Thursday, June 5, 2014

Antelope Canyon

Part of what I was hanging around southern Utah for was that the campsites at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon were all taken, and I really wanted to see Antelope Canyon for myself.  I'd seen plenty of photos, but again really wanted to see it for myself.

Antelope Canyon is on Navajo Nation land, and requires that one has a Navajo guide/tour company.  How this is enforced is beyond me as it was a literal madhouse in there; though the very deep sand requiring 4-wheel drive to get there probably helps.

Antelope Canyon is a small slot canyon, taking less than 10 minutes to walk through, even with a ton of people to avoid.  It wasn't found, apparently until the 1950's by a sheepherder looking for a lost sheep (how sheep survive out there is another matter).



I haven't messed with the photos at all (no time, trust me that I will).  What you see is pretty much what you get.  I had to pay for a special "Photographer's Tour" to be able to bring my tripod in and to get in when the sun was roughly overhead.  It was pretty cool to watch the sunbeams and sunspots move over time.


At times, the walls were very tight and the opening to the slot was upwards of 30-40 feet overhead, which combined with the red sandstone really made the colors pop.  All in all it was a very cool part of my trip.

Have a great day,

Marc

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