Today was a travel day but quite windy with gusts up to 40mph. We thought about staying an extra day in Page to wait out the winds but it turned out to be fine, with a headwind and not side winds as we drove to the Grand Canyon. This is a view of Marble Canyon.
We entered through the east entrance and were told to check with the campground office regarding the potential government shutdown. Seriously we thought, wouldn’t the campground run by DNC stay open? This gave us a bit of sorry as we drove in!
Desert View is the first viewpoint on the eastern side and what a view it is. From here you can see the Colorado River make a 90 degree turn. The canyon is so vast we can’t even figure out where the hikers go down on the rim to rim trail. The north rim is rugged and beautiful.
We were fortunate to have gotten space in Trailer Village which is actually in the park. Spaces are large and tree lined so it is quite nice. It feels less like a zoo than Zion. There is limited food options but we weren’t planning to eat out anyway so that is fine. The park runs shuttles and 2 main rim trails and viewpoints are on roads closed to cars. We used our evening to figure out our plan for the next few days. I am hoping to get 2 evenings of decent sunsets but am not really interested in getting up for sunrises! Our excitement today was seeing another Alto trailer a few spaces away.
It is night time and we have had thunder and lightning with rains for the past few hours. Hail is coming down and we hope the pellets are small enough, they are not damaging our exterior. What wild weather!
We got up early for our 8 am start time, me still feeling apprehensive and nervous about this hike. Hopefully we make it in and out in one piece, and hopefully I get up and down the ladder without panicking. Was this a crazy idea?
The lot was empty and we were the first guests to arrive. The other 4 didn’t arrive until 8 and what a relief, they were not 30 somethings but were gray haired couples. We introduced ourselves and they said they were from Texas! I thought, “oh my, better watch what I say!” We wore masks in the tranport car but no one else did. As we got to talking, Monica said they were Canadians and she volunteers for the Democratic committee and that it is so hard living in Dallas. The other couple, all friends, were originally from India and also not Republicans. What a relief!!
That was the start to our amazing day. They turned out to be great people to hike with, about the same hiking level as us. We were told 800 people went through the regular Antelope Canyons yesterday but this hike was just 6 plus 2 guides from 8-2pm and we could spend as much time in each area as we liked as noone would be coming through. Sweet!
You enter down a sandy trail followed by a rope ladder and wooden slats down a steep 400 ft sandy hill. It was way easier than half dome! Falling is a very soft landing and we all made it down without a problem.
We walked 5-10 min into the slot canyon and everyone gasped with delight at the sight before us and this was only the entrance. The 10 ft ladder was next. Unlike the photos, this ladder is secured to the wall, has handrails and metal treads. It is very secure and my fears were unfounded.
From there you enter the chambers, 8 in all but the middle ones are the best. I spent almost 2 1/2 hours photographing there practically alone as the rest of them looked and left to go visit outside and eat lunch. I was in my element and could have stayed all week. The swirls of smooth rock was mesmerizing and so beautiful. Around every bend was a new shot and with the light changing every 15 minutes, the color of the walls and shadows were never the same. The patterns and swirls captivated me. I skipped eating lunch and made the most of every minute until noon.
We then proceeded to the narrows, the part of the canyon not yet carved out, with some passages just wide enough for us to pass through sideways. The guides told us this canyon is down from where the water flows and water can get 50 ft high in a flash flood. The combination of water and wind is what creates these rock formations. One couple chose to go further up the ledges and into a small chamber. The rest of us stayed behind. That was more than I could handle- know your limitations!
At 1:30 it was time for the climb out, up the sandy slope and rope ladder we had come down on. We had pictured it being much more difficult. Half dome was a lot harder. We all made it out, huffing and puffing up the trail but feeling pretty good that at our ages, we completed the hike and had a great time.
Cardiac Canyon was only recently opened and only a few hundred people have gone through so we felt very fortunate to have seen it in such serene and exclusive conditions. With the popularity of Antelope Canyon growing through social media, it won’t be long before crowds find this tour. I am sure they will be bringing more than 6 people a day in here.
We went back to the campground for showers then out to Big John’s for bbq and headed over to Horse Shoe Bend.my my were there a lot of people, some posing way to close to the edge in my opinion. We got some nice iconic shots with the iPhone which did better than my camera, arms can reach much further out than tripods.
We watched the sunset then the moonrise on this the Moon Festival . It was the perfect ending to a lovely day.
Today was our scheduled Canyon X photography tour, a 3 hour visit inside a slot canyon through Taadidiin Tours. Antelope Canyon is a long canyon outside of Page on Navajo Land. There are about 13 companies that do tours but this one we selected allows camera bags and tripods; we are a group of 3 with a guide. When we arrived, we were astonished to see quite a few huge tour buses in the lot, oh no we thought! Apparently this company has contracts with tour groups and they take people in small groups of around 10-15 people at a time. Today the groups were all Korean. We were driven to the entrance in a van and entered through a series of steps on a sandy downhill slope. From there, our guide pointed out good shots and held groups back whike we were shooting however it was crowded and lots of groups came through, peopke apologizing for interrupting! I found it amusing that one woman said, “I would love to see your work. I’ll bet it is beautiful!” There was ample time to photograph and the colors are stunning. I found it most challenging to photograph upwards towards the sky as the light difference was so great. There was also a great contrast in light levels on the canyon walls. Below is a preview of photos taken with my phone. Camera shots still need to be processed. A tripod was a necessity.
We received an eye opening lesson on the history of the Navajo, and similarly how all Native Americans were treated in the 1860’s and beyond. They were driven off their land and incarcerated, making the Long Walk to camp. Later, children were sent to boarding schools to indoctrinate them to American culture; speaking the Navajo language or celebrating their culture was forbidden. Now, even with repatriation, they are only able to live on the land but do not own it. It is held in trust.. We learned from our guide, Patrick that the Navajos only have rights 3 ft deep; the federal gov owns the water and mineral rights. He was 7th generation on the land and many elders still have a lot of animosity. The younger generation just wants to move on.
Our guides told us that even when the tribes vote against certain environmental issues such as mining, the government moves forward anyway, through eminent domain. A few years ago, the tribe was not in agreement with the federal government on a former coal power plant and therefore it was shut down. They now look to the future of solar on the land for revenue. It was a sad reminder of how badly non-whites were treated throughout history in the US.
Taadidiin is family owned and is doing quite well. It was started by Nick’s grandfather; Nick is a guide for the Cardiac Canyon tour.
The canyons used to be open for anyone to explore but in 1997 flash floods killed 11 visitors and so visits are now regulated. Luckily, they usually know in the morning if there is a threat of flash floods.
We packed up and made our way to Page AZ. The scenery is strikingly beautiful and incredible. The layers of rock are perfectly straight in places and tilted in others. Once in a while, an outcropping of sandstone appears- one looked like a perfectly round water tank standing in the middle of a firmer lava field. Another resembling mushrooms. I was told that the winter rains this year has brought a profusion of yellow wildflowers. The Page Lake Powell Campground is quiet and surrounded by red hills. In the shade, it is quite comfortable.
Page is a much more modern and expanding city than we had pictured. It was originally a community that housed workers building the dam and has grown as tourism increased at Lake Powell, Horseshoe Bend and after Antelope Canyon opened in 1997. Social media has contributed to its recent popularity drawing 3M visitors a year. Page is also the home of two of the largest electrical generation units in the western United States.
After the sun goes lower, it cools off and evenings are lovely. We headed over to the Glen Canyon Recreation Area – Glen Canyon Dam across the Colorado River and forms Lake Powell . What a magnificent view and feat of engineering and construction. We walked across the bridge on both sides of the road, the view of the canyon on one side and high above the 710 ft high dam on the other.
This dam has an interesting history and is still a source of contention by environmentalists who want it taken down; that will never happen. Glen Canyon Dam has a 1,288,000-kilowatt capacity when fully online. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Canyon_Dam
Our plan was to explore Kolob Canyon, the northwest corner of Zion which has a 5 mi scenic drive. However, when we got there, we saw that the 5 mi drive had been reduced to 3 due to rock slides, and the first 3 miles were not the most scenic. We took a few pictures and asked about other places in the area. Several others had also made the drive up there only to be disappointed – seriously nps, make this info known and stop recommending this place! What we did realize was that this is where we had brought the kids and turned back some 30 yrs ago on a Las Vegas trip in the winter. We actually didn’t go to the main Zion entrance as it was too far. This was before the internet and we hadn’t researched Zion but went for a drive to “check out” the area.
Snow Canyon State Park is one of Utah’s 42 state parks, with scenic beauty but a lot fewer visitors. It is about an hour from Zion and somewhat on the way back to Springdale. We spent the day there, doing some walking but the mid day sun and heat made it difficult to hike. The park has red petrified sand dunes, lava fields and tubes , and sandstone cliffs. We made a note that this would be a fantastic place to visit in the winter! The landscape is amazing and makes us want to study geology.
Jenny’s canyon was a small slot canyon with nooks and crannies, and a great place for kids to climb around in. It was a preview of what we hope to see later this week and was a good exercise as I realized how low the light is, making a tripod essential for photography.
We were able to meet up with Carol and Jim Vorhaus for dinner at the Spotted Dog and had a fun time visiting. They just arrived in Zion and will be traveling to Bryce and the Grand Canyon.We so treasure and value our long time friendships.
Weeping Rock was a place I wanted to return to with my camera and tripod as I had identified many telephoto opportunities. We decided to go up early to avoid the crowds and for better lighting. We were one of the first up there and I had plenty of time to photograph the dripping water and hanging plants. Without the crowds, the place is heavenly and so peaceful. The dripping water makes for a beautiful setting for the hanging plants. It is my favorite spot in the park.
We spent about 2 hrs there before heading back to the campground for “dinner” at lunchtime, our plan for the day in order to drive and hike east canyon in the late afternoon and evening. This is the highway that leads east toward Bryce and one you can drive along. We will be exiting a different way so decided to spend sunset there. We left at about 4 pm to hike the Canyon Trail late in the day but the canyon trail parking lot was still full so we continued down the road. We were not disappointed – the incredible towering sandstone cliffs and striations. are breathtaking and unlike anywhere else we have been. The views around each bend were spectacular. We spent 4 hrs stopping and photographing and finally drove out at dark.
We got up early to get into the park before the crowds arrived. We started out by driving to the gate but turned back after seeing the long lines. Walking ended up being faster and we boarded the shuttle at the visitors center, getting off at the Grotto stop in order to hike upper, middle and lower emerald pools. They were somewhat of a let down as there was very little water and way too many people on the trail. We turned back and only went to the middle pool. Zion Canyon is 15 mi long and 2,640 ft high. It’s sandstone cliffs are deep red and quite impressive.
Weeping Rock was our next stop and the short but steep climb was very worthwhile. Water seeps through the sandstone and shale creating hanging gardens and dripping water. It was gorgeous.
We ate lunch at the Grotto under deep red sandstone cliffs.
After lunch, we took the shuttle to the end of the line at Temple of Sinawava and walked the Virgin River trail toward the Narrows where one can wade into the canyon. We watched the throngs of people wading across the river to the canyon some with rental boots and waders, others in gym shoes or bare feet (they didn’t get very far); it resembled a mass migration!
The buses were very crowded and warm at the end of the day, making for a miserable ride, with us being the only ones wearing masks. People have no choice but to take the shuttle as it is an 8 mi walk on the road to get back to the visitors center. Zion has only one main road. An alternative is to rent bikes. We bought icees to cool off and walked the way back to the campground instead of taking the city bus. Time to relax after a 6-7 mi walking day.
it has been surprising to see such crowds in late September but if you think about it, it makes sense as summers are too hot here. The visitors are a combo of young Europeans, and older retired people. I suppose there are just too many of us baby boomers, traveling the country and fulfilling dreams of seeing the national parks in retirement!We did observe how fit and lean Europeans are, no matter their age as contrasted to Americans who for the most part are hugely overweight.
Off again after a week in the Bay Area but only an overnight for me after babysitting Ela. It was a mad rush to pack food and necessities for trailering but Friday came and we were off. Driving south through Gilroy, it was quite smoky and the lush green hills of Pacheco Pass in March are now dry and brown.What astounds me when driving through the country, is the amount of variety in snack foods and drinks for sale. These gas station stores have a dizzying array of stuff. At one store, drinks occupied 3 entire walls of refrigerators!
6 hrs later we arrive in Barstow. The next day, our routing to Zion takes us through Vegas. It has been close to 30 years since we have been here and we are amazed at how much it has grown with its ritzy hotels and concert venues. The landscape after Vegas becomes more interesting with rugged high sandstone cliffs.
We arrive at Zion Canyon Campground late in the afternoon and decide to get a lay of the land before tomorrow. We learn that the main road from the visitors center is closed to traffic and all guests must take the shuttle which only runs from 7am to 7 pm.All the trails branch off from the main road which is 8 mi long. Therefore it will be difficult to carry my camera and tripod all day while hiking. I will have to go with just an iPhone. It also makes it impossible to get sunset photos beyond a mile or less of the visitors center. I applaud the park for implementing such an efficient shuttle system but for photographers, travel is better after October. We are fortunate there was no lottery system as in past years.
The sun was setting as we walked up the road from the visitors center and I captured an iconic Zion shot.
The Zion Canyon Campground is quite nice, only a 5 min walk to the visitors center. It is quiet and the sir let’s have plenty of trees to provide shade from the hot sun. So late in sept and still so hot!!
Fishing the Rogue River at Gold Beach in Oregon has been a twenty year old tradition for us. It seems our loyalty to several things has come up to surprise me lately- 32 years with the same doctor. 17 years with my hair stylist, and 20 yrs fishing with Greg our guide every September . We were first introduced to him by a colleague of Ray’s whose brother in law had a boat and fished the Rogue regularly. Greg was 40 at the time, loved the river and put his heart and soul into making sure we caught fish. He prided himself on being an exceptional guide. For 20 yrs , we never bought store salmon, catching enough to freeze for the year. The last few years however, have been tough with us returning home empty handed or with only 1-2 small fish. We thought we’d give it one more try this year.
The drive up is always enjoyable, passing the Humboldt Redwoods. This time we stayed in Trinidad, just outside of the Redwoods NP and in the morning hiked and photographed the rising mist in the redwoods on the Damnation Trail.
Greg was gruff and grumpy today, complaining that young guides are filling their boats with 5-6 people and making 2-3x what he makes a day. With salmon fishing closed in the ocean and rivers of CA, guides and private boats have been fishing the Rogue all summer and fall. We have never seen so many boats in the bay, a boat traffic jam, making his job not so pleasant. Secondly, everyone has started to use huge metal flashers, not to his liking. This makes the rods heavier, reeling in the fish faster and not as much fun. I have trouble holding and reeling in the huge one on my line while keeping my balance with the huge swells at the mouth of the river. With all the lines in the water and fish going crazy seeing the flashers, tangles between boats is a common occurrence. No wonder he is grumpy! We got caught up twice. He said he resisted switching but catching a fish is near impossible without flashers and his clients were asking if he had any. So we realized that may have been the issue for us the past few years. So at 60, sadly Greg appears to be biding time until retirement. He wants us to bring additional people so his day is more worthwhile. Such a shame how things have changed in 20 years. Nevertheless we ended up with quite a haul, not so good the second day, which also turned out to be quite smoky. Funny with us catching fewer, Greg was more relaxed and in a better mood.
We totaled close to 50 lbs of filets, and had to buy another cooler to pack them for the drive home. We’ll probably be back to continue the tradition at least until he calls it quits.
We took a leisurely drive through Avenue of the Giants before getting home to cut, pack and vacuum seal fish
