As we paddled perpendicular to the waves, feeling ever wave hit us and water coming over, the sense of urgency to get back to the launch site was of utmost importance. Another boater who had been at a different section of Deer Creek had also returned to the dock to get out of the heavy waves. I have to admit, it was a relief to see someone else in the area, relatively close to us, who could come to our aid if necessary.
We made it back to the dock with no problem, the canoe handled the rough water well. Although it was a dangerous outing that we had done, it all ended well. We had remained dry and warm since we were properly dressed for the elements but it definitely took us off guard when Murphy struck which reminds me of this saying: hope for the best but prepare for the worst. The conditions were not alarming when we got out there but things changed very quickly. Within a matter of minutes it went from no wind and calm waters to high winds and white tipped continuous waves. Luckily we had not ventured too far off so getting back to the launch site wasn’t a long drawn out ordeal.
Dead Bodies Under Water
There was a recent article in the local newspaper about a search and rescue for a missing boater on Strawberry Reservoir that turned up bodies of missing anglers from 1995 and 2001. Apparently the cold waters of deep Strawberry Reservoir preserves the bodies but the reservoir is so deep that it is beyond the limits of the search divers. Apparently due to the advancements of sonar, they were able to retrieve these bodies from the deep but none where of the person they were searching for. This article also mentioned a number of bodies that are known to be lost in Deer Creek, Jordanelle and other lakes and reservoirs in Utah. It definitely adds to the creepy-ness of these bodies of water but also of the reality of how quickly things can change on the water and the unexpected can occur.