It was not in the forecast that it would rain all day. It was only to rain from 9-10, and our reservation for the shuttle was for 10:28am. They always cancel when there is rain since you cannot tour the Lower Canyon of AC with puddles because it floods so easily.
After brekkie at the hotel (gym and yoga too), we headed to the shuttle; I wanted to have this completely work-free, so we paid a bit extra for the luxury of the shuttle and VIP tour.
We also picked the LOWER canyon vs. the UPPER. Here is some Antelope Canyon info:
Let’s learn some interesting facts about Antelope Canyon from:
https://factpros.com/20-interesting-facts-about-antelope-canyon/.
- Antelope Canyon is one of the most beautiful landmarks on our planet. It attracts geologists, tourists, and photographers from all over the world.
- Antelope Canyon is also one of the most photographed canyons in the world. Its unique wavy carvings, eye-catching colors, and magnificent light beams make it attractive to everyone
- Local Navajos named the canyon Antelope because according to their story, herds of antelopes once grazed in the area during the wintertime.
- Antelope canyon consists of two separate canyons: Upper and Lower Antelope canyon. Upper Antelope Canyon is known as “The Crack” and Lower Antelope Canyon is “The Corkscrew”.
- Upper Antelope Canyon attracts more visitors than the other as its entrance and most of its length locates at the ground level and do not require climbing.
- Upper Antelope Canyon also displays glorious radiating beams during summertime.
- Lower Antelope Canyon, as locals call it Hazdistazi (spiral rock arches), locates several miles away from Upper Antelope Canyon. However, its geological structure makes it harder to see its overall beauty. Tourists need to climb in pre-installed staircases and require abundant hiking on uneven grounds.
- Not everyone is allowed to visit Antelope Canyon since it locates in the Navajo Land. Tourists can gain access to the site through authorized guides only.
- Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon that runs in northern Arizona. Slot canyons are narrow and deep drainage channels that are formed as a result of water gushing through rocks. Simply speaking, slot canyons begins with a tiny crack and rain flooding carves its way through those cracks and makes it deeper and wider over time.
- Page, Arizona is the closest city to Antelope Canyon. Hotels, motels, lodging, and RV parks are available there. RV parking is not allowed within the perimeters of Antelope Canyon.
- The Canyon specifically attracts photographers and geologists. Photographers capture its supernatural appearance, while geologists study its formation. In fact, according to Forbes listing, Antelope Canyon is one of the top geological wonders of the natural world.
- The walls of the canyon got their beautiful wavy carvings thanks to the rainwater. Of course, rainwater could not have carved this beautiful structure, eroding sandstone in a short period. Live Science article states that it might have taken thousands of years for rainwater and intermittent creek to form this canyon.
- Rainwater carved the canyon, and the wind polished its walls. You may wonder how come the canyon got such beautifully smooth walls. The mystery lies with the properties of wind. During extended drought, strong winds make their way on the Canyon’s drywalls and polishing its surface removing the loose sands.
- The formation of Antelope Canyon began during the Jurassic period. More specifically, the formation took place 191 million to 174 million years ago. This means the canyon was present during the times of dinosaurs.
- The canyon displays various shades of red and orange as a result of a mixture of iron oxide deposits and windblown sand.
- Lower Antelope Canyon is bigger than Upper Antelope Canyon in terms of length. The Upper Canyon is only 100 yards (91 meters) in length. Lower Antelope Canyon, which locates about 4.5 miles (7 km) away from the Upper Antelope Canyon, has 1.1 miles (2km) in length.
- The walls of Antelope Canyon rise about 120 feet (37 m) above the stream bed.
- No one knows exactly who discovered the site first. However, there are some speculations. One claim suggests that a group of Native Indians escaped from the “Long Walk” of 1864 and took refuge in Antelope Canyon. The second claim suggests that a young Navajo girl named Sue Tsosie discovered the site while herding her sheep in 1931.
- Antelope Canyon tourists can also visit the place called the Horseshoe Bend as it locates only 10 minutes away from the canyon. Horseshoe Bend is also a popular destination for tourists and photographers. Because the bend is a good spot to observe the magnificent view of the Colorado River.
Shuttle Drive: NITA (a local Navajo lady)
On our shuttle! Yes, Pikachu is joining us
When we arrived to the canyon, we went inside a building to assemble our VIP group. It was sprinkling a little bit, so prayed we’d get to go on the tour since they usually cancel for rain.
Robert James (RJ) would be our VIP tour guide.
We headed down to the land where the Lower Canyon exists. It looked just plain and flat…UNTIL… (stay tuned!)
RJ got us all ready by giving us some history. I’ve included much of that above.
We are about now to head down INTO the canyon.
We are so excited and have no idea what to expect.
Oh, and it started to rain. RJ warned us they might close it down (and he didn’t want this), so we just prayed for the best.
And….oh wow. If you are claustrophobic, this would be no bueno.
Oh, my goodness, we are going down about 5 flights of stairs to see….
RJ would point out all of the shapes. Here is the LION head
Chili Pepper
EAGLE
It’s really starting to rain!
UHOH puddles!
And more rain!
We are in awe this whole time
My honey. Love you. Looking to heaven with you my love.
Iron is present in the rocks (red), and the white is CA deposits. Rock from the rain.
We are starting to come out now. We were shown the bear (SSH in Navajo!), troll, fish, lion, eagle, and chili pepper.
This is the miracle. THE REST OF THE DAY was CANCELLED! We made it by the skin of our teeth. That was SOOOO God because we had planned this for so long. I cannot imagine how terrible it would have been had it been cancelled. WOW< thank you, God!
From here, we figured we’d drive to Horseshoe Bend. We had no idea what to expect! Here is the pic of what we would see.
Walking down to it… It was cold and rainy, but we were determined!
The Tot was determined, and the lovely HHH lent me his jacket. Sacrifice was so appreciated.
And….oh..wait for it!
Kayakers down below! They look fake.
The colors were vibrant and alive!
“Ok, we’re good!” Tatum exclaims. Let’s go get warm! Hiking back up was a bit more difficult, but again…DETERMINED! Lunch, here we come.
The rest of the day was lunch and then back to the room to swim and relax. The indoor pool was semi-warm, so Tot enjoyed while Daddy and I watched. She made a friend to play with. (She always does!)
The next day, we’d head to Sedona for the last half of our trip!