Summer Cruise to the Head

Each year we take our 24' Bayliner out of the chuck (ocean) and bring her up the lake for a winter in fresh water. There are several advantages in doing this. The fresh water is good for the hull and every other exposed and internal part, the growth of algae and sea critters is brought to a screeching halt, and we have a bigger boat for lake cruises and for an added measure of safety during rough winter water.

This weekend we took the Bayliner for a summer cruise to the head of Powell Lake. Powell Lake is a glacial carved fjord that is 51 kilometres (32 miles) long with 480 kilometres (300 miles) of shoreline. From our cabin at Hole in the Wall it about 36 kilometres (22 miles) to the head. Our first stop was the logging dock. We hiked through the log sort and found it full of fresh cut trees ready to be dumped into the lake for transport. We were surprised to see so much action because of the summer and economic slowdown.

Next we passed through the camp built by Plutonic Power to support the construction of hydro lines from their run-of-river project in the Toba Valley. We continued up the logging road to the bridge that spans the Daniels River. During dry summer months, this is the main source of water for the lake. As you can see from the exposed stumps, the input isn't keeping up with evaporation and the outflow at the dam.

We then took the Bayliner to the east side of the large bay and anchored where we would catch the last rays of the setting sun. There aren't many places on this steep sided lake where you can anchor, but we found one near Jim Brown Creek. We lowered Mr. Bathtub (our dinghy) and paddled to shore for a hike up another logging road. On the way we found tracks from elk reintroduced here last year. It's good to see they are flourishing in the lush environment.

After a refreshing swim, we headed back for a shipboard BBQ of chicken and sausages. And boy was I hungry. The weather was warm and calm all night. Just a gentle rock and lapping sound on the hull. On our way back home in the morning, we saw lots of people enjoying the lake. Some were at their cabins, others camping along the shore. There's still a bit of summer left, so why don't you join Wayne and I up the lake. -- Margy