Gypsy & The Navigator

Dazzling Snow Canyon

Our visit to Page, AZ drew to a close.  Time to say farewell to the red cliffs and point GypsyII west.

Crossing the bridge over the Glen Canyon Dam always reminds me of my Dad.  He worked on the building of the Dam while we lived in Kanab when I was in Jr. High.  

Those interesting formations of Navajo Sandstone continue.

The road from Page to Kanab has always been one of my favorite drives but this day about halfway Walt wasn't feeling well so it was a little stressful.  After a short stop in Kanab he seemed to be better so we continued on to St. George. 

We arrived safely in St. George, UT for a few days stay at Temple View RV Park. And Walt was back to feeling good.  Nice to see snow on the mountains.

The main reason for our stopover in St. George was to go to Snow Canyon State Park.

Surprisingly after all the time we have spent in Southern Utah we never made it to Snow Canyon and I had heard how unique it was.

When I was planning the trip several months ago I tried to get reservations at the campground inside the park but it was full. No wonder, it is Easter week-end.

It was an absolutely perfect weather day and we again remarked how lucky we are to get to explore in such great conditions.

Snow Canyon has a little bit of everything.  White Navajo Sandstone greets you as you come into the park.

The red Navajo Sandstone cliffs have been sculpted by wind, water and time.

This majestic beauty is only 9 miles north of St. George.

The 7400 acre park has 38 miles of hiking trails.  

Many hikers follow no trails.  They just head out across the slick rock.

 The scenery is so spectacular it has been the backdrop for Hollywood movies including The Electric Horseman and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid!

Despite its name the Canyon does not get much snow.  It is a strikingly colorful and fragile desert environment. 

The park was created in 1959 and originally called Dixie State Park. It was later renamed for Lorenzo and Erastus Snow, prominent pioneering Utah leaders.

Along with the sandstone there are lava fields and that lava played its part in shaping this beautiful canyon.

The trails are well marked showing what is allowed on each.

There is even a paved bike trail.

Loved seeing alyssum growing wild in the vibrant red soil.

The trails are red sand usually ending up on slick rock.

We took the short trail Pioneer Names.

Walt stopped when the trail became slick rock but I scrambled ahead to get a closer view.

It leads to a canyon wall that was written on by early St George settlers as early as 1881. The names were written in wagon axle grease and has remained protected by the arch that it sits under. 

The view from up there showed the white sandstone, the red sandstone and the nicely green desert plants.

Many of the unique rock formations canyon walls have climbing hooks in them that lure rock climbers from all over.

There were many children playing on the parks’ sand dunes.

Snow Canyon is a place we are so glad we did not miss.  A route through the pretty town of Ivins and back to St. George completed another really nice day.

Enchanting Tsé bighánílíní.....Upper Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon has been long on my wish list.  When I made the reservation in February I thought about going almost every day.

Antelope Canyon includes two separate, scenic slot canyon sections, referred to individually as "Upper Antelope Canyon" or "The Crack"and "Lower Antelope Canyon" or "The Corkscrew.

The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means 'the place where water runs through rocks'. 

The canyons are accessible by guided tour only.  Both canyons are on the land of the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation.

I chose the 12:45 pm tour because what I had read said that was the best time to catch the light beams and we had just entered the canyon and there they were.  A dream come true.

It was like I had been given a very special gift.

The reason we chose Upper Antelope Canyon was accessibility.  

Its entrance and entire length are at ground level so there is no climbing. 

It is the most frequently visited of the two canyons.

 The beams or shafts of direct sunlight radiating down from openings at the top of the canyon are much more common in Upper than in Lower.

The lower canyon requires the climbing of several flights of stairs and is a more difficult hike. 

Our guide was a very pleasant Indian gentleman whose name is Rob.

He not only gave advice for the best sights but actually set my camera for the best setting for photos in the canyon. 

Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of the Navajo Sandstone primarily due to flash flooding. 

Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into an extensive basin above the slot canyon, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways.

Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form the graceful flowing shapes in the rock.

Flooding still occurs and I asked our guide if they can see changes after one of the floods and he said that it is so slight that they really can't say.   With that said it made me realize that the time to make this wonder must have been thousands of years. 

There are many tour groups in the canyon at the same time but the guides do a great job of keeping people moving yet not making us feel rushed. 

Most of the time is spent looking up at the curves and swirls of the canyon walls.

The canyon floor is deep sand and the canyon walls are constantly curving and turning so it is a little disorienting.  A little like being in another world.

But oh, what a wonderful world it is.

If I won the lottery after my trip to see the interior of the Connecticut Capitol I would buy out every ticket for one of the scheduled tours and have a very quiet contemplative time right here in Antelope Canyon.

Our guide took pictures of everyone in our group at different times and I usually was looking up.

It is such a breath-taking experience.

These soaring 100 foot sandstone walls are pure bliss to see.

Hard to believe that a place this beautiful is so easy to get to and that it has taken me this long to get here.

I am grateful for an inspirational day amid the wonder and awe of a unique place in nature.  My bucket list is getting pretty short. 

 

Travel Time Has Come

After being stationary for 7 months it was time to get the wheels rolling.  We had a great dinner with the family the night before we left.  We will miss them! 

One last drive out to San Tan Valley confirming that we have a reservation there for next fall.

I am looking forward to a more low key winter.  We have a large space in a rural location and I am hoping to hear cows mooing, horses whinnying, and maybe even a coyote howling instead of sirens and concrete trucks starting work in the early hours.  We won't be as close to our family but I think it will be worth the extra drive.

And we will be just a short drive to The Pork Shop.  A great butcher shop and amazing green chile pork burritos.

Off we go.  It felt good to be back on the road.

Heading toward a destination that has been on my bucket list.

The weather report predicted rain.  The clouds seem to agree.

Almost to Page, Arizona.  This area is very familiar to us and we always find it full of beauty.

We arrived at the Page Lake Powell RV Park with just enough time for Walt to set up the outside before the rain came.  Nice view just outside our door. 

The rain didn't last long so I was able to go for a walk around the park.  If you have ever wondered what it might have been like to cross the country in a covered wagon you can rent one here.

There's a short nature trail around the park that gives great views of the red rocks. 

I have missed these beautiful red rocks.  Nice little walk to end a travel day.

One nice thing about being in familiar territory is that you know right away where you want to go for lunch.  R.D.'s is it.  Green chile cheeseburger and unlimited fry sauce.  Then it was time to do a little exploring.

When we were staying in the area several years ago they announced that the Navajo Generating Station power plant was slated to be closed.  The jobs and other economic benefits of the facility plays a vital role in the budgets of the tribe and I was glad to see it is still in operation but it sounds like they might be running out of maneuvers that will keep it going. 

So beautiful, red rocks with snowy mountains behind.

We wanted to check out Lake Powell so headed for a different marina than we had been to before.

We headed to Antelope Point Marina.

Access to the lake is limited to developed marinas because most of the lake is surrounded by steep sandstone walls.

We were happy to see the water level in the lake was up somewhat this year.  According to the news they are expecting that this years runoff from the winters higher than usual precipitation and snowpack should help increase the water level.

Lots of people that visit the area rent houseboats to meander the waterways or to find a secluded spot somewhere in the canyons to set up camp.

Where there is a will there is a way!.  Somehow this little guy got enough water to hang in there to blossom.

Then it was on to a place we had been to before a few years ago and at that time you parked in the red dirt, hiked through the sand, and viewed the astounding sight with nothing between you and the 1000 foot drop to the bottom.  Plus there were very few others there seeing the magnificent sight along with you.

Now you pay $10 to park in a paved parking lot. That lot is lost in the exhaust fumes of the tour buses, party vans and SUVs that choke an area never meant to hold so much glass and steel. Each day they disgorge thousands of visitors, many from China and Germany and France and Japan. Then you walk up a much improved trail along with a huge crowd of people.  I have to share what I overheard on the trail.  Keep in mind that much of the trail has patches of slick rock which I guess could be mistaken for paving.  A bejeweled, designer dressed 40's something woman said " This trail used to be paved.  Why didn't they repair it instead of throwing all this sand and rock on it?" 

Once you reach the end there is wonderful fencing that keeps you safe.  On my last visit I couldn't bring myself close enough to the edge to get a photo of the full arc.  Now here I am leaning over to get the full experience.

There it is HORSESHOE BEND.

The emerald green Colorado River lies below unaware of the throng of people above.

Social media is the explanation for the explosion of visitors.  

Absolutely stunning.  

The day was pretty warm so the water below looked really inviting.

Even more extraordinary than the first time I was here because I could get right to the edge but I can say I do miss the solitude. Yes, that is a water bottle laying on the sand below the fence.  I was SO sad to see the mess that people were leaving.  

You can still get to the edge on each side of the fence and there were plenty of daredevils.  Amazingly I think there have only been a couple of deaths here in the last 10 years. 

How fortunate I am to spend time at a place that is in jeopardy of being loved to death.