Tuesday April 16 – Antelope Canyon

In the morning we head to Horseshoe Bend a couple of miles south of Page. Here the Colorado makes a horseshoe like bend in the river and one can view it from high on the cliffs above the river.

We’re signed up for a photography tour with one of the tour groups that brings people into Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons. Access to the canyons is highly controlled. In order to get in you must be with one of the tour groups. Wells was aware the it can be crowded and was more looking to experiencing the canyon rather that expecting a great photography experience. We have reservations for a 2:30 Photography Tour of Upper Antelope Canyon and Rattlesnake Canyon. Wells does not have high expectations since there’s are some rainshowers and the light is not bright. With the photography tours with the company we signed up with there are 7 different tours.

Photograph tours require a high end camera and a tripod. Point and shoot cameras are not allowed. All but two of the seven different Photography Tours do not permit non-photographers. We are signed up for one where each photographer is entitled to one non-photographer to join in on the tour. We are doing Tour 7 which is two canyons. As luck with have it we are the only two on this tour so we take off with our tour guide, Albert, and head to Antelope Canyon. If one is not on a photography tour you are allowed a camera or camera phone but no bags, tripods, or selfie sticks. We enter into the canyon and Albert clears the way so Wells can shoot. He recommends different locations and even camera settings. Wells gets some great shots then moves to the next spot in the canyon. All the tour guides do a great job of clearing the way for the photographers to shoot.

After an hour or so in Upper Antelope we pile back into the tour’s four wheel drive and go to Rattlesnake canyon. The contrast between the two canyons is amazing. Antelope has tall walls maybe 50 feet or more. One mostly does not see the sky from Antelope while Rattlesnake is smaller with maybe 20 foot walls and often the sky is visible. It’s narrower in many spots as well. While Antelope has hundreds of people the three of us are alone in Rattlesnake Canyon. It’s a special place.

Expectations for Wells are highly exceeded for both canyons.