Paul, the park engineer, sat at his desk, at the end of the workday, and needed to cool off. It was a hot summer day, and he had already been to Bullfrog earlier that day showing a new project to potential bidders. He had more design work to do and could stay later, but he says to himself “Those calculations can wait till tomorrow” and rode his bicycle home.
Left to right, photos by Phil Clark:
“Boots” stands attentively, in case she has to become “Safety Dog” and leap into the water.
A view of the white sandstone layer where Paul, Joann and Boots would swim as seen in 2024, from the surface of Lake Powell.
Satellite Image of The Coves, dated 2011. The lake in this image is close to where it would have been in 1991. The large area to the northwest of the leftmost loop road was the popular swimming beach of the late 1980s.
Satellite Image of The Coves, dated 2020 showing the red cliffs under the popular beach.
A black and white Labrador Retriever mix greeted him in the back yard of the duplex he rented. She had white paws, a white ‘medal’ and her black nose was ringed in white. After being in the small back yard all day, “Boots” seemed to really want to go somewhere. It didn’t seem to matter where as long as she went outside. Paul felt the same way.
Paul filled a bottle of water and put some snacks and fruit in his pack. Once Boots was loaded in the back of his trusty mid-1980s Toyota 4x4 pickup on a pad in the camper shell, they headed north from Page, past the dam, to the employee housing area to pick up Joann, his girlfriend. Stateline was being developed at that time with a new loop road and parking lots and it was time to take a look.
The three rode past the new development at Stateline, which Paul knew well as he was responsible for inspecting the construction work. There were new roads, water storage tanks, water and sewer mains, ramp extensions and other infrastructure going in.
Their favorite swimming hole was locally known as “The Coves” and hadn’t yet been ‘improved’ as we know them today. The first time Paul saw the coves he knew that would be a fun place to swim. Some people would jump off the cliffs into the water, but Boots was nicknamed “Safety Dog” and she wouldn’t let anyone do things like that. She would bark in alarm and keep barking at the person who might do something dangerous.
At the northwest end of Stateline, he turned off of the main paved loop road and drove a short informal sand and dirt track to a wide area on a sandstone shelf that was a popular place to swim. It was too easy for cars to get stuck so most people either walked or drove a 4x4 closer to the water. The beach was either gravel, sand or sandstone, or a combination. Their favorite was a sandstone, or slickrock as it’s locally known cove. Along the edge of the beach there were several short canyons, or coves which were popular with swimmers. People would pick a spot and enjoy the mostly rock beach. After a few visits Paul and Joann had a favorite where it was easy to get in and out of the water and there was a spot where it was safe enough to dive in.
Paul and Boots loved to play a little game. Paul would dive into the water, and surfacing about halfway across the small cove, he would pretend to be ‘drowning’. Bobbing up and down, he would call out “Help. Help. Boots, Help!” With that Boots would dive gracefully into the water, paddle out to the ‘drowning victim’ and turn around. Paul would grab hold of her tail, which was long, black, tipped with white, and Boots would pull him to shore. And they would do it again and again. They would also play fetch in the water, a game that perhaps Boots liked a little bit better than playing “Safety Dog”.
Many times, Paul and Joann would have a sack lunch or dinner on the beach and sit in outdoor chairs, enjoying the light of the setting sun on the cliffs all around. They were first getting to know each other, and they agreed this was a beautiful place to hang out.
In 1991 the Coves were a lower key, less rowdy place than Lone Rock Beach and was one of the few places visitors without watercraft could enjoy Lake Powell. Nowadays, Lone Rock is less rowdy and offers a good option for visitors to swim or use a kayak. When Paul, Joann and Boots moved away from Page the first time, in September 1991, park employees held their ‘Going Away’ party at the Coves.
From Google Earth images, it appears that Coves were ‘improved’ sometime in 1992, with the addition of paved roads leading to picnic shelters and a trail. It must have had a heyday at the higher water levels. As the lake level dropped, the attraction of the Coves, namely the sandstone shore, rose higher above the water. Below that sandstone layer is a layer of sheer red shale/mudstone cliffs that are too sharp, and steep for swimming or hiking. It became too dangerous for people to use the area, so it was closed and remains closed today. The entire area is blocked off from traffic with concrete barriers and “Do Not Enter” signs. Perhaps some day the lake levels will rise again and The Coves can once again be a lively place to swim and have fun.
Back in the Day is a column appearing monthly in the Southern Utah News. Having lived in Page twice, Phil calls himself “An old timer who hasn’t been here the whole time”. While this story is true, the names used in this story are fictional so as to preserve the identity of the actual individuals involved.
