We read Tom Bol's article "Paddling the Slots" (July, 2001) with chagrin and ironic amusement. An article in Canoe and Kayak last year inspired my friends and I to do just that. Our plan evolved into being shuttled to the Escalante arm, dropped off, and then picked up 4 days later. Like Tom, our time was limited. We would camp on the shore of the Escalante arm and use our sea kayaks to get to the various canyons we had decided to see. Seemed simple enough. We would canyoneer and paddle roughly the first week of May, 2001.

Eventually, only two of us drove the 1500 miles from Iowa to Page, Arizona. Tom is exactly right about the beauty, labyrinthic topograpy, and distances of Lake Powell. However Tom Bol has an advantage we didn't have, a friend living in Page Arizona who is a guide. A guide would be wonderful. However, we chose to study Steve Allen's wonderful books, "Canyoneering 2 & 3". My friend Steve and I would rely on our years of experience in backcountry camping, hiking, climbing and paddling. Little did we know we would need someone to guide us through the RED TAPE and quasi-communist POLITICS of Lake Powell.

The sad saga began in February when I called the Bullfrog Marina. I talked with them three different times, and each time I told them we were three guys with three sea kayaks and our gear. I asked if we could be transported 40 or 50 miles down the lake, and then picked up in 4 days. In fairness to them, the said they hadn't done a lot of that sort of thing but would get back to us in a week or so. Well they never did. Now these are the people that have all the concessions on Lake Powell, aka Aramark. You know, the cleaning and uniform people. They have the concessions in many of the National Parks. I've been told they also own Galls.

Time was slipping away and we didn't understand why we hadn't heard anything. Isle Royale concessionaires do this all the time. They cater to the canoeists, kayakers, and backpackers and have fair prices. What we wanted to do was simple. Not hearing from Bullfrog, a.k.a. Aramark, we tried Hall's Crossing - (not yet realizing they are part of the monopoly), hoping they could meet our needs. They told us they could perform that service; in fact, a few days earlier they brought out 3 kayakers. They'd get back to us. They didn't. We called several more times to secure passage with Hall's or Bullfrog but to no avail.

Four days to departure, and we have no idea if we can do what we want. At the last moment, Steve finds a guide through the net who says he can transport us and our yaks to the Escalante arm for $400 round trip (we were still three at this point, but would soon be two). We have good news we thought. However, at this point we do not know that this guide is less than forthcoming.

We arrive at Wahweap, Park Headquarters, the day before we are to go up lake. It's a beautiful place, adventure ahead of us, we're filled with energy. We have time, so we drive into Page, Arizona. While chatting with a woman cleaning sit-on-top kayaks, at a local dive shop, we reveal our plans. She told us, in no uncertain terms, that we would be patently illegal to do that, becomes quite irate and kicks us out of her store. We thought this was rather abrupt and rude so we asked for an explanation. She explains that only Aramark can shuttle people on the lake - guides must stay with you for the entire trip. Remember, Aramark wouldn't return our calls, nor did they bother to explain the protocol. We realize our plans have vaporized, no trip to the Escalante. We call the guide and thank him for the effort but we'd rather not have our gear confiscated by the park officials, or be stranded miles from no-where for breaking Gestapo-like rules.

So it's back to park headquarters to see where else we might go. It's Saturday afternoon and no one is in the office. We begin to look at maps and reaffirm what we already know - there is indeed little access to over 1900 miles of shoreline. We did find one route - picked up the courtesy phone but the person (supposedly in the know) on the other end said access to that area was controlled. It was through an Indian reservation and tribal regulations required permits that would take a while to secure. It's at this point a ranger comes in and asks us if we are the kayakers (outlaws by this time) Art, (not his real name), is taking up the lake. Being good public servants, we had to confess. He then politely asked us not to go. Apparently the woman at the dive shop dropped a dime on us - the bitch. We were no longer interested in Aramark's services and losing interest with anything Lake Powell had to offer.

So there you have our experience with Lake Powell. The ranger did tell us that we could get to the destination we saw on the map and that the person on the courtesy phone was incorrect. No permits, but, you better have a 4 wheel drive or you won't make it - if it rains, you might not get out. It took us an hour to traverse 4 miles. Also, I didn't see any portable toilets on those kayaks in Tom Bol's article. Regulations state you must have a chemical port-a-potty if boating or camping within 1/4 mile of the lake, kayaks included. Remember, Aramark's exclusive rights extend inland 1/4 mile...hmmmmm! Our kayaks just wouldn't look right with blue slop running all over the place. We were also informed, Aramark uses garbage/sewage & supply barges to shuttle people when they do decide to perform that service.

In the end, we did paddle Lake Powell, and it was beautiful, but not where we chose and not with the intensity we had planned. We came away with a huge dislike for Aramark & their subsidiaries, the parks they control, the National Park Service...especially Lake Powell. I can't imagine what it will cost the average small boater to get on Lake Powell. We got the feeling they'd rather have you rent a powerboat for an exorbitant price and further pollute the lake with noise and MTB's. We really don't think they want to cater to paddlers. It'll be awhile before we go back - if ever.

Reece Peterson
Steve Weliver