Next day we both woke up and joined the permit lottery once more. This time we were lucky: there were only 30 odd people and we got a permit for 3 people (Sara was supposed to join us) for next day. This was definitely a lucky break. After the permit we decided to visit Antelope Canyon in Page which is only 30 miles away from the Paria Contact station. It was a little confusing to find the entrance to the Antelope canyon park, but finally we found it. To go into the canyon, one must be part of a guided tour. We bought tickets ($27 each) for the 12PM tour of upper Antelope canyon which lasts for an hour. There was a little more confusion because Arizona is in a different time zone from Utah. Since there was still 2 more hours to kill, we left to go and see the horse shoe bend.
It was a hot 3/4 mile walk to the horse shoe bend over a sandy trail, but the viewpoint definitely justified the walk. We were soon done and decided to hurry back to the Antelope canyon and get into the 11AM tour. Especially since around noon, reportedly beautiful shafts of light illuminate the canyon.
We got back in time to the entrance and got into the open 4x4 truck to ride the 3 mile to the canyon. At this point I found out that in the regular tour, tripods are not allowed. For photographers, one must go with the photo tour which lasts two hours. So I just opted to lug the tripod along. The ride was along a sandy wash ---it was pretty bumpy and there was sand all around. We were soon at the entrance to the canyon: the inside was pretty amazing, but the crowd was pretty amazing too.
There was little time to take pictures even for people who were on guided photography tours. There was not enough place to spread the tripod legs. Also there were so many people inside the canyon that one had to clear the surroundings before one could take a picture. In retrospect, it would not have been worthwhile to take the two hour photo tour. Nevertheless, it was clear that the canyon deserved its reputation: with almost no effort one could produce amazing photographs. Once the tour was over, we took the bumpy ride back and was back at the entrance.
After the tour, we had lunch and went back towards Kanab to the Wire pass trailhead. Our goal was to hike through Wire pass to its junction with Buckskin Gulch. The heat was oppressive (89F) and there were tiny black flies which proved to be very annoying. Finally when we entered the narrows of Wire pass, it was blessedly cool and windy which drove away all the flies.
After Antelope canyon, Wire pass was spookily deserted. The narrows were typically only a yard wide and more than 100 feet tall. The colors on Wire pass were not as beautiful as Antelope canyon, but still it was interesting.
Very soon we were at the junction with Buckskin Gulch which was a majestic sight: soaring tall red rock walls enclosed us on all sides and in three directions, the walls narrowed to slots. At the confluence, there was a set of small petroglyphs which depicted people and deers. Overall, the impression was of great quiet and loneliness. We turned back the way we came and walked through the heat to the trailhead.
It was a hot 3/4 mile walk to the horse shoe bend over a sandy trail, but the viewpoint definitely justified the walk. We were soon done and decided to hurry back to the Antelope canyon and get into the 11AM tour. Especially since around noon, reportedly beautiful shafts of light illuminate the canyon.
We got back in time to the entrance and got into the open 4x4 truck to ride the 3 mile to the canyon. At this point I found out that in the regular tour, tripods are not allowed. For photographers, one must go with the photo tour which lasts two hours. So I just opted to lug the tripod along. The ride was along a sandy wash ---it was pretty bumpy and there was sand all around. We were soon at the entrance to the canyon: the inside was pretty amazing, but the crowd was pretty amazing too.
There was little time to take pictures even for people who were on guided photography tours. There was not enough place to spread the tripod legs. Also there were so many people inside the canyon that one had to clear the surroundings before one could take a picture. In retrospect, it would not have been worthwhile to take the two hour photo tour. Nevertheless, it was clear that the canyon deserved its reputation: with almost no effort one could produce amazing photographs. Once the tour was over, we took the bumpy ride back and was back at the entrance.
After the tour, we had lunch and went back towards Kanab to the Wire pass trailhead. Our goal was to hike through Wire pass to its junction with Buckskin Gulch. The heat was oppressive (89F) and there were tiny black flies which proved to be very annoying. Finally when we entered the narrows of Wire pass, it was blessedly cool and windy which drove away all the flies.
After Antelope canyon, Wire pass was spookily deserted. The narrows were typically only a yard wide and more than 100 feet tall. The colors on Wire pass were not as beautiful as Antelope canyon, but still it was interesting.
Very soon we were at the junction with Buckskin Gulch which was a majestic sight: soaring tall red rock walls enclosed us on all sides and in three directions, the walls narrowed to slots. At the confluence, there was a set of small petroglyphs which depicted people and deers. Overall, the impression was of great quiet and loneliness. We turned back the way we came and walked through the heat to the trailhead.
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