Dec. 14-15 Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon

   The drive to Antelope Canyon took us from Zion to Kanab, Utah then on to Page Arizona.  We had lunch in Kanab at a lovely little sandwich place and ate outside in the sunshine and warm weather.  We met a lovely couple from Australia who was on their way to visit Zion and Bryce.  Their travels were similar to ours only in reverse.  We shared travel stories of being in Australia and how much we loved their country.  Meeting people has been one of the wonderful benefits of this trip.  Traveling opens our eyes to the nuances of how people think. They willing share thoughts on travel, food, experiences, and if we talk long enough they share their deeper beliefs, including the love for their families, and desire for a better life for future generations.
   We drove the next hour and a half through desert land. The town of Page is located just over the border into Arizona.  Page is a small city of mostly Navajo people who work and live here in this remote area.  The Glen Canyon Dam is the reason this town even exists.  In the 1960’s the Glen Canyon Dam was built to control the waters from the Colorado River to provide water to the four corners area of the country.  It also provides hydroelectric power to the area.  Today, the city depends on this dam not only for water and energy but it enhances the tourist industry.  Lake Powell was formed as the result of the dam and creates a natural summer boating and swimming area.
Twenty years ago, Mark and I went down the Colorado River from Lake Powell to Lake Mead at Las Vegas.  It was an 8 day excursion in a raft through the white water of the Colorado River.  Today, Lake Powell is about 54% capacity.  There has been a serious drought for the past 10 years causing the lake to be so low.  Although low, the lake is a beautiful deep blue set against the brown desert land.
   We scheduled a tour of Antelope Canyon on the morning of Dec. 15, Mark’s birthday!  We needed to be guided through this canyon by a Navajo guide.  It is a protected area and once inside the canyon it is easy to see why this needs to be protected.  The area known as Antelope Canyon is a narrow crack in the land formed by rushing water over thousands of years.  The water has created the most amazing twists and turns within the canyon.  The sunlight shines through small peep holes at the top of the canyon. The light reflects on the canyon walls creating beautiful images. One doesn’t have to be a good photographer to capture an amazing picture of color, movement and light.  In the summer, known as the monsoon season, there can be flash floods through this canyon sometimes as deep as the canyon itself.  We are happy to be here in winter avoiding the possibility of a flood.  Our time spent walking through this narrow canyon was a never ending display of beautiful light formations on the canyon walls.  At the end of our tour our guide played a beautiful Navajo love song on his flute for us, a very touching moment.
  Today’s tour was a birthday gift for Mark and it was truly amazing.