Antelope Canyon. The name evokes images of a deep and colorful slot canyon with beams of light illuminating the dark interior. It really is an amazing place and many people want to visit it and get a photograph. Years ago, visitors were few; today the number of visitors is so great that restrictions on photography have become necessary. Tripods are no longer allowed and the “photographer tour” is a thing of the past. Stopping for more than a few minutes in any spot is discouraged and your guide will keep you moving.
If only everyone could experience it the way it once was: a leisurely walk through the canyon with time to stop and embrace the beauty of the canyon and take a few unhurried photographs.
I have visited Antelope Canyon several times with the earliest visit in 2000, followed by visits in 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2011. The last two were shot using digital cameras; the others were shot using film.
After reading that the tours had changed a few years ago I took another look at some of the photos that I had taken. Here is a small subset of those photographs of the canyon over the years.
With the winter holidays presenting a few days off from work we decided to do a bit of close-to-home travel. Our destination was Page, Arizona, and from there we could visit some photographically-interesting sites as well as do some canyon hiking.
Located between Page, Arizona, and Kanab, Utah, it is easy to miss as there is only a small roadside sign and dirt parking lot as you travel on US Route 89. The trail is a short and easy hike of less than a mile.
Rimrock Hoodoos (“Toadstools”) in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
From the interpretive sign at the start of the trail: “What is a Toadstool? A toadstool is a spire-like feature with a boulder perched atop a pedestal rock, like a mushroom, or ‘toadstool’. It forms when softer rock erodes away, leaving a column sheltered from the wind and water.”
Such a mundane description for what are amazing pieces of natural rock art.
Rimrock Hoodoos (“Toadstools”) in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
With afternoon light beginning to fade the colors were amazing. The downside was that it’s late December and even in the desert southwest it can get pretty chilly in the late afternoon. Finally, the sun set and the sky darkened ending an enjoyable afternoon of exploration and photography.
Late afternoon lighting across the Toadstools region.
We’ve been here a few times over the years but never get tired of viewing the fantastic sculpturing of the soft sandstone within the confines of this slot canyon.
Lower Antelope Canyon, Navajo Nation Parks, near Page, Arizona.
There are two distinct areas to visit: Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon. The upper canyon is much easier to walk as it has a smooth and generally flat sandy floor and is wide enough for people to move around. It is the recommended choice for those with limited hiking abilities or those that are uncomfortable in confined spaces. Lower Antelope Canyon requires moving through exceptionally narrow confines and climbing up and down steep ladders.
Snow melt pattern around a boulder in Catstair Canyon, Utah.
Lastly, we traveled back west towards Houserock Valley and did a short hike in Catstair Canyon. If you look carefully you will find some ancient petroglyphs on the sandstone walls of this short canyon. Far more interesting to us, however, was the snow melt pattern around this volleyball-sized boulder.
