23 April 2018
Ferdonia, UT
Wheelin Inn RV Park
We left at 0600 to make the 70 mile drive east to Page, AZ, to pick up the 0800 Navajo Indian tour guide through the canyon.
They piled 16 of us into the back of truck, and took us 20 minutes away to the canyon.
Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic “flowing” shapes in the rock. The last flood occurred in October 2006, that lasted 36 hours, and caused the Tribal Park Authorities to close Lower Antelope Canyon for five months.
We exited our truck, and all I saw was a small slot in rock. Okay, Slot canyon, I get it, as we walked into this orange glow of rock with swirls, with beams of shafts of direct sunlight radiating down from openings at the top of the canyon. It was like WOW, this is awesome.
Best time to tour is 1100-1200 when the sun is high above. Of course these times are sold out months in advance. The light beams occur most often in the summer months, as they require the sun to be high in the sky. Winter colors are more muted.
As we walked through the canyon, every turn revealed a different color and new pattern in the sand stone. Our guide, would instruct us where to look, and where the best picture was. She was really good. It was a fast hour, as we exited we took the “high road” back to the truck. It ended up being quite the hike, but we we got down to bottom, she took us through another slot canyon, that was just as nice, but not as long, or tall, but kool just the same.
Mother nature is awesome, we were glad we could admire more of her handy work……
