Launching our electric-driven kayaks in the Flaming Gorge Reservoir.

We woke up pumped to get out on the water. However, it was pretty chilly so we took our time getting drinks ready, snacks packed, sun protection laid out, etc. Then we drove down to the Red Canyon Visitor Center to ask our new Ranger buddy if he knew of some good WiFi or good signal spots. He told us about the WiFi at the Red Canyon Lodge just down the road. We will check it out later.

By 10:40 am, the sun, down at water level, was cookin’. We launched just before 11 am. We quickly overtook two tandem kayaks. Both kayaks had a husband in the back doing all the paddling and a wife in front just holding their paddle - probably to add stability to their craft. I cracked up when one of the wives called out that she wished she were in our motorized kayaks. But, she already had a motor - her husband.

Although the sun was hot, the breeze was deliciously cool. After about 3 miles of open water, we entered the side canyon. It was here that we discovered the joy of traveling right up next to the canyon walls. With the water being crystal clear, we could see the cliff walls diving below the water surface. Occasionally a rock ledge would stick out and many beautiful surreal looking underwater formations popped in and out of view.

The electric motors were awesome in counteracting the head winds in the open waters. It was like slicing butter with a hot knife.

The eerie underwater rock formations were even more gorgeous than the above water formations.

The side canyon, with its tall cliff walls, became narrower and narrower, until it came to an end a mile or so up the canyon. Feeding this arm of the reservoir was a mountain creek spilling over a mess of rocks, fighting its way to the big lake.

We landed where the creek met the lake. The rock strewn river bed was crazy to walk on. Half the rocks were loose, twisting our feet in a way that mimicked walking in a state of extreme intoxication.

Our water shoes made it possible to walk on the rock-delta that the creek built as it spilled into the reservoir. However, even with good water shoes, it was tough going.

On our way back out the canyon, we found a magical landing spot sliding out in the water. We landed and picnicked on some smoked salmon on Triscuits and Cliff Bars for dessert.

Our landing zone coming up. This was just a rock formation that probably fell centuries ago providing a peninsula once the dam flooded the canyon. It made a terrific picnic spot.

By now we were exclusively following the cliff-line, weaving in and out of little bays and around peninsulas. In one bay, we discovered a perfect beach. The sand was firm and clean. We stopped and tested the water temperature for swimming. My rule-of-thumb is that for every decade older one gets, the air temperature has to be 10º warmer. When I was a kid I could happily frolic in the water at 50º. At 68 years old, I need the air to be in the 90s. We met that criteria today.

But the water temperature is also important. 76º is just about my limit. 80º is nicer. We didn’t have a water temperature gauge, I guessed, by feel, that it was more like high 60s. It was definitely warmer than the 48º Colorado River temperature when we kayaked that river about three weeks ago. At least my feet didn’t turn to ice cubes. But this was still mountain-fed water.

Yet, I really wanted to swim, even if the water temperature violated my rules. Well, the old adage that “rules were made to be broken” seemed to apply here. I jumped in. Damn that was cold, but only for a minute or two. With the sun beating down at blast furnace strength, it didn’t take long to feel the refreshment. Wanda followed me in making it our first swim of the year. It didn’t last long, and I can’t say that we swam laps around the bay, but we did swim a little, damn it.

Our private swimming beach.

Back at the boat landing, we applied another coating of UV protection on the kayaks before loading them up. The boats still looked spiffy even after 2 1/2 months of intense sun beating on them.

We checked out the WiFi at the Red Canyon Lodge. No password was needed and it worked pretty well. However, the campground we were staying at had completely emptied out. I suspect all the campgrounds experienced the same end-of-weekend exodus. Suddenly, our phone signal was much faster. With fewer people sucking at the signal-tit (I just made that phrase up), it seems to be working better.

I started to make plans for our final two weeks in the field. I want to quickly get to the Black Hills and the Badlands of South Dakota. Of course, all the campgrounds in the Black Hills are booked solid. I was able to find some National Forest campgrounds with a handful of first-come first-serve sites. It we can get there before the weekend, say Wednesday at the latest, we just might be able to homestead in the Black Hills for the rest of the upcoming weekend.

Glossary of terms used for newcomers: 1) V-Jer. The name of our camper. 2) Saturn. The name of our Van. 3) Duende. Our mischievous gremlin that breaks things. 4) Tata. The good gremlin that helps us fix Duende’s dirty work. 5) The Black Hole. This is what we call Walmart because every time we go in for just a couple of items, we come out spending way more than we figured. 6) QT. Quaint Town. 7) Little Buddy. This is what we call our Dyson cordless stick vacuum.

Dave and Wanda

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