About Lower Antelope Canyon
Lower Antelope canyon is a slot canyon located on a Navajo reservation near Page, Arizona. One can easily walk from one end to the other in half an hour or so, but for a photographer it might take much, much longer. Although I was not able to, I'm sure I could have spent all day inside the canyon and come back for more the next day. And the next. And the next.
The word canyon may be misleading to anyone not familiar with slot canyons. It is essentially a very deep crack in the red sandstone that is common in this part of the world. But over time, wind, water, and rain have shaped the rock in amazing ways.
In some places the canyon widens to several meters across and one may move freely. In other places the bottom is actually so narrow that one cannot place two feet side by side.
It is not just the wonderful shapes in the rock that make the canyon so special, it is also the light.
When light bounces off any surface it takes on some of the colour of that surface. In a slot canyon, the light may bounce many times before it reaches the bottom, so it becomes very colourful.
In places where the upper rocks are lit by direct sunshine, the light starts somewhat red and becomes more so with each bounce. In places where the upper rocks are in open shade, the light starts out sky blue and becomes more purple with each bounce.
Slot canyons are very dangerous when there is precipitation. The desert is too dry to absorb a sudden rainfall, so most of it runs along the surface where it is quickly channeled into instant creeks and rivers. A sudden flash flood in a slot canyon can be, and has been, fatal.
The canyon is narrow and deep enough that even on a sunny day the light is often a bit dim. Be sure to bring your tripod if you want sharp photographs. Temperatures inside the canyon are more moderate than on the surface, so dress appropriately.
