We hesitated. A lot. About going to Antelope Canyon. Too expensive. Too touristy. But can you really discover the American West without stopping there? In the end, after going back and forth so many times, we gave in—my mom’s visit definitely helped. There was no way we could let her miss such a majestic place in the United States. So we splurged, accepted joining the crowds of tourists, and stepped into this incredibly mysterious sanctuary.
Thursday, October 6, 2022
After our visit to Monument Valley, we head to Antelope Canyon. Since our tour is scheduled for 11:45 a.m., we have the morning free to enjoy. So we set off to explore Lake Powell, which straddles the border between Utah and Arizona.
Lake Powell is a man-made reservoir created on the Colorado River by the Glen Canyon Dam. We want to get as close as possible to the shoreline—and by car, since it’s allowed and we’re a bit on the lazy side 😁 The problem is, there’s a good chance we’d get stuck if we drove our rental car onto the sand. So we decide to take just the Jeep… which only has two seats! No big deal, I climb in the back. Lying comfortably on the bed, I get tossed around as the Jeep makes its way down the steep sandy track toward the lake. Rémi is the only one brave enough to dip his feet in! And apparently, the water’s nice!
Speaking of the Glen Canyon Dam, here it is! We make a quick stop, but there’s no time to linger since we’re running late for our Antelope Canyon tour.
As requested in our reservation, we arrive at the Antelope Canyon visitor center 45 minutes before the tour. The agency’s building is spacious and brand new—but there are no restrooms! You have to use the disgusting porta-potties in the parking lot. A funny “oversight.” Naturally, being good French, we grumble: at those ticket prices, restrooms are the least they could provide! Indeed, to have the privilege of visiting Antelope Canyon, we spent a small fortune: $200. And that’s just for the Lower Canyon.
Because Antelope Canyon is actually two canyons: the Upper Canyon, the more popular one, where the light beams are the most dazzling; and the Lower Canyon, less popular because it’s less spectacular. In recent years, prices have skyrocketed. When we were planning our trip two years earlier, it cost around $40 to visit the Upper Canyon—compared to $120 today. We paid $50 (plus taxes) per person for the Lower Canyon! As we stepped into the canyon, we wondered if this exorbitant price was really worth it…
Antelope Canyon belongs to the Navajo people. The rules are strict: no bags allowed unless they’re transparent (who actually owns a transparent bag!? 🤨), no photos on the canyon’s stairs and ladders, you must stay with the guide, and most importantly, no taking off your mask—even for photos! That last rule leaves the fifty or so tourists with us a bit annoyed. We’re then split into groups of ten. And off we go.
To enter the canyon, you have to descend a very steep metal staircase that leads into the canyon’s narrow slit—the tight entrance to the interior. From there, the magic happens: we step into another dimension. A world defined by tall, narrow walls. The floor is made of fine, silky sand. Up above, through the narrow opening, we can sometimes glimpse the blue sky. Daylight, and sometimes even beams of sunlight, filter into the canyon, casting a magical glow. How beautiful it is! How magical! And how mesmerizing!
Antelope Canyon is a “slot canyon”. It was formed by water flowing through the soft rock here, sandstone. Slot canyons are very deep and narrow. So watch out for flash floods! Less than four days ago, the canyon we’re in was completely underwater, submerged by the torrential rains that fell. They even reshaped the canyon entirely! In 1997, 13 people lost their lives here, swept away by a sudden flood. Luckily today, there’s no rain—just bright sunshine, illuminating the canyon walls with an incredible orange glow.
We’re pretty bad students: the moment the guide turns his back or disappears ahead of the group into the canyon’s twists and turns, we quickly pull off our masks to smile at the camera. Some of us are more apprehensive than others! Especially when the Japanese couple in our group gets sharply scolded by the guide for being caught in the act of mask removal! That says it all: it’s better not to get caught! And for that, we’re pretty skilled 😏 Even if it results in slightly funny photos, with eyes full of worry and slightly forced smiles, we keep our masks close at hand to put back on quickly if the guide suddenly appears 😂 In those moments, our whispered conversations go something like: “He’s gone, quick, photo!” “Are you sure?” “Watch out!” “Careful, he’s back!”
Our guide grumbles because we’re not moving fast enough for his taste. Luckily, my mom has a trick up her sleeve: “I don’t speak English, I don’t understand!” she says with her very French accent whenever he urges us to move. Proud of her tactic, she quickly comes back down to earth when the guide exclaims in French: “Avancez, s’il vous plaît!” Ah, the magic of tourist spots! 😂 After a while, relief for everyone in the group: he allows us to take off our masks for photos! Apparently, his company decided that beyond a certain point, it was no longer necessary. We don’t quite understand the logic, but we’re happy! He even takes some photos of us himself!
After 400 meters, we climb back toward the canyon’s exit using a ladder. We emerge into the blazing sun through the canyon slit—which we hadn’t even noticed on the way in, when we passed by it to reach the entrance! We leave Antelope Canyon with stars in our eyes and unforgettable memories. Once again, we’ve had the incredible privilege of witnessing an amazing natural spectacle 😍
No time to fully take in one wonder before we set off to discover another! After a picnic where we couldn’t stop reliving that incredible experience, and a quick stop at the local Walmart to get back down to earth, we head to Horseshoe Bend. After a two-kilometer walk under the scorching heat, we find ourselves in front of a stunning curve of the Colorado River, carved deep into its canyon. Absolutely breathtaking!
After all these thrills and discoveries, we set off for a two-hour drive. We set up camp near the town of Kanab. In the evening, while quietly cooking curry rice, we get amazing news: we’ve been selected for the permit to hike the iconic Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park. We had applied that very morning. What a stroke of luck!! 🥳 It wasn’t a given, as this is a very popular hike and few are chosen. Tomorrow, we’ll set out early for Zion National Park and Angel’s Landing, the trail known as the most dangerous in the United States. A thrilling challenge ahead… and probably a few scares!
