9/3 Lake Powell, AZ

Left Grand Canyon yesterday, after spending some time at the farthest east point of the national park, Desert View.  This gave me an opportunity to take a photo of one of the water bottle refill stations that the park provides.  All of the water for the north and south rims comes from a spring just below the north rim, as I had mentioned before.  Here is one of the places where visitors can get cold, very good tasting water:

 

I drove about 150 miles and arrived at Lake Powell yesterday.  It is HOT here, so AC is on constantly.  The lake level is about 20’ lower than it was last year when I was here with Rob and his family because of the drought and also because they are releasing twice as much water daily as is being added to the reservoir—causing a lot of problems for boaters, and making the shore path I walked a LONG way from the shore!  (Walked to hotel this early afternoon, which is a lot farther than the 1/4 mile the desk clerk told me it was.  Got a blister on the toe I had operated on, so it will be different shoes and bandaids for a while.  Took the shuttle back.  Driver confirmed it was more like half a mile or longer walk.  I can also take a shuttle into town, which I might do on Wednesday or Thursday.)

Here are some photos of my campsite and the view I have from my front window.  Nice thing about national parks and national recreation areas is how far campsites are apart from each other.  There are a couple sites right across from me, but none are occupied so I have a lot of privacy.  (Oops, someone just pulled in next door.) Got my awning set up this morning also.

  

Tomorrow, I take a tour boat to two canyons.  I am skipping Rainbow Bridge, unfortunately, because it is a 1.5 miles hike in from where the boat now docks because of the low water level.  Just too hot for me to manage a three-mile hike, so I will take another trip in the cool morning tomorrow.  No AC on the boats, but it will be done by 11:30 am, so it will not yet be too hot.  Hopefully, cooler with boat moving, also.  A shuttle will pick me up at my campground and take me to the hotel where the boat leaves. 

Biggest problem with this area is figuring out what time it is.  Most of Arizona is NOT on daylight savings time, but the Indian reservations ARE on DST, and that is a large part of the state. 

Steak and mushrooms for dinner last night.  Tonight will be bacon and tomato sandwich and some fresh raspberries.  Do I live well, or what??