Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon in the American Southwest. It is located on Navajo land east of Page, Arizona. Antelope Canyon includes two separate, scenic slot canyon sections, referred to individually as "Upper Antelope Canyon" or "The Crack"; and "Antelope Canyon" or "The Corkscrew." A slot canyon is a narrow canyon, formed by the wear of water rushing through rock. A slot canyon is significantly deeper than it is wide. Some slot canyons can measure less than 1 meter (3 ft) across at the top but drop more than 30 meters (100 ft) to the floor of the canyon.
This particular slot canyon is amazing. The depth is around 100 feet and, in places, it can be as narrow as 3-5 feet.
We chose Ken's Tours. I say this because there are quite a few companies to choose from and though they offer pretty much the same thing, the level of services and the facilities differ. We looked at prices, tour options and reviews. Ken's prices were competitive and the reviews were good. Also, Ken's and one other company are the only ones that offer tours of Lower Canyon.
There are two areas of Antelope Canyon to tour. You can do Upper or Lower. We chose Lower because it was reputed to be less crowded, the tour guides got good reviews and Ken's has bathrooms and a nice size building for waiting.
The entry into Lower Antelope Canyon includes quite a few steps. It is around 100 feet from the top to the floor. The steps are metal and, at one point, are so steep that it is easier to turn around and go down backwards.(ladder style). I do not think this is required to enter Upper Antelope Canyon. Consider physical limitations when choosing.
The pros of this tour are obvious. It is a sight to behold.
There are a few cons but none should be deal breakers.
1) It is crowded and a bit of a cluster at the start. The tour is very popular and there is only one entrance. You will be semi herded to the entrance and will most likely stand in line for a bit.
2) It is a bit pricey. Rob and I paid $60 for the two of us. If you want to see this place, you have to take the tour.
3) Some folks are just plain rude. There are plenty of opportunities for photos but some people just could not get enough. The canyon gets so narrow that only one person fits through at a time so it is important to continue meandering with your group.
4) It can be tight at the bottom of the slot. It gets narrow and the sandstone walls are very close and high. If you are claustrophobic, you may struggle a bit. There is always light from above so looking up might help.
As I said, none of these should be deal breakers. The expense might be more than is affordable but the rest will not change no matter what you do. To override the wait, talk to your guide. To override the crowds, take a breath every now and then. Rude is rude and you cannot fix stupid so just enjoy wherever you are and do not let some knucklehead impact your time in this natural wonder. The claustrophobia should not be an issue unless you have a significant issue with it.
We toured on 24 May at 0900. The sun was up and very bright. I am certain that date, time and weather impact what you "see" when you are in the slot.
Do your homework before choosing a date, time and company.
Lastly, think twice before touring during the desert monsoon season. The season runs roughly from sometime in July to sometime in September. If there is any threat of a storm, your tour will be canceled. I can assure you that you do not want to get caught in a slot during a storm. The water will pour in and you have nowhere to go.
Lower Antelope Canyon Tour.....worth every single cent and hassle. A must see.
After the tour, we returned to the RV, had lunch and hung out with the girls. After a rest, we decided to try out our Kayak.
Before we left Florida, we pondered bringing our kayak.(Dory) We decided against it because it it big and cumbersome. Getting it on and off the top of Clark is quite a chore and we just did not think we would use it enough to make it worth it.
We decided to buy an inflatable kayak. I did a little research and decided on a two person kayak that came with paddles and a pump.
KAYAK IN A BAG. WILL IT EVER FIT BACK IN THIS BAG?
GOT AIR?
AFLOAT
ON THE LAKE
The kayak (Sunny) was fairly easy to inflate and worked better than we expected. We had a nice paddle and stayed close to shore. We took water, life jackets, the pump, sun screen and a roll of duct tape.
After a good test run, we made our way back to where we had launched, loaded up and went back to Lewis. We set everything out to dry and took the girls to the lake for a swim.
We finished our day with a walk to the Marina. We had dinner at a small restaurant that sits on the water and then enjoyed a lovely sunset during our walk home.
We spent the rest of the evening with Penny Lane and Annie Belle. Penny let us know that she was happy we were home.
CHEESE
Another great day in this thing we call life.
No comments:
Post a Comment