11-14-20 Callville, NV and Driving Around

 What beautiful country this is!  The rocks look like they are smoldering:  bright red, orange and yellow.  They are set off in contrast with blue and gray mountains and a royal blue sky.  Millions of years ago, volcanos and earthquakes created rifts, sand dunes and deep, sharp canyons that we shall see today.  Each time we came around a bend in the road, there was a more amazing sight.  “Wow!  Slow down!  Look at this!”  Over and over we were treated by Mother Nature’s artistry.  We arrived at our campground late in the afternoon but in time to quickly set up camp, pour a toonie and watch the sun slip behind the mountains.

 

Noobee at Lake Mead
RV Village

It was a slow start this morning because the clocks had been reset to island time.  No rush.  Coffee,  jammies and puzzles in the sunshine.  What shall we do today?

 

Lake Mead is enormous and unbelievably blue.  Mathematically, it looks to cover about 100 miles as the crow flies (on the map), three arms create a three point star shape kind of like a Mercedes ornament.  It is fed mostly by snowmelt off the Rockies so when they get snow, Lake Mead gets water.  When the Rockies have a less snowy winter, Lake Mead recedes.  The clean, clear blue water is explained by the snowmelt that feeds the lake.

 

Echo Bay marina

Echo Bay is located on the western bay of the Overton Arm.  The water has receded to its lowest depth since 2016 and the marina is accessible by a new, lower ramp.   There are many fishermen, ducks and other seabirds and campers along the water.  Humans evolved from the water, humans gravitate back to the water.  The fishermen are in fish paradise.  The lake is the home of several brands of bass, bluegill, trout, catfish, shad and razorback shuckers.  Oh My God, take me to your chef!  We drove along the shore of Echo Bay, a rough, rocky drive where there were rugged tent campers pitched and fishermen casting lines.  It would have been dreamy to be seaside here but we did not envision Noobee navigating the steep irregular trail. 

 

The water was up to the 
white arrow in 2010

We wanted to investigate Callville Bay but we passed it on the way to our campground.  So today, we decided to backtrack about 30 miles to see what Callville was all about.  Callville was a port established by the Mormons in 1869 (named for Anson Call under orders from Brigham Young) and it was meant to be a port to ship supplies to Salt Lake City.  Callville was flooded when Lake Mead was created.  The marina still exists and avid fishermen still launch here.  While poking around, we saw pictures of what Callville Bay marina looked like as late as 2010.  The water has receded so much since then that they have had to rebuild the ramps and the marina here, also, to accommodate the lower water levels.

 

Lindy in the Red Rock Apartments

As we drove along the byways, we had to stop here and there because the red rock vistas in the sunset were not to be passed by.  The story of planet Earth cannot be spelled out in brief.  Billions of years ago, it was a fiery ball.  Then it cooled.  There were volcanos and ice ages.  Then winds and deserts.  The red rocks that stand before us now were buried at one time beneath 2,000 feet of sand.  As the winds blew the sands away (To where, I wonder?), the beautiful red rock formations were left behind.  Some are called the Redrock Apartments, where snakes and coyotes now live.

Rob holding up the rocks

 

The Callville Marina Bar and Grill welcomed us at sunset for a catfish and fries dinner.  What a nice way to end the day of exploration!