AZ - Antelope Canyon: headed there next week: 1. of all the articles I have seen on UHH, no one talked about the cost of admission; it seems on the Navajo site that ( right now ) it is...

Ed Chu Loc: Las Vegas NV

headed there next week:

1. of all the articles I have seen on UHH, no one talked about the cost of admission; it seems on the Navajo site that ( right now ) it is $145 / person. Is this correct ?

2. I am 77, short of breath, a little clumsy - is the Lower Antelope Canyon a little daunting ?

3. Since it is not recommended to change lenses, I plan on sticking my 18mm full frame lens on my Sony A7RIII;
will this do the trick ?

4. Has anyone taken the raft of powerboat tour out on to the Lake? if so, comments ?

Just Fred Loc: Darwin's Waiting Room

I went to Lower Antelope Canyon on a tour group. Admission was part of the tour, so I don't know the per-person price. Know this: The Navajo have complete ownership of the site and can do whatever they want, including denying entry. Or requiring an immediate exit. This is more safety against flash floods than anything else, but know that you don't argue.

Entry into and exit from the canyon required climbing five levels of ladders. Can you do this? We had an 87 year-old with us, who managed. Your lens choice is probably a good one, but a fast lens is a must. I boosted my ISO to 3200. I got great shots (a pro I know said they were the best he'd seen). No flash. Light comes only from the sporadic openings to the sky. The recommendations against changing lenses is a good one: Fine sand is everywhere. If it gets into your camera...

Can't tell you about the Lake Powell boat trip, but if the weather is good, I'd go for it!

Ed Chu Loc: Las Vegas NV

Thanks '!!!!!

Hanson

I have been to both. Lower is harder to go thru than the upper, but is more spectacular. Choice of gear is simple - bring a super wide angle and leave your bag behind. Once you are inside, just keep clicking, do not waste time try to figure out anything else because you will be rushing out.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

There are dozens of slot canyons in the area. I recommend going on your own. They aren't all on the Res.!

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

You got me curious, Ed, so I did a Google search. What I found was that 'tours' of Lower Antelope Canyon ranged from $90 --for a 1 hour 'tour' --with however-many-others-who'd-be-on-the-tour-alongside-you-- to upwards (for half-day visits that did or did not include the main, or 'Upper' --and better known-- portion of Antelope as well) of several hundreds of dollars. Seemed a bit extravagant to me, but the prices are what the prices have become.

From what you've described of yourself, a visit into Lower Antelope might be a bit beyond you. The upper --or 'main' section, on the other hand, requires no ladders or climbing of any kind; anywhere you'd go would be flat, sandy, and simple. And would be no less "beautiful" than the Lower section closer to where the Lake used to be when there was still a lake in that area.

First time I went, I was a rank tourist on my first vacation west of the Rockies. That was in the mid-80's. I'd 'heard' --via Bruce Barnbaum's rather glorious B&W book (_Visual Symphonies_) about some of the slots-- about Antelope Canyon beforehand, of course, and once I got to Page and got a motel room, I found a brochure that advertised various tours. I opted for the one where the tour guide/operator/owner would pick you up at your motel, take you in and drop you off at the 'main' section in his WWII 8WD amphibious 'Duckie', and pick you up again four or so hours later. The charge for that was (if I remember correctly) maybe $40, but I figure a part of that cost was defrayed to some extent ($8?) because when the driver/guide/owner showed up early the next morning, neither he nor I had had breakfast yet, so we went to a restaurant, ate, and he paid for my breakfast, too. Turned out I was the only tourist he had booked that morning, so half an hour after having my breakfast paid for (it was maybe 8 or 8:30 by then), I was dropped off at the 'mouth' of the Upper section, and had the canyon entirely to myself for at least a couple of hours before some other tour outfit dropped off four or five other tourists like me. My 'guide' had told me he'd be back around noon with another group, and I could either get a ride back out with him at that time or stay for the next several hours when he'd be returning to pick up his second group. I opted to stay. (Pretty much all I shot in those days was large format (5"x7" stuff mainly, but my 5x7 accepted a 4x5 back too, and between the two formats, I was carrying some two dozen film holders, so....). In the meantime, though, some time in the afternoon, I'd got to talking with a couple (an Anglo woman and her Hopi husband) who'd driven themselves up the super-sandy wash to get to the canyon, and we sort of hit it off, and I ended up leaving with them rather than with my original 'tour' guy. There's rather more to the story than that, but none of that pertains to, or in any way answers, any of your very logical questions.

I've been to Upper and Lower Antelope a few times since, but only under duress. Now --after having learned there are scads of other absolutely fabulous slot canyons that don't cost a dime and where its a given that there won't be anybody else around for miles-- I personally wouldn't dream of wanting to return to Antelope. Way too many people elbowing themselves around and disturbin' the beauty.

Ed Chu Loc: Las Vegas NV

Well, I guess it is a bucket list item; if you have other suggestions for slot canyons that would be reasonably easy to reach, please tell me.. been to UT a few times, passed some signs on the highway like Kolob Canyon

thanks for the detailed reply, though Ed

gwilliams6

I have been to both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon a few times. In your situation do Upper, as you can walk straight in, while Lower you have to walk down many steps. Both will yield many great shots .

I am going to post a few below now from both Upper and Lower.

From Upper:

1) The entrance to Upper Antelope Canyon at ground level. You are driven there in four-wheel drive vehicles from the tour base.

2-6) inside Upper Antelope Canyon on the Navajo guided tours

6-9) A smaller slot canyon near Upper. Our Navajo tour guide took us there after touring Upper Antelope Canyon. Photo # 6 of Environmental Scientist Brooke H. was chosen as a Worldwide Photo of The Week by Sony Alpha Photographers in 2021. Yes our Navajo guide was with us at all times and ok'd Brooke touching the walls.

I will post some from Lower next.

Cheers and best to you.

(Download)

gwilliams6

Now some shots from Lower Antelope Canyon where we used the original and best Navajo tour guides from Ken's Tours. Ken's has the deluxe tour which is just a max of six people, and gives you 90 minutes tours ,vs their regular tours which can have up to twelve or more and last 60 minutes. There are no longer any photo-specific tours in either Upper or Lower. It was worth the extra cost for the deluxe tour for our group of four photographers.

https://www.lowerantelope.com/

1-9) Shots from Lower:

If you aren't able to do the stairs down and the tight passages and climbing back up and out pf Lower, then just do Upper Antelope Canyon, much less strenuous IMHO, and flat all the way in and out.

Cheers and best to you all. It is a bucket-list place either Upper or Lower and IMHO worth the tour costs. I have no regrets having paid for tours there.

(Download)

Ed Chu Loc: Las Vegas NV

thanks !!!!!!

gwilliams6

Ed Chu wrote:

headed there next week: br br 1. of all the art... (show quote)

Ed all my shots on different trips were with either my Sony A9, or my Sony A7RIV and usually my Tamron 17-28mm f2.8 lens. Your 18mm lens on your A7RIII will be perfect, that will be all you need, trust me. You want wide in either canyon, and with that great 42mp sensor on your A7RIII you would have plenty of IQ to crop in later if you wanted.

Biggest tip, try to make your tour reservation for a time of day when the sun is fairly straight overhead so as more light penetrates down into the canyon. But afternoon is also ok in Upper. Dont be afraid to use higher ISOs if needed, as any noise is ok with rocks and you can get rid of any high ISO noise with programs like Adobe AI Denoise, Topaz Denoise AI and such. But even untreated noise SOOC will blend into the rock's texture and look great, no worries.

Cheers and just do Upper and enjoy.

gwilliams6

Ed Chu wrote:

thanks !!!!!!

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

Ed Chu wrote:

Well, I guess it is a bucket list item; if you have other suggestions for slot canyons that would be reasonably easy to reach, please tell me.. been to UT a few times, passed some signs on the highway like Kolob Canyon

thanks for the detailed reply, though Ed

'Spose I could mention Ding, Dang and Spooky (slot canyons) since they're reasonably easy to reach (if you don't mind an overnight camp in the desert --where a midget faded rattlesnake's reverberating and echo-intensified rattling late in an evening might echo off a not so distant rocky outcrop, making you question that what you're hearing is either The 'Rattler From Hell who's fifty feet long, hungry, and wants to chomp down any critter who might be camping nearby or is instead merely a less threatening snake who simply has his fangs set on some random rabbit rather than you, or where later, after dark, the starlight is so clear and intense that it keeps you awake half the night). Or there's Buckskin Canyon, or --wait!-- there's Leprechaun Canyon right off the road north of Hite, and where hardly anybody dies. Rather easier (though a bit of a trek across the lower San Rafael Desert and along the way to Hans Flat), is Bluejohn Canyon. The upper end of that --before the rapelle that'll bring you to Horseshoe Canyon-- is sorta pretty. Even moreso after Aaron Ralston's hand/arm got removed/'recovered' from the place where it was pinned between a boulder that shifted and the canyon wall, and where, after a few days, he chopped it free from the rest of his body to avoid facing sure death. Or a few hundred other slots, either, or and/or also, too.

(Want more of that Ralston story? Watch the flick "48 Hours" or whatever it is. What isn't mentioned in the movie is that after the 'recovery' of Ralston's arm --i.e., his forearm with it's still attached hand--, the day was late so the crew went on down to Hans Flat to spend the night. Gary and Cynthia were radioed in advance, but not a whole lot, so when the recovery crew arrived at the Maze Ranger Station, Cynthia didn't have a lot to offer for dinner. She found, however, a cooler in the back of one of the crew trucks, and fricasseed up what I was subsequently told was some really tasty "finger" food. I, still back at Park HQ in Moab, was merely the information officer, not, unfortunately, one of the diners. Cynthia could make anything taste good!)

Slot canyons are lots of fun!

longmg Loc: South Shore, MA

Incredible work, thanks for sharing

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

Cany143 wrote:

'Spose I could mention Ding, Dang and Spooky (slot canyons) since they're reasonably easy to reach (if you don't mind an overnight camp in the desert --where a midget faded rattlesnake's reverberating and echo-intensified rattling late in an evening might echo off a not so distant rocky outcrop, making you question that what you're hearing is either The 'Rattler From Hell who's fifty feet long, hungry, and wants to chomp down any critter who might be camping nearby or is instead merely a less threatening snake who simply has his fangs set on some random rabbit rather than you, or where later, after dark, the starlight is so clear and intense that it keeps you awake half the night). Or there's Buckskin Canyon, or --wait!-- there's Leprechaun Canyon right off the road north of Hite, and where hardly anybody dies. Rather easier (though a bit of a trek across the lower San Rafael Desert and along the way to Hans Flat), is Bluejohn Canyon. The upper end of that --before the rapelle that'll bring you to Horseshoe Canyon-- is sorta pretty. Even moreso after Aaron Ralston's hand/arm got removed/'recovered' from the place where it was pinned between a boulder that shifted and the canyon wall, and where, after a few days, he chopped it free from the rest of his body to avoid facing sure death. Or a few hundred other slots, either, or and/or also, too.

(Want more of that Ralston story? Watch the flick "48 Hours" or whatever it is. What isn't mentioned in the movie is that after the 'recovery' of Ralston's arm --i.e., his forearm with it's still attached hand--, the day was late so the crew went on down to Hans Flat to spend the night. Gary and Cynthia were radioed in advance, but not a whole lot, so when the recovery crew arrived at the Maze Ranger Station, Cynthia didn't have a lot to offer for dinner. She found, however, a cooler in the back of one of the crew trucks, and fricasseed up what I was subsequently told was some really tasty "finger" food. I, still back at Park HQ in Moab, was merely the information officer, not, unfortunately, one of the diners. Cynthia could make anything taste good!)

Slot canyons are lots of fun!

'Spose I could mention Ding, Dang and Spooky (slot... (show quote)

I'm going to add Little Wildhorse Canyon and leave it there!
Fricasseed finger food??!!
Only you, Cany!!