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There was more to see and do in Page.  One morning we got up early and headed out to Grandview Overlook to watch the sunrise. We also had a few more places to visit before it got too hot. (it was over 100 almost every day we were there).

This was Maverik’s first sunrise and he really enjoyed it.  The boys laid on their blankets and waited for the sun to appear!

Cole enjoyed yet another early wake up to see the sunrise.

Next up was a short trip over to Horseshoe bend on the Colorado River. As we began walking down the path, we got a preview of what were were going to see.

Horseshoe Bend did not disappoint!  It was truly breathtaking.

The walk down to the bend was a little steep and it was a gravel walkway.  Cole wasn’t much for the gravel and it was getting warm quickly, so the guys waited at the top for me.  Everyone was happy to see me when I returned!

We also had a chance to check out Lake Powell.  Here we saw parts of the lake, the campgrounds near the lake, as well as, Lone Rock and the dam that creates hydro power.

When you look at the pictures of Lone Rock (below), imagine it surrounded by water.  When I was touring Deer Canyon, my guide told me that as a kid, she used to swim around that rock.  I’m guessing that my guide was in her late 20’s early 30’s.  Things have definitely changed in the last decade or so.  

Lake Powell is currently at its lowest level ever.  It is at only 23% of its capacity, 174.5 feet below ‘full pool’.  What is even more alarming is that it is only about 35 feet from being too low to generate hydroelectric power at the dam and approximately 155 feet above dead pool.  The term dead pool means that no water will flow past the dam and the Colorado river will dry up.  Since the Colorado River flows through the Grand Canyon, this would be devastating for the entire Grand Canyon ecosystem.  

The low lake levels can be attributed to several things:

• Decades long megadrought in the west.
• Reduced snowpack in the Rocky Mountains, where the lake gets nearly all of its inflow from.
• Outdated water allocations for the 7 states that receive water from the lake.
• Downstream demand from agriculture and urban growth.

We really enjoyed our time in Page, but it was time to move on to our next adventure!