Exiting Forbidding Canyon

Near Cha Canyon I found a wide sandy bottom to anchor for the night

Fortunately, the wind and rain stopped. I found an anchoring spot near Cha Canyon and dropped the bow and stern anchor in a sandy bottom.  I spent the night in this calm deep walled canyon. No rain or wind found me this night and I slept late into the morning before I pulled the anchors heading for Bullfrog Bay, 61 miles from where I spent the night. I entered a walled channel area, it lasted for about 3 miles. The sides are sheer walls raising several hundred feet with no place to climb out of the water if Sacagawea decided to sink. I wondered how long I would last in 49 degree water with no place to climb out. Maybe I will bring my West Marine inflatable next time. Not that I am worried, it would just make it easier to explore some areas.

Sailboat and kayaks Miner's steps

Walled channel

The weather was beautiful as I passed several kayaks and a 20-foot sailboat. I wondered how they had coped with the weather the last few days. 

Moki Canyon

I stayed in Moki Canyon for the night and prepared for another storm from the west coming in during the night. This time I pulled a line across the small canyon and put a Spanish bowline in the middle and used large rocks on shore to secure each end. I ran the bow two feet up on soft clay, running the bow anchor up and around a large rock. I pulled the stern lines through the Spanish bowline and made them fast to the cleats. That night the wind howled around the cockpit enclosure. Sacagawea was pushed violently to the side many times before the storm was over.  I was not able to sleep much so I read most of the night. The next morning I jumped on shore to check the lines. I noticed the flat rock securing the bowline, which probably weighted 500 pounds, had moved. Sacagawea had pulled that rock 7 feet in the wet clay during the night. I killed time reading most of the day until the wind eased off than headed to Bullfrog marina to top off my fuel. One of the marinas personal named Paul came over and asks how I was dealing with the weather. I said OK but I was not sleeping well.  He offered one of the many empty slips for the night if I wished and I gladly accepted. That night I feasted at the Anasazi Restaurant and had a few drinks at the lounge, which made the weather great. It took me some time to find my boat; I say it was because I did not have a flashlight. 

The sun came out and I started my trip back up the lake on a blue-sky day. I made the trip to Dangling Rope in about 4 hours, topping off my fuel and making lunch before continuing.

This is Hole in the Rock