From Wahweap Campground, Lake Powell, Page, Arizona It is said that the three most important features of the entire Page, Arizona area are Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend.
One of the most frightening but majestic places I've ever been is to the edge of Horseshoe Bend. Just a couple miles out of Page, there's no admission but a 2/3 mile hike, in sand, each way to the overlook. There are no railings at Horseshoe Bend and the sandstone edges are subject to break away, taking anything (or anyone) atop it, straight down to the river below. Wayne and I saw Horseshoe Bend for the first time when we were here in April of 2014.
Click here to go directly to that post. It was inspiring then and it was again today when we returned with Pam, Ernie, Joyce and Charlie -- affectionally known to this blogger as Hell's Half Dozen.
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Charlie, Joyce, me, Wayne and Ernie (the Turon with binoculars).
Pam is the photographer. |
Such a beautiful day to experience Horseshoe Bend together! Barely warm enough to need a light jacket. To step right up to the edge of this 1,000 foot drop literally makes my knees weak.
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| Looking beyond Horseshoe Bend, Wayne just got my stern warning to "STOP right there!" |
Many suicides are committed from Horseshoe Bend, mainly around the Christmas holiday season. Other lives are lost, completely by accident, when visitors forget the force of the winds and are literally blown away -- no joke.
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| Joyce, Pam and me at our closest point to the edge of Horseshoe Bend |
We were careful during our visit to Horseshoe Bend and left with the same six good souls we started with, I'm happy to say.
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| Rockin' Out |
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| Ernie bending from the waist. Joyce (in white) and Charlie (lavender shirt) at a safer distance from the edge. |
A few days later, our Hell's Half Dozen toured Upper Antelope Canyon. In April 2014, Wayne and I toured the Lower Canyon and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
This time, we chose the Upper Canyon. The price in April 2014 for the Lower Canyon was just under $30. This April, price for the Upper Canyon was almost $45. The Upper Canyon requires guest to be transported, via bench seats in a covered truck bed, about 3 miles to the canyon entrance.
Here are my photos from our visit to The Upper Canyon. For comparison, look at
The Lower Canyon post from April 2014
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The view as we exited the pickup truck bed.
Entry / Exit to the Upper Antelope Canyon |
When visiting these canyons I notice our guides are always pointing out various shapes within the canyon walls or sometimes in the lighting.... Things like bears, ships, angel wings, etc. Well, sometimes I see the shapes they're showing but sometimes I don't. In keeping with the spirit, I found some shapes of my own within the pictures I took -- all in fun, of course. Take a look....
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| Eiffel Tower |
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| Seas shell |
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| Inner Ear |
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| Elephant Foot |
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| Charlie, Joyce, me, Wayne, Ernie and Pam, with our guide, whose name I simply can't remember. |
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| Esophagus |
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| A Dentist's View |
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| Charlie and Joyce |
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| Ernie and Pam |
The others couldn't compare this experience to a tour of the Lower Canyon, but as for Wayne and me, we feel the Lower Canyon was much better than the Upper one. Why?
- Easy walking distance from parking -- no truck ride,
- Less expensive <$30 vs. >$45 ticket price,
- Length of tour -- 2 hours vs. 1 hour, and
- Lower Canyon does not require visitors to "backtrack" to get out.
Nevertheless, we had another good time touring Upper Antelope Canyon, checked it off the list and moved on to the next adventure.
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