Bridge to somewhere, Lake Mead, Zion

Bridge over the Colorado River

Lake Mead showing drought results

Next stop: Lake Mead and Hoover Dam.   The pictures above tell a story that is a bit of a paradox.  The bridge being built will allow the ever increasing population of the southwest to travel between, say, Phoenix and Las Vegas without having to slow down to cross Hoover Dam.   The question we were asking ourselves was; what will be left of Lake Mead within ten years if the growth continues?   An expected thirteen foot drop in the water level this year added to the sixty foot decline over the previous ten years is a significant loss.  It is still a huge body of water but when compared to the growth in the area the term "drop in a bucket" sounds ominous.  

Boulder City, Nevada sits just above the dam and has maintained its charm with a healthy downtown versus glitzy casinos or even a Wal-Mart.  It is an historic and quaint place originally built to provide the construction workers and families with the necessities needed while building the dam.  

The biking was the best with long well maintained bike paths that overlooked the desert scape and looped  in and out of the arroyos .  Obviously water sports are a big attraction too and one day we drove south to an access point on the Colorado River known as Willow Beach. From there we kayaked up river toward Hoover Dam.  We felt like we had the Colorado to ourselves as we paddled between  the high canyon walls without another boat in sight.   During the first part of the day we pushed against the flow of the much subdued Colorado, calmed as it exits the dam.  Late in the afternoon we turned down river and allowed the flow to carry us back to Willow Beach.  Lots of great stuff to see and do every day so Lake Mead gets four stars.

Then it was on to Zion National Park, a jewel.  The hiking and biking are great but just looking up is all one really needs to do when you visit this wonder.  One day we hiked to a place called Angels Landing where a narrow ledge skirted by 1200 foot drops delivered us to a view spot well worth the effort.  The number of people making their way along the route was amazing and the determination of some of those folks was inspiring.  Flat landers on a mission mostly undeterred by vertigo inducing drops only inches away.  Good for them.