The Log of the Desert Lake

A beautifully written travelogue/memoir/environmental piece that takes the reader to a beautiful landscape in southern Utah. With a prose similar to that of Edward Abbey (which in my opinion is most certainly welcome), E. E. Theissen's book is both entirely entertaining and informational. Split into two parts, part one being more travel journal memoir, the second part being more scientific and historical.

The book is about E. E. Theissen's 9 day solo journey across Lake Powell in a kayak. Along the way he stops at beautiful locations and contemplates various mysteries of life. (One I have particularly contemplated often concerning an artichoke). Through the journey he meets various other travelers of varying "species" as he so graciously creates a hilarious dichotomous key to differentiate the beings of the various encounters. 

After his journey concludes, he delves into the history of Lake Powell and the various histories of the lake. Starting with the geology of the land (as the author is also a geologist) he explains the effects of the land after millions of years of various forces at work on them. Next he moves on to the political history associated with the lake, as it is man made, and the creation of the Glen Dam that ultimately created this body of water. With touches on the environmental impacts, as well as the lakes ever decreasing water level, due to higher and higher demands, the histories of Lake Powell are both intriguing and fascinating. 

A great read for those who love the outdoors, or love humorous journeys through beautiful landscapes. Reading this certainly made me miss my close proximity to these beautiful wonders, as I previously lived in Salt Lake City. If you enjoy Edward Abbey, you will certainly enjoy the musings of E. E. Theissen.

I enjoyed the writing and the descriptions of the author's trip on Lake Powell in a kayak. I have never been on Lake Powell but have visited that part of the country several times and love the beauty of the rocks and canyons as he does. I liked the short geological and exploration sections in the latter part of the book as well.