Page, Ariz. – Glen Canyon, “the place no one knew,” has been described as the Colorado River’s “masterwork.”
Its carved walls, royal arches, narrow chasms, mounds and monuments are shaped by 2 billion years of geologic activity. And the canyon is a virtual universe of its own, separated from our own by time, space and, since 1963, water.
That was the year the government-built Glen Canyon Dam at Page formed what is now Lake Powell, at least temporarily submerging the gorges of the masterwork beneath the second-largest man-made lake in the nation (only Lake Mead downstream from the dam is larger). It took 17 years for the river to fill the basin, and this, the record-low year for water levels in the massive lake, may be the closest anyone since that time has come to seeing the canyon as it was when Major John Wesley Powell first explored it in 1869.
In early April, Lake Powell reached the lowest point since dam construction but is now rising more than 6 inches a day with spring runoff. Snowmelt from Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona is expected to boost water levels more than 50 feet by midsummer.
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Ample water remains for water-skiers, wakeboarders and houseboaters to pursue their passions on this popular, 200-mile-long lake spanning the border of Utah and Arizona. But many outdoor enthusiasts are taking advantage of the lower lake levels by discovering adventures of a more traditional sort – in kayaks.
“There’s more to see now. The canyon is showing us what it really is,” said Kyle Walker, owner of Glen Canyon Kayak Guides in Page. “And the more the canyon shows me, the better it is.”
It will be a long time before Lake Powell is stripped to the bare rock walls, silt-free streams and pure sands of the pre-dam era. But for now, much of the past is present again, and there is more to see of the original canyon than has been possible since Walker became the first licensed kayak tour guide on the lake in 2000. His trips, which combine short hikes with kayak tours designed for entry-level paddlers, explore slot canyons and rock formations that have been submerged for decades.
Svelte watercraft negotiates the twists and turns of narrow canyons too challenging for most motorcraft, offering a serene getaway into the tangle of undulating gorges, colored rocks and towering buttes. Tall stone walls and cool splashes of lake water offer welcome relief from the surrounding desert heat, and shaded walks through the narrow slots at the canyon’s end inspire awe in almost anyone.
“This is absolutely nothing like the whitewater kayak scene. It’s just a really cool, chill experience,” said Walker, 36. “But it blows people’s minds. There is no place in the world like this. If there is, I want to go there.”
Although the entirety of Lake Powell is probably best suited for motorized boats, there is an argument for taking time out to paddle one of Walker’s 16-foot Dagger and Prijon touring kayaks for a trip ranging from just a few hours to multiday tours. With about 1,960 miles of shoreline, the lake is longer than the United States’ West Coast and has nearly 100 side canyons. More than 1 million acres of surrounding natural desert form a spectacular backdrop, and the kayaks offer a novel way to take it all in, away from the buzz and stench of motors.
“I don’t have much experience in a kayak,” said Rhiana Barton of Avon after a morning paddle during a recent Powell visit. “But I thought it was really cool. I definitely felt like I was getting the hang of it.”
Because of its proximity at the southernmost point of Lake Powell, Glen Canyon Kayak Guides frequently tours three slot canyons – Labyrinth, Face and West – in Arizona, although nothing on the lake is out of bounds. A popular destination among photo buffs and wilderness junkies is Grand Staircase Escalante Canyon National Monument in Utah, arguably the most scenic spot in the entire region.
Anyone with a kayak and a strong back is capable of tackling the tours on their own, although Walker’s familiarity with the region and 24-foot powerboat complete with kayak racks is worth the $125 price of admission for a day.
During a recent day trip into Labyrinth Canyon with Walker and Tom Boyd of Vail, we outfitted our kayaks with food, water and gear on a nearby island in Padre Bay, then breezed through 5 miles of paddling through the vertical-walled canyon’s narrow channel.
Tower Butte, lurking behind canyon walls and soaring high above hidden beaches sloping into the lake’s depths, showed itself on occasion. A quick lunch on the beach led us into the maze of slots at Labyrinth’s crux, slowing our pace as we literally traced the sands of time.
“That was amazing,” Boyd said after emerging from the canyon and heading back to our island launch site. “I don’t know anyplace else where you could do something that cool.”
There may be some other spot, the place still unknown where similar mysteries and natural beauty unfold before your eyes. But at Lake Powell in Glen Canyon, where it has already been discovered, there never may be a better time.
Glen Canyon Kayak Guides are the only certified guides on Lake Powell that offer tours in touring kayaks. They can be reached at www.kayakpowell.com or 1-888-854-7862.
Staff writer Scott Willoughby can be reached at swilloughby@denverpost.com or 303-820-1993.
