You took your boat How far??

[Ryan]

I'm making my annual trip form Huntington Beach to Hebgen Lake Montana for a week of lake front, glass water skiing. By swinging through the Tetons this time, I will be running around 1170 miles each way and 21 hours (not including any stops ; two kids = lots of stops). :steering:


What's the farthest you've taken your boat?

[JEREMY79]

uh......about 45 miles. thats along trip man

[erkoehler]

Chicago to Ohio when I bought it. Was about 5.5 hours.

[rodltg2]

chico, california -----> lake havasu, arizona. 14 hours including stops.

[AirJunky]

Seattle ----> Havasu. About 27 hours with only gas station breaks.

[Cary K.]

I live in a perfect place, but like to travel with the boat also, never been more than about 200 miles with it though. If I go further than that I try to find a ride there.

27 hours is a hump !!!

[P-Rod]

[QUOTE=Ryan]I'm making my annual trip form Huntington Beach to Hebgen Lake Montana for a week of lake front, glass water skiing. By swinging through the Tetons this time, I will be running around 1170 miles each way and 21 hours (not including any stops ; two kids = lots of stops). :steering:


Ryan,

I certainly am jealous of your trip. The past several years, I have made an annual trip to the Hebgen Lake area for some fantastic fly fishing. Last year we stayed at Henry's Lake on the Montana/Idaho border and fished the section of the Madison River that dumps from Hebgen Lake to Earthquake Lake. You can't ask for a more beautiful place to ski/fish. This area is truly God's Country. Enjoy your trip.

[sizzler]

cant really go all that far on this island :cool:

[jpattigr]

I just returned 2 weeks ago from lake Powell and we live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. There were 5 families with RV's on the trip and 3 of us brought boats!
20 Hours each way and I know we will do it again next year!! Loved the whole trip!

[6ballsisall]

Ummm.. there's no voting tool for less than a mile. :D Seriously though, hopefully next year when the baby's a year we can do some traveling with the MC

[Crash]

I just returned 2 weeks ago from lake Powell and we live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. There were 5 families with RV's on the trip and 3 of us brought boats!
20 Hours each way and I know we will do it again next year!! Loved the whole trip!
Sounds like a great and fun trip. We do a cabin thing with multiple families, all with boats, but I think we'll have to look into RV's next year!

[jayocheskey]

We're preparing for a two week trip at the end of June. First, we head off to Tablerock Lake outside of Branson, MO -- after 1 week there, we are headed to Hot Srings, AR to Lake Hamilton (one of the many lakes fed by Ouchita)

[Ryan]

Hey P-Rod

I posted about this trip to Hebgen last year and no one had ever heard of the place. Nice to know someone out there knows how great it is! Although for skiing it was 41 for a high a couple days ago. It should be in the mid 60's by next week. Water temp ..yikes! :eek3:

Hebgen used to be so good for fishing. Now it's more worth while to take a boat over to Henry's Lake. You'll surely catch more and bigger fish in less total time. Do you fish on the upper or lower Madison? Maybe I'm on the wrong end of the lake for it (Lonesome Hurst Cabins by Steven Covey's). Did you know the Fonz has a place up there?

[Stritt]

Columbia, Mo to Key West Florida....I think it was 1500 miles...each way. Best trip to the keys we ever had! No problems until the return trip, blew a tire 5 miles from home...That was with our 2000 205v.

[Upper Michigan Prostar190]

well, I towed mine 1000 miles home when I bought it, but that dont count cuz it wasnt a sking trip. So, I am with jrandol, I have a launch less than 1 mile from my house. I have another about 4 miles away, and one about 7 miles away, and two more within 15 miles. So that has me covered for all the boating I need to do. there are 2 different bays I ski in, so it one is chopppy, the other may be calm, and there are little coves and such, so if there is a wind, I can usually find calm water to ski unless its REALLY windy. and thats ALL on the "big lake they call Gitchee Gumee",(lake superior) there are plenty of inland lakes around here and a few canals that I dont even ski in, alll within an hours drive. :D SO I am a short distance skier.

[Ryan]

I should move to Michigan... :rolleyes:

[AirJunky]

Hey, we have tons of lakes in the NW too. I live on one lake & have 2 others less than 1/2 hour away. Plus when I lived in Seattle, I lived on one lake & had 4 or 5 others less than an hour away. Plus I've skied in lots of other states, Florida, Texas, California, Wisconsin, Michigan, New Hampshire..... but skiing at Powell or Havasu is NOTHING like anywhere else in the world!

Unless you know people in the area or can find a boat to rent, what option do you have other than to tow your own?

[lakes Rick]

Ryan, just a suggestion, but you might want to cover your California plates up when you get there so you dont get torched.......

[P-Rod]

Ryan,

I am pretty lucky as I have stayed at Staley's Springs Resort on Henry's Lake for free the last few years. I have a subcontractor who's Father In-Law owns the resort and lets us stay in a cabin. We use this as a base camp and we head out daily to different areas. We fish the Upper Madison, Gaitlan, Yellostone and the Snake. I can't say enough about this area of Montana. We also have the Owner's Son who acts as our guide (Local Knowledge always helps). The Owner of Staley Springs is subdividing his property and has several lake view lots available. The lot comes with a slip in the marina as well. I am thinking of purchasing one of the lots as I can see myself retiring someday in this region of Idaho/Montana. The only thing is, I need to convince my wife that she want to retire there as well.

[André]

Living on a lake can have downsides,I can only put 200 feets on the trailer each year...

[RedStar]

Key West sounds fun, but did the saltwater appear to harm the boat?

[Bongo]

... I can usually find calm water to ski unless its REALLY windy. and thats ALL on the "big lake they call Gitchee Gumee",(lake superior)...

Dude, Isn't the water cold? And I mean, cold all year round? Or do the protected bays warm up while the rest of the lake remains pretty cool.

Disclaimer: I grew up in North Dakota and spent 15 years in Minnesota before moving west, then south. So have a good number of years skiing in some pretty frigid temps at the beginning and end of ski season. I'd have never thought to water ski the big lake.

Bongo

[Upper Michigan Prostar190]

I should move to Michigan... :rolleyes:

Its not the be all and end all Ryan, just convienient access to water. Keep in mind we ski in 40 to 50 degree water until June, then its in the high 50s to LOW 60s all summer. and some days when the sun it out and you wnat to ski, the lake just WILL NOT lay down calm. If your avid like me and hit the lake at 7:00 to 8:00 am, your almost gauranteed calm water until 10:00. I still think its somewhat of a hidden jewel of a skier's paradise here, but some call me crazy. :uglyhamme another nice thing is, very little boating activity. The smaller bay I am on we have actually been skiing and been the ONLY boat on the bay, and yes, thats happened more than once. but you can ski anywhere on the bays and not come anywhere near other boats.

its like anywhere else, it has its good points, and bad points. All in all, I like it. It works for me.

[Stritt]

not really, flushed and washed after each day. If I did it again, I would keep the boat in the water for the week and flush dockside.

[Maristar210]

I "tow" mine 450 feet down the street to the Thornapple River where I put her in and enjoy 5.2 miles of navagable water that is 10-15 feet in most spots. The most enjoyable portion is there is never more than six boats on the water.... ever!!!!.

I cannot figure it out but who cares. The water is like glass most times because it is only about two hundred yards wide and shielded by banks and trees. Property cost is a bit steep however $$$$$ :eek:

www.photobucket.com/albums/v240/Steves389/

The rest you can figure out on your own. These pictures were taken with a brisk, storm approaching wind. Normally it is so calm the bow remains stable the ENTIRE day. (No pounding) unless its your own wake. I got up for the first time on a wakeboard the other day and a major portion of the reason is that the water was somoooooth.

Anyone need a pull?
Beer....=== free pull


Steve