HOM: Page

This was my first visit to Page, but not the last, so any details of this particular visit are long gone. I know I had fun. Don and Sandy have been two of the important people in my life since the long-ago days of college and when I walk into their house I feel like I am home. I class them as family and value their friendship. ----- They gave us a tour of the area and I think it was on this visit that we rented a boat at Wahweap Marina on Lake Powell and spent a day exploring. There were several memorable moments. We went up to the Rainbow Bridge, fifty miles up the lake, a natural wonder that I had read of in the account of Zane Grey's expedition there. In the days before Glen Canyon dam, it was a long and arduous journey by horseback and afoot, but the rising levels of Lake Powell made it into a quick boat journey and a short walk. Visiting it, I could see why it was a sacred Navajo site. It was a great example of nature's architecture. Afterward, we went on another eighteen miles to the junction of the San Juan and Colorado and picnicked on the rocks there, then headed back. Since I was driving the boat, a sizable runabout with a 115hp motor and a forward cabin, I made sure we had a few close calls. I followed one of the big tour boats, centering in their wake for a smooth ride, and was busy sightseeing when it dawned on me that I was WAY too close to their stern and going WAY faster. I took a hard right, which meant traveling uphill since we were at the point where the wake of the big boat was at its highest. We came off the top of the wave like a skier off a big mogul in my usual full-throttle manner and when our boat hit the bow scooped up a LOT of water. It rolled back over the cabin, where Don & I were, and all of it splashed down on Lyn & Sandy in the back. Somehow, unlike in nature, the water ignited the most flammable thing back there -- Lyn's temper. She landed standing up, soaking wet, and screaming that she was going to divorce me. I think Don & Sandy laughed. Well, at least I'm pretty sure Don did. He was dry. So was I, but I didn't laugh. Well, not then, anyway. Sandy's laughter and Don's joking cooled Lyn's anger down, but she never did forgive me and always thought I did it deliberately. The other incident happened when I was pulling out to pass a bass boat. When I came abreast of it, the guy hit the throttle and took off, and our boat got caught in his wake, heeling over 45 degrees or so. That time, I was smarter -- I pulled the throttle back to idle and let the waves go by. I think we were all relieved to get back to Wahweap at the end of the day. The 140 mile round trip plus some side jaunts, the overload of sun & scenery and the thrills had us tired out. TBC (Me) (Blacktail Books)