The next stop was just outside Page, Arizona at Lake Powell. The Bureau of Reclamation dammed up the Colorado river in the mid 1960's and it provides electrical power to a large part of the southwest. Doing so also provided a great lake for people in the area to enjoy. We took a tour of the dam. Here's a couple of pics.
Down stream from the dam the Colorado River winds through the desert cutting an erratic path. Here's a pic of a place called Horseshoe Bend.
This next shot is showing how erosion changes the view. You can see the hard rocks / boulders sitting on top of this mesa. As erosion takes place they gradually loosen and end up falling down the hillside and resting on the bottom.
Some rocks end up perched on top of narrow columns. I guess the dirt underneath them gradually washes away leaving what they call Balancing Rocks.
These next pics are near a place called Lee's Ferry. It was the only place to cross the Colorado River for 500 miles. Talk about supply and demand. Mr Lee had a monopoly until the government built a bridge across the river in the mid 50's, some 20 years later.
While there we saw several groups of people preparing for a 21 day trip down the river. Can you imagine living on a raft and floating down the Colorado River for 21 days???
We also saw California Condors flying in the area. They are really big birds.
This next pic is from our campsite next to Lake Powell. We're camped at a place called Wahweap about 2.5 miles above the dam. Not a bad scene when you're sitting and eating a meal.
You can see the lake and mountain formations across the water.
On Saturday, 11 Mar, we rented a 19 foot ski boat and spent 6 hours exploring the sights and narrow canyons. Some places were so narrow we just barely got the boat through. Check it out.
Yesterday my buddy Dave and I hiked 6.5 miles round trip to the Colorado River down a set of cliffs that dropped about 1200 to the river. We had to use ropes and cables to descend and ascend the cliffs. The surface was too steep and hard rock; not much to grab onto. Most of the time was taken up going down and back up the cliffs. It was a tough climb but the view and sense of accomplishment was terrific. We were both glad when we got back to the truck though. The first pic is of some tourists floating down the river on large rafts. The others show us in progress and the last is the view to the top.
Later today Maggie and I are hiking the antelope slot canyon. More pics to come.
Down stream from the dam the Colorado River winds through the desert cutting an erratic path. Here's a pic of a place called Horseshoe Bend.
This next pic is from our campsite next to Lake Powell. We're camped at a place called Wahweap about 2.5 miles above the dam. Not a bad scene when you're sitting and eating a meal. 
Yesterday my buddy Dave and I hiked 6.5 miles round trip to the Colorado River down a set of cliffs that dropped about 1200 to the river. We had to use ropes and cables to descend and ascend the cliffs. The surface was too steep and hard rock; not much to grab onto. Most of the time was taken up going down and back up the cliffs. It was a tough climb but the view and sense of accomplishment was terrific. We were both glad when we got back to the truck though. The first pic is of some tourists floating down the river on large rafts. The others show us in progress and the last is the view to the top. 
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