Antelope Canyon

Cold wind and dust blew in my face as we sped along down the road from Page, AZ on the wintry February day. The sun was shining with all its might but wasn't enough to break through the breeze. We were on our way to see Antelope Canyon on a guided tour of the canyon. Me and my fellow travelers were all crammed into the back of an altered truck, designed with two long rows of padded seats in place of a traditional truck bed. A large windowed blue canvas canopy draped over a metal frame, designed to keep the wind from blowing on the passengers. The cover didn't do much to block the wind from coming in through the spaces along the floorboard nor with the large open back of the space.

The truck bounced off the paved road and onto a red dirt road. We were getting close. I was so excited to finally be seeing Antelope Canyon, this was a destination I'd had on my list for many years. Now here we were, bringing this goal to fruition. The truck pulled up behind another truck and we all climbed out of the truck. It was amazing to see, rows upon rows of trucks all packed as full as ours was, and all filled with people who wanted to explore Antelope Canyon. My heart dropped a little when I saw the number of tourists ready to explore the canyon. I thought I'd never get a decent picture without people in the way. Every picture I'd ever seen was of amazing rock formations and canyon walls with not one person in sight. I was never so happy to be wrong.

We stopped at the entrance of the canyon and our guide stopped everyone to once again brief us on the rules. Then she launched into the tour. The first room we entered was breathtaking. Massive walls towered above, a bright orangy-red ribbon of stone weaved along out of sight leading explorers further into the canyon. The tour guide stopped many times to point out sights and showed everyone how to angle their cameras to get the best shot. Despite the throngs of people, very few of my shots had anyone in them. The shots I wanted, those amazing views were all pointing up toward the sky.

We headed further into the canyon and slowly the light dimmed. It grew darker and darker as the canyon walls narrowed and we sank further away from the surface. The assurance that the red sandy ground would remain level kept wanderers fairly confident in the otherwise dim light. Near a darker area the guide stopped and snapped a photo with her phone then held it up for everyone to see. It was a heart, the formations of the curves of the walls had created a heart shape when looking up.

I was in awe to see the beauty that nature could create. We continue to wander through the canyon and the temps dropped, slowly as we neared the end the light returned. At the far end we all emerged into the bright sun. All were eager to warm up from the chilly temps inside the canyon. Clusters of tourists gathered together to bask in the sun and take more pictures and review what they had taken while inside the canyon. After a while we were gathered up by our tour guide and given instructions on returning back through the canyon. I paused for a moment before heading back in, I knew it would be a quick pass through with a goal to get back to the trucks without stopping or blocking those who were just making their way through. I took in the beauty of the space. Outside the canyon the rock walls sparkled in the sun. The smooth appearance deceiving to the eye, I knew that the rock would feel more like sandpaper, but the satin smooth appearance made me want to run my hands along the surface.

This was a beautiful experience, one long awaited, and one very much enjoyed. I would do this tour again in a heartbeat. Maybe the next time, take fewer pictures...or maybe at least go in warmer weather.