Two Canyons

I'm finally getting around to looking over all the photos taken on our trip to Northern Arizona in January. The visual highlights were definitely Antelope Canyon in Page, and the Grand Canyon after the snowstorm.

Antelope is a slot canyon in the Navajo Nation, a vertical crack carved by an intermittent stream into the soft sandstone. 120 feet deep and as narrow as 4 feet wide, the bright desert sun just barely penetrates the the canyon floor. It's similar to a cavern lit by just a few candles. These photos are 5 to 20 seconds of exposure time, don't forget your tripod! We hired a Navajo driver with an impressive off-road truck to take us 5 mile up the soft, sandy streambed to the canyon entrance.

Abraham Lincoln?

The Grand Canyon under 3 feet of snow is a sight to see, and the clouds allowed us to see it for all of about 10 minutes of our 2 day stay. The elevation at the south rim is about 7000 feet, and cold enough to make snow in the desert, while down at the bottom of the canyon it stays warm enough that snow is rare. It is neat to look down from the top and see the snow die out as the walls of the canyon fall.

Warning: Hiking in deep snow is exhausting.