Planning a Lake Powell Trip, any tips?

My friends and I are in the process of planning a trip to lake powell sometime next july. We are planning on renting a house boat from either waheap or antelope point marina, and being on the water 4-6 days. I dont even own a boat yet but plan to buy one in the next few months. I plan to tow that there, we are from SD and have about 20 hour drive. Just looking for any advice or tips.

Any must haves on the houseboat?
Any tips on when to book the houseboat? Sounds like they start running specials in October, we just really dont want to be to late and be stuck with dates that we can't make work.
Anyone have any recommendations on a specific boat for 10-12 people?
Is July a decent time to go?
Things to be sure to bring?
Things to be sure to do?
Things to be sure to see?
Any tips for towing a boat that far?
I am somewhat nervous on the fuel situation with the wake boat, I know the lake is huge, and we may end up camping pretty far from the marina, will a guy just need to watch your level carefully and go back to the marina to fill up daily? Bring some spare too probably? Anyone ever brought a transfer tank on a houseboat? Assuming they probably wont allown that.

Any and all help/tips/advice would be greatly appreciated.
We can't wait to go, have never heard of anyone going and not having an incredible time.

Thanks!

Whatever boat you buy, replace the tires and re-pack the bearings on your trailer. Don't ruin your trip before you get there.

We went to Powell June 2014 and drove from Dallas. (1000 miles) We were able to get a 50% off deal if we booked our trip before June 21. Make sure you bring an extra trailer harness (mine somehow detached and went bye bye outside of Amarillo). Ever tried to backup a trailer with surge brakes without a trailer harness. I also brought an extra 5 gallon jug of gas and strapped it down to the trailer in case we got low or ran out of gas.

If you're leaving out of Wahweap make sure to get a Stan Jones Lake Powell Country Map (must have). It displays all of the canyons and channel markers. You can get one at the marina store.
One thing they forgot to tell us upon checking out the houseboat (Wahweap) was to dig a hole and bury the anchors when you found your spot. The anchors came loose at least 4 times and it was a mad scramble to get everything tied back down. It can get quite windy there so make sure you dig a whole at least a couple feet deep and toss the anchors in there and bury them.

You have a few options for gas if you leave out of Waheap. Wahweap, Antelope Marina and Dangling Rope. We stayed mostly on the western part of the lake and used Antelope once and used Dangling Rope on the way back from Rainbow Bridge (must see). We burned up about 30 gallons of gas getting to Rainbow Bridge from Padre Bay where we were camped and ended up paying 5.20 gallon for 87 octane gas at Dangling Rope to get back.

I wish I knew beforehand about the anchor situation we had a couple sketchy episodes when the wind picked up and an anchor came loose. Also wished I had an extra trailer harness because that turned into a nightmare as well. All in all it was a great trip with a lot of manual labor. On the way home we drove to Grand Canyon for the day stayed overnight in Flagstaff and hit Meteor Crater on the way home.

Additional pics

If the houseboat you rent doesn't have a toy tank then you need to camp close to a marina or if you really want to get up the lake (which I recommend) then camp near Dangling Rope and get your fuel there. Even then bringing extra gas cans with you can minimize trips back for fuel.

If the boat has a toy tank then you should be good to go.

Try to moor the houseboat in a cove with some protection. Protected or not use at least two anchors per side dug in deep. Re-tighten the anchor ropes every morning at the cleats. If a storm hits you may need to add an anchor to the side from which the wind blows. If it gets really really bad then you may need to use the houseboat motors to help keep the boat in place.

July is a great time to go but you approach monsoon season at the end of the month which is when bad storms are more prevalent.

I try to get the lay of the land with my ski boat so I know where rocks and sandbars exist. Typically I tie off to the houseboat so I make sure the area around where I'm tying off has room to approach and execute a turn if needed. If you're anchoring Don't just drive up to a spot. Keep a close eye on your dept gauge as you approach but before pulling in get out and wade through the area to make sure it's suitable. Pulling up to any shoreline blind can spell disaster for your prop. Anchor nose-out and bury the stern line pretty deep. If your bow anchor is in six feet or less depth then I hand set and try to bury it a bit as well. If you're using a Danforth (what most people use at Powell) anchor make sure it has a proper sized chain because that is really the secret to keep those set. Box anchors are a mixed bag at LP. Sometimes they are great and other times not so great.

You undoubtedly have an awesome trip ahead of you. I prefer Powell to about anywhere in the world. I only take trips to Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Europe to keep my wife happy. Here are some thoughts on your specific questions:

Any must haves on the houseboat?
Yes. Aramark will send you out short on anchors (two) but will give you more (four) if you ask. If they don't give you a decent shovel, you need to take one or buy one at the WalMart in Page. The first two anchors go from the rear cleats of the houseboat out on 45 degree angles to shore anchors that you dig at least two feet under the sand. If you can tie to big rocks, that's better than anchors. The other two anchor lines go from the front corners of the houseboat toward shore anchors at 45 degree anchors. It's hard to overstate the importance of the front anchors. Without them, wind breaks the bow loose and the boat turns sideways and the rear anchor lines go slack. You're then at the mercy of the wind and waves. If you have four anchors, all is well and your houseboat stays safe in the storms that you're guaranteed to have.

Any tips on when to book the houseboat? Sounds like they start running specials in October, we just really dont want to be to late and be stuck with dates that we can't make work.
I am kind out of the loop on this since I bought a houseboat, but it sounds like you're looking at this right.

Anyone have any recommendations on a specific boat for 10-12 people? A 46 footer is fine. A bit bigger wouldn't hurt but will cost you more. July is too hot to sleep inside so the only use for bedrooms is a place to store your gear. If Aramark doesn't give you sleeping pads with the houseboat, you'll want at least a pad like a thermarest for each person. In July, I prefer to sleep with just sheets but to have a blanket ready to pull over me when it cools down around 3 or 4 in the morning. Regular sleeping bags are just to hot in July.

Is July a decent time to go?
Even though July isn't my favorite month on the lake, it is still great. The water will be warm and you can escape the crowds if you're willing to take your houseboat away from the marina a bit.

Things to be sure to bring?
Even though the houseboats have fridges, I would plan on lots of ice and coolers especially if the fridges are gas powered RV fridges. Those fridges are really lame in Lake Powell heat. You'll likely need a good source for music, even if it's just a bluetooth speaker that you pair to your phone or iPod. Speaking of phones, if you can see Navajo mountain or the power stacks of the Navajo power plant, you can get coverage. But for most of the lake, you're without cell coverage once you leave the marina. You can pack really light on clothes. I usually pack things like my toothbrush and shampoo, two swimsuits, a fresh tee shirt for each day, a pair of flip flops, a decent pair of hiking shoes or Teva or Chaco sandals, a hat, sunglasses, and lots and lots of sunscreen. I take a pair of scrub pants to wear at night or if my legs get too much sun. You really don't need much else. My wife adds a swimsuit coverup and a pair or two of board shorts, but that's it.

If you have an SUP or two, you will be happy you brought them. Same goes for a kayak or two -- inflatable or otherwise. These are awesome to explore canyons or just get out and about. If you have jet skis, Lake Powell offers a lot of great high cliffs to push them off to watch the explosion. (Just kidding -- you will actually want to burn any jet skis before you leave SD.)

Things to be sure to do?
At regular intervals, you need to stop the boat so everyone can jump in the lake. Hot people are grumpy and it is easy to get hot people at Powell in July. Toward evening, you can whip out a bottle of shampoo, some conditioner, and some biodegradable soap like Dr. Bronner's and turn it into a shower party.

Mid-afternoon is a great time to play watermelon basketball in the water. You take a pool noodle and use a stick to put the two ends together to make a hoop or two that float on the water. If you put your legs through the arm holes of your life jacket, you will look goofy but float well and leave your arms free to manage the watermelon. The watermelon passes quite well underwater and sort of well out of the water. It's up to you to decide whether you can dunk players of whether you can only dunk the watermelon basketball.

Things to be sure to see?
Rainbow Bridge. Once you boat to Forbidding Canyon, it takes about a half hour to boat into the dock and about two hours to hike to Ranibow Bridge and back. Well worth it. Rainbow Bridge is too far to take a houseboat if you have the option to take everyone in your smaller boat. Dangling Rope Marina is also great. I believe it is at Mile Marker 43 or so, which makes it a great place to grab gas and ice if you're out on the lake. Never pass Dangling Rope without fueling up. If you opt for the six day trip, you can take the houseboat out as far as Rock Creek or Last Chance. Both offer great places to ski, wakeboard, and surf. For a shorter trip, you might have to stay closer to the marina like Padre Bay or Gregory Butte. A houseboat is only traveling around 6 MPH, so you need a longer trip to justify going 20 or 25 miles out with the houseboat. Not as good as going farther away, but way better than being stuck in Wahweap or Warm Creek.

Any tips for towing a boat that far?
If you have the choice when you buy a boat, a tandem axle trailer is better. Tire inflation is a big deal. Tires will carry their rated weight at full inflation, but their carrying capacity drops dramatically if they're even a little underinflated.

I am somewhat nervous on the fuel situation
You're right to be. Aramark won't let you put gas cans on their houseboats, but you can put as many as you want in your little boat. If the gas cans happen to find their way to the houseboat once you're out of sight of the marina, oh well. Before I put a toy tank on my houseboat, my standard trip was to fill my ski boat's 45-gallon tank and then take between 50 and 70 gallons in five and six gallon cans. When you're out on the lake, it is a good idea to keep a five gallon can tucked away in your little boat for a "silver bullet." I haven't had to use my silver bullet that many times, but when I have, I have been very glad to see it. Other than the silver bullet can, the rest can sit out of the way on the houseboat.

A big gas saver is to tow your little boat from the marina to your campsite. This is the only decent use I can think of for a tubing rope. Once you're within a couple of miles where you want to look for a place to park the houseboat for the trip, you can untie the ski boat and someone take it to look for a site. Marine radios are really useful for this process. Rental houseboats have them and a handheld is good enough for your little boat.

It is amazing how little gas you actually use if you are just skiing or boarding in the morning, surfing in the afternoon, and taking another ski or wakeboard set in the evening. If you want to pull tubers around all afternoon, that's your business, but you will go through gas like crazy.

If at all possible, it is a more enjoyable trip to stay a bit farther from Wahweap and go to Dangling Rope for gas and ice rather than to stay close to Wahweap or Antelope Point and go back there every day.

A couple of final thoughts. You just as well go to Amazon right now and get a decent map. The Stan Jones map is hard to beat. I have been to Powell between one and six times each year since 1972 and I still can't imagine venturing out without a decent map. Since you'll need one anyway, you just as well get one now to make your planning go better. Until your map shows up in the mail, here is a pretty good one online. You click on each section to see details: http://fredsliquorstore.com/maps.html

As good as WakeWorld is, you might want to look around the forums at Waynes Words. It is a website dedicated to Lake Powell users. Here is a link http://www.wayneswords.com/index.php...nena&Itemid=27

Thanks for the reply, lot of good info that I really appreciate, keep it coming. Few more questions-

Too hot to sleep in the boat? Even with A/C? I hope that if we are paying for a boat with 4-6 beds that we will get to use them!

Do you guys normally find a place to park your houseboat and leave it the the entire trip or do you find different spots to camp each night? Sounds like they are alot of work to anchor.

Looks to me like most of these house boats have gas tanks that hold around 300 gallons. How far will that get a guy? Plenty to maybe camp in couple different places if we want to?

I see most of the houseboats are listed with a "remote fuel tank pump", is that a pump that will allow us to transfer fuel from the house boat to the wakeboat?

I saw a video of some people camping up navajo canyon, looked like a nice area and close to antelope point. Anyone recommend to camp or not camp up there?

Food. What do you guys recommend? The easier the better of course!

Can we catch fish there and eat them? If theres any still alive next year that is.

One more- We would consider going in mid-late june also. Would this be a better time to go than july?

Thanks again guys

It seems like I split my time between sleeping up on top and sleeping inside with the AC. The AC's on those things work great so you will have no problem sleeping inside.

I always find a spot and leave it. Driving those things around is super expensive and digging proper anchor holes is hard work!

I don't know about all the rentals but most boats I've been on have a large gas tank for the boat systems ( engines and generators) and a toy tank that fills up the toys. You will want to clarify with whoever you're renting from what it has and what kind of fuel consumption the houseboat gets per hour. If you post a link of the boat you're thinking about we could probably give you a better idea.

I think remote fuel tank pump is for the toy tank and allows you to pump gas into your boat.

Navajo is cool. I personally prefer going up to Gunsite, Last Chance, or beyond. Oak Canyon is my new favorite but it's up above Rainbow Bridge.

I wouldn't count on catching fish to eat although Iv'e seen it happen. Fishing seems to be hit or miss. Most houseboat kitchens have everything you will need to cook a normal meal as well as a BBQ grill. My favorite is to prepare some meals beforehand and freeze so they only need to be popped in the oven. Grilling is also a great way to go. Lunch is usually sandwiches and fruit. Breakfast can be as easy or as hard as you want to make it. My favorite thing last trip was to make omelets on a waffle iron. Super easy and tasty!

I love both June and July at Powell.

Lots of good info above. I would leave out of Antelope since there isn't much lake west of it other than Wahweap and the dam.

You will be sad you only booked your trip for 6 days. I can 100% guarantee that. Mark my words.

Powell is awesome, just had a trip in early June for 7 days.

4-5 days, you will be fine with a full tank of wake boat gas and a full tank of houseboat gas. We made it from wahweap up past Rainbow Bridge (around the 50 mile mark I think), and then back to wahweap. Used 156 gallons of fuel, including the houseboat gas for 2 - 5.0 L mercruiser inboard motors, onboard gas generator, and wakeboat gas. We towed the wakeboat behind the houseboat, cruised at about 8 miles an hour, and used the map mentioned above to find our coves. We would motor up river through lunch, find a cove around 3pm (using the wakeboat to scout spots and hand held radios to communicate with the houseboat so that the houseboat could continue up the main river as we went searching for a spot to camp). We would stay there all afternoon and night, have breakfast in the morning and go ride, then around 11 move on out of there... and repeat. We only stayed at one spot for more than one night, the rest of the days were always a new spot.

PWC"s are awesome out in powell, but know the new laws, as of 2013 you pretty much need a 4 stroke pwc, or direct injected 2-strokes that meet the 2006 standards (of which know of no PWC's that are direct injected 2 strokes... i hear that honda has one coming up) PWC's are great for scouting campsites, but they do use a lot more fuel than using a boat.. but again, they are fast and fun.
waterproof 2 way radios
good map that describes each "canyon" (as some canyons are tens of miles long) with buoy markers to help navigate (it is very simple this way).
Boat cover for wakeboat/runabout in case of the crazy thunderstorms pound down rain (can happen daily)
2 spade shovels and a pick.... just as stated above, you dig a 2-3 foot deep hole to drop anchor. Some houseboats have these tools with them, if not, bring your own. Some of the beaches are very hard compacted soil and depending on how long your anchor lines are, you may not be able to find a softer spot, so the pick is definitely recommended.
Learn how to tie a truckers hitch, and learn the Figure of 8"s knots, specifically the inline figure-8 for your truckers hitch. Tie these hitches on your 4 anchor lines. These are easy to tie, easy to untie, and are quickly adjustable.... depending on time of year, you may need to adjust your anchor lines a few times a day. We went early June, water was rising a foot a day, so our lines at 9pm were a lot looser than when we originally tied them at 3pm. Later in the summer the water level drops and this is not really an issue (but if you stay more than a night, and do not adjust the houseboat off the shore every day, you may have a really hard time pulling it off shore when you go to leave).
Old tennis shoes or good water shoes. Some beaches have gnarly weeds and sharp thorns... plus almost everywhere you stop to camp, there are really cool places to go hike and sight see, and flip flops will prevent you from getting to some really cool places.
Medication (benadryl, epi pens, asprin, tylenol...etc) bendadry and epi pen in case of severe allergic reactions.
Cell phones were hit and miss all the way up to 60 miles up river from wahweap... we could make a call out from the main channel, but not from our camp sites (we had to call in a prescription for one of the kids)
long Jumper cables 20'+ to jump your wakeboat off the houseboat batteries (or a jump box, but cables are a lot cheaper)
Fuel cans (20 gallons or so, just in case you need it for the houseboat or wakeboat to get to the marina's)
spare propeller (if you get a runabout, you can change it right there on the beach, if you get a wakeboat, you may need to limp to a marina or back to wahweap to get it on your trailer to change it, but having one is nice just in case)
tools- our houseboat has a great tool box, but I made sure I had the tools specific for my wakeboat stored on my boat.
finally, good friends. This trip is only as good as the worst person you bring.
oh and fishing poles.. the carp and catfish will bite on anything.... even non-fat cheese

Too hot to sleep in the boat? Even with A/C? I hope that if we are paying for a boat with 4-6 beds that we will get to use them!
The AC will cool the Houseboat down no problem, the issue is the generator. You will need to run it all night long if you want to run the AC. Its rather loud and over 5~6 nights your going to burn a lot of fuel. We will usually put air mattresses on the roof. Its cooler then the inside of the boat, the only issue is the periodic storms that blow through at night.

Do you guys normally find a place to park your houseboat and leave it the the entire trip or do you find different spots to camp each night? Sounds like they are alot of work to anchor.
We always just find one single nice place and spend the whole trip there. While its nice to tour the lake, moving the house boat is a pain in the @$$ and is going to eat up like 1/2 your day. Anchors take 1~2 hours to set and 1 hour to pull up, moving a boat into position is very stressful and is the riskiest time to the house boat. Also you have to find a place, as in scout out coves which takes time, the best spots are usually taken, you may get stuck without a beach or lots of shrubs and gnats/bugs at night, or you may have to share a cove with loud neighbors or jerks that blow through your camp site kicking up wakes.

Looks to me like most of these house boats have gas tanks that hold around 300 gallons. How far will that get a guy? Plenty to maybe camp in couple different places if we want to?
300 gallons should get you far, your issue will be fueling your toys (jet skis/wake boat). Those are what you are going to be using daily. Also the generator if you have AC or TV will burn gas if you use them frequently.

I see most of the houseboats are listed with a "remote fuel tank pump", is that a pump that will allow us to transfer fuel from the house boat to the wakeboat?
Some boats have the ability to transfer fuel from the houseboat engines to the toy tank which I think is what that means. If you have a toy tank it will have a gas pump to fill the toys.

I saw a video of some people camping up navajo canyon, looked like a nice area and close to antelope point. Anyone recommend to camp or not camp up there?
Never stayed there so no comment. We always travel up to the center of the lake around Dangling Rope. Lots of coves and pretty much only other house boats can get up there so less traffic and chop.

Food. What do you guys recommend? The easier the better of course!
Plan a menu before you go. Pre-made food that is frozen that you can through in the oven is usually a winner (Lasagna,Mac&Cheese). BBQ stuff like hamburgers, hot dogs or sausage is easy to do too. Its going to be hot so you probably want to spend as little time in front of a hot stove as possible. "

Can we catch fish there and eat them? If theres any still alive next year that is.
Fishing is great. If you even have a modest level of fishing skill and will put some time into it your going to come back with catfish, bass, stripper or perch without too much effort.

One more- We would consider going in mid-late june also. Would this be a better time to go than july?
Never been that early in the year, I have been told it has cooler water temps during that time, which I think is ~70s. Also the lake is still rising during that time usually. (although the lake has not done a whole lot of rising these days)

and from the time your boat hits the beach, and all 4 anchors buried and tied tight is about 20 minutes... with just two of us. Again another 20 minutes and all the lines and anchors are stowed and we are ready to go. I really recommend heading up river as far as you can go. The first 24 miles are very beautiful, but they do not hold a candle to how amazing the lake gets up above that (gunsight canyon and last chance bay are at that area) Everything gets taller up river and the canyons you stay at are more protected, with fewer people, and a ton less small boat traffic. It seems that a lot of people day-trip out of wahweap, but as you get up past last chance bay all that boat traffic is gone, and you start to feel alone. it is incredible.

I also forgot the things to see:

Rainbow bridge is a must and is definitely doable for you (you may have to make an hour boat ride up river from your campsite if you do not camp up near it, but it is worth it)
Tapestry wall, this is amazing, but it is up at the 90-100 mile mark. We did not make it that far this trip, but we will next trip for sure.
Hole in the rock history is fascinating, then when you get there up close and personal, it really is amazing what those settlers did. It is up at the 65 mile mark I think, so a little ways above rainbow bridge. I would recommend doing this trip to see both the bridge and the hole in the wall... leave after breakfast and wakeboard and wake surf along the way, we found some really flat water with no boats around in the middle of the day, it was fantastic.
Water cave is cool, there are a lot of small arches to see, you can climb through them... just explore wherever you camp, it is like nothing else.

yes, water this trip (june 7-14) was about 75 around wahweap, and about 70 up around rainbow bridge according to my boat thermometer (fairly accurate). water was great though.

How about more pics?

Take me with you.

This may seem lame but use some "Common Sense" and be careful while you are out there. As mentioned before, there is no cell service and you can be a long way from help if you need it.

We ended up changing campsites every 2 days on a 6 day trip. We wanted to camp out at different parts of the lake and check out the scenery and geography. Be prepared for about 1hr or so digging and un-digging anchors but it was worth it for us. If you're going with a bunch of friends you can cut this time. I went with my wife and 2 daughters, so I was doing all the digging and un-digging. (lol)

Whenever we were on the houseboat the generator was running. The gas bill for the houseboat came to about $350. (think 4 dollars and some change gallon) That was motoring from Waheap to the 3 different campsites and running the generator. The 2nd set of anchors is a good idea, I wished we had them. The lake did rise one night and the bow of the boat started to swing out. I would also ask for an extra shovel, the shovel we had was almost broken by the end of the trip.

Here are a couple of pictures from my July trip this year.




The first picture is a good example of how you can spend your time out checking out the really cool waterfalls that seem to pour off every cliff in a storm if you have wisely anchored your houseboat when the skies were blue and it seemed as if no storms would ever come.

The second picture is an example of what you can do with mid-afternoon water if you're out and away from the marina. If you are close to the marina, you might see smooth water at 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., but you can count on boat wakes the rest of the day.

The "away from the marina" thing is kind of a mindset that figures into different thinking on things like running AC. Nighttime at Powell is magical. You're away from city lights and you can see stars that run the range of colors from cobalt blue to Mars red. There is a nighttime calm and quiet at Powell that is rare. I have traveled a lot of the world and the only thing I can compare the calm to is Norway above the Arctic Circle.

You can fire up the generator, flip on the AC and go inside and miss that experience if you'd like. The inside of a houseboat is a step down from a mid-range casino hotel and has thinner walls. Gas this July was $4.41 on the water, but the money isn't so important as the downgrading of experience of turning a truly magical experience into a low-budget casino hotel.

If you decide to run your AC, buy gas for it, and stay close to the marina to support these perceived necessities, you will have a lot of company. Most people do it that way as you'll see if you try to wakeboard any afternoon around Wahweap. My take is that you will have paid good money for a houseboat that can get you away from the crowd that doesn't know better. I would put that houseboat to good use and leave the crowd behind.

AC and the generator that runs it have their place. The hour or so it takes to be inside to cook dinner is a great time to enjoy a break from the more authentic Powell experience that you will get before and after dinner. If you are away from the marina and experience smooth water most of the day, there will be one or two afternoons when everyone says I'm skiied out and a movie and a nap sound better than another wakeboard run.

Navajo is a beautiful canyon, but its beauty and proximity to Wahweap will give you a lot of company. It is narrow and steep, so wakes bounce back and forth for a good 10 or 15 minutes after a boat passes. You can count on a boat passing about every 10 or 15 minutes. I would highly recommend it as a place to see once. If you were a retired couple on a cruiser and didn't care about wakboarding, skiing, or surfing, I would recommend it as a place to anchor. But I gather you have a better trip in mind than what 80-somethings on a cruiser would experience.

There are different thoughts on whether to move your houseboat from day to day or leave it in one place. My view, for what it's worth, is that you have one boat that goes 6 MPH and takes hours to move by the time you remove and replace anchors. You have another that goes 30 MPH and takes a few minutes to anchor if you even bother to anchor it at all. I have decided I can see more of the lake on 30 MPH side trips from a central houseboat location than trying to move the houseboat around.

Just got a boat booked yesterday! Did the 59ft Discovery XL out of Wahweap for July 12-16th. I also purchased a boat on Monday, I ended up with a 2008 Tige 24VE with 156 hours, and it is super clean. Can't wait. We may head down that direction a couple days early and hike to havasu falls, it looks amazing, I feel that if we are that close we might as well do it. I can tell this trips going to take a ton of planning and prep, but even that will be fun. I'm sure I will have more questions as we get closer... Its gonna be a long winter! Thanks again for all the help and wonderful pictures

Not sure if it's said above BUT make sure you have a marine radio for the venture boat. The HB should have one and it will save your life if you need to call park service for help.
We purchased the Discovery XL when they were changing out their fleet. You will LOVE it!

Here's our 2015 camp site...

Hiking, I've been going to Powell for years and this is the first time I've seen mountain sheep.

Still working on plans for this trip. We may head to Arizona a few day early and hike to Havasu Falls. I'm guessing that some of you have done this hike. Would really like to do it but I am concerned about parking and the security of the parking. Not sure how I feel about leaving the boat and 7 days worth of gear in a parking lot in the middle of nowhere. Has anyone done this?

Check ahead of time. Last time I did it they did not allow day hikers and you needed a reservation which was a hassle to get. What I took from the whole experience was the people running it were living a decade behind and were a hassle to deal with. We parked on the side of the road and left the car there for 3 days.

If you are going to be away from everything you might consider your ice situation as well.