ever changing weather just adds to the beauty.

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  3. The kindness of strangers no matter where we travel never ceases to amaze me. Thank goodness for enthusiastic spring breakers willing to lend a hand to your sand situation. Page looks like another spot we need to add to our list. Beautiful photos as always Ingrid.

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    1. We meet the nicest people via our travels! I think you’ll find my next two posts interesting… perhaps even a future travel destination for you and Dave. Glad you enjoyed your time in Phoenix and if I can ever offer an suggestions on Arizona, don’t hesitate to email me. Maybe even one day we could meet up!

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    1. Awesome! If I don’t get everything posted before you get here, don’t hesitate to email me. In the meantime, Google Water Holes Canyon and Alstrom Point… the two highlights of my week.

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            1. We didn’t have time to drive through and explore. Sorry I can’t be of help. However, I’ve seen other posts on the subject and don’t think it seems worth stopping if time is an issue.

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  7. Lone Rock is a beautiful location. What a spectacular sunrise and sunset:) Good that you had help getting out of the sand. Could have been really ugly.

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  8. I’m happy to read that the RV community is as friendly as the sailing community, where people help each other when needed. Sounds like you had a wonderful week with your friends. Can’t wait to read more about that. The photos promise a lot of fun!

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    1. Yes, the RVing community is very helpful and friendly (usually) and yes we’ve been having a ton of fun. BUT I’m itching to get out on the water. This is one time, I am sorely missing our speed boat and wave runners.

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  9. That was a long drive!! Our longest so far has been 7 hours!! We don’t like those travel days but unfortunately they sometimes happen!!
    What a beautiful view you guys had at Lake Powell but I’m so sorry you got stuck!! Thank heavens for those young guys!! Nice of them to help!!
    I know you all had fun with your friends!!

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    1. We’re still hanging at Lake Powell but we’re currently being sandblasted with wind. The inside of the RV is covered in a thick layer of grit. One of the downsides to those amazing views. Those sandstone rocks are sculpted by the wind. So it does get windy here regularly. Oh well, nothing a day of cleaning can’t fix. Next week we’ll be moving on!

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  10. I have to agree boondocking at Lone Rock is a great spot, but I don’t think Betsy would like it there, especially with your stressful moments there. I can’t imagine Betsy getting stuck in the sand although I wished we were there you with you. What a beautiful Easter morning you’ve got!

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    1. We enjoyed a very nice Easter. If you don’t get too close to the water, there’s usually no problem. But Al wanted to give me the best view possible … isn’t he sweet? We still have an amazing view camped further up from the water.

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  11. Gorgeous sunrise! We love exploring the back trails too. So many hidden treasurers in that area.
    We must get to Page. Between your post and the Wright’s past post, it is a place we must see. What a wonderful help those teenagers did. Good job!

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    1. Yes, there are a bunch of hidden gems around here and we’ve barely scratched the surface. We keep extending our stay 😊

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    1. Spring and fall are the best times to visit unless you have a boat. Then summer can be fun. It does get super hot around here and cold in the winter, but worthy of a visit anytime.

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  13. I appreciated this post as we were recently talking about Lake Powell. The slot canyon is where I want to go. Looking forward to hearing all about it. Nice job, Ingrid!

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    1. I love it here. I’m working on my post about the slot canyon. It was awesome and because it was a self-guided hike, we went early and had the place to ourselves for the first hour.

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    1. It has been so much fun hanging out together and setting off on some adventures. Look forward to doing it again down the road sometime.

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  15. That is our biggest fear when visiting that area. Luckily we made it through without getting stuck. But there were plenty who did! Now you can add yourselves to that list of people you have seen pull in and get stuck! I noticed there were no pictures. We don’t have any pictures of our more stressful times either. There is time for pictures and then there is a time for action. I am guessing you were way too stressed and busy for pictures!

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    1. I think if I had pulled the camera out during that stressful moment, my husband may have come unglued 🤣 After all, he was just trying to make me happy! I do love it here though.

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    1. It is not difficult getting stuck around here. We watch folks everyday trying to dig out of the sand. So far, we haven’t seen a tow truck during ‘this’ visit. Love the view!

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  17. What a great pic of Lone Rock! We checked that campground out this past September but unfortunately did not have an opportunity to stay. We put that on our future campsite list. We really enjoyed visiting Antelope Canyon, especially the great photographs.
    Happy Easter!

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    1. We hiked the self-guided Water Holes Slot Canyon and loved having the canyon to ourselves the first hour. So many interesting sights to see and enjoy around Page. Definitely worth hanging around for a week.

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  18. We are at the Wahweep RV park and camp ground. Arrived today at 4:15 PM Drove from our friends place in Benson AZ.
    Mel & Bev Bell

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    1. Hey Mel – if you’re interested in getting together, just let me know. We’re tied up until Thursday. We’re boondocking at Lone Rock but go to Wahweap for showers and laundry.

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  19. We spent a few days in Page and Lake Powell last summer and loved it! It was July so we had to do a commercial campground to plug in, so we missed the dispersed camping. We also didn’t get into any of the canyons due to lack of time – but that just gives us another reason to return! Great post and safe travels!

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    1. Definitely need A/C during the summer around here. Plus I think it would difficult to hike because of the heat. Summer is all about the water. Spring and fall are perfect for hiking. Worthy of a return visit!

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  20. Oh goodness—a grueling travel day AND getting stuck in the sand. That’s just not right!! Glad there were some kind young folks around to help out. I’m sure they loved the adventure!

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    1. Yeah, I’m grateful it all turned out in the end, but I doubt we’ll do such a long drive like that again with 2 vehicles. We don’t mind long travel days crossing west TX but we usually switch off drivers so one of us isn’t stuck driving the whole time. Even after 5 years of full-timing, there are still lessens to be learned 🤔

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  22. I posted without even reading your blog… we must have been on the same wavelength this morning!

    Glad you are enjoying the back trails … glad you got out of the sand. We had some quicksand one time…. oh my gosh scary!

    Looks like you are enjoying life… isn’t that what it’s ALL about! Looking forward to more and more exciting places you and Al come upon!

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    1. Thank goodness once Al locked the hubs, we were on the move and out of the sand. We’ve had a fantastic week connecting with other bloggers/RVers and enjoying an adventurous hike one day and a back road excursion the next. Such stunning landscape around here. Happy Easter!

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  24. Yep, the Coconino National Forest is quite chili this time of year, mornings don’t go above 38 degrees until after memorial day most years. Check out the forest roads along Lake Mary road when you get a chance, awesome dry camping within 3 miles of pavement, many of the roads smooth enough for our class a.

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    1. Each year we try to explore more of Coconino NF. We did some exploring out to Lake Mary last summer but didn’t find any spots we felt comfortable with. Maybe we were looking in the wrong place. Will have to check it out further once the weather warms – thanks!

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