KAYAKING AT LAKE MEAD

28 Feb 17:  When we got up yesterday the wind was really blowing so we made a quick trip into Overton for some groceries and gas up the jeep then came back and broke camp and moved our camp down to Echo Bay. The wind was almost as bad as it was last year when we thought the camper was going to blow over.  This morning was clear and calm so we headed down to the boat launch and splashed the “blue canoe”.  Did a nice paddle around the area and also around the old marina.  Talked to some salvage guys who are working on getting some marina things brought in from other places around here.  They said the water is 4 feet higher this week than it was last week.  The old marina is now floating and two weeks ago, you could drive right down to it.  It is sad to see the docks and marina looking in so much disrepair. It sounds like they are just going to have a demolition crew come in and salvage what they can of it.  Then, if and when the water comes up, maybe rebuild or not.  It is encouraging that the lake level might increase this year from last.  There is for sure a lot more moisture in the west this year than in the past.  

Looking up towards the Echo Bay marina and you can see the old boat launching ramp and the marina headquarters in the background. 

This area was actually dry ground a couple of weeks ago, now you can paddle around the area.

It is sad to see the trees growing up in the old marina. 

This is quite a picture of a chair and a large trash bin at the waters edge.

The facilities up on the top are all just rotting away.  We walked around the area and were just amazed at the deterioration that has occurred just in the last few years.  It sounds like the park service is just given up on keeping the place from rotting away.

A lot of the marina looks in fairly good shape, but a lot of it is beyond repair.

A peregrine falcon with a duck it just brought down.

A turkey vulture warming up in the morning sun.

A couple of vultures watching us paddle by.

Yesterday the waves were a couple of feet, but today it is pretty calm.

Zeph as always looks to his mom for advice on where we are going.