Explore Lake Powell’s Anasazi Ruins

I’ve been having fun doing just that. I put on my Indiana Jones hat, rev up my outboard and boat through twisting ribbons of turquoise-blue water to the most remote spots on the lake in search of Anasazi ruins. And I’ve been successful. I’ve enjoyed exploring the restored Three-Room Ruins on the lake’s Escalante arm and Defiance House Ruin in Forgotten Canyon. And I’ve actually found other ruins that are not marked on the maps. I recently discovered two small ruins in Davis Gulch that I never knew existed.

Lake Powell’s level is low now and so there is a unique opportunity to see ruins that are normally covered by water. At high water levels a few impressive ruins are visible. But this year dozens more can be seen by observant boaters. I love to hunt them down. I study them with awe and reverence and I take photos, dozens of photos, but I’m careful not to touch these fragile treasures, which are protected by federal laws.

Powell’s low water level has generated news headlines and some people have sent emails wondering if it is still possible to boat on the lake. Yes, boating conditions are superb. The reservoir is huge, stretching about 150 miles along Utah’s southern border. At Powell, low means the water is only 300 feet deep, down about 100 feet from its peak. There’s still plenty of lake for ski boats, houseboats and fishermen.

I’ve made dozens of trips to Powell – it’s one of my favorite playgrounds – and each trip is different, as the water level rises and falls. Now, at this level, structures are exposed which have been hidden for years. I see a different lake every time I visit.

Apparently the Anasazi people also loved Glen Canyon and many made their homes in the area. The Anasazi are also known as Ancestral Puebloans. Their culture began to emerge in America’s Southwest about 300 AD, evolved through various stages and eventually produced a complex society centered in large pueblos like those at Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde. Anasazi lived in permanent small communities in Glen Canyon during the 12th and 13th centuries. They became expert stonemasons and built impressive homes from native rock.

Then, abruptly, they abandoned their great pueblos and small communities during a short period near the end of the 13th century. The people left behind beautiful pottery, woven baskets, moccasins, corncobs, turkey feathers and other artifacts. Researchers think the Anasazi migrated to the south and become the modern Hopi and Pueblo Indians.

LAKE POWELL SEA-KAYAKING FAMILY ADVENTURE Kayaking is a wonderful and exciting way of touring the lake. Explore narrow, winding side canyons with only the soft splash of paddles to break the silence. Daily and Multi-day trips available.

In 1959, before Powell’s waters flooded the canyons, University of Utah archeologists followed a “hand-and-toe-hold” trail up a cliff face and discovered Defiance House Ruin. “...Two perfect red bowls still had scraps of food in them,” the researches reported.

How would it be to poke into a remote canyon and discover a ruin that had never been explored by modern man? To find a table still set for dinner? Lake Powell country offers that potential. It’s a huge, rugged, remote area. Just remember to treat ruins with respect – overly loving enthusiasts are now the biggest threat to Anasazi relics. If we aren’t carefull we’ll love them to death.

– Dave Webb

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