Spring Break - 4th Leg...Antelope Canyon

Slot canyon - basically just a "slot" through a rock worn predominately by water. Antelope Canyon is one of the largest slot canyons (1/4 mile through) and is on the Navajo reservation. So we hired a guide (the only way to see it) and enjoyed the red rock. Here are many, many pictures, a couple will explain, otherwise just look at how cool the patterns are in this cave-like place. (It's about 100 feet tall, the wind was still blowing, and sand was "raining" upon us most of the time.

We climbed into the back of these big ol' trucks...these tires were necessary as we traveled 20 minutes down a sandy dry river bed.
SQUISHED! We had to share seat belts.
Our guide was good at explaining the rock and how it was formed. When we passed other guides, they would speak to each other in their own native tongue, which I loved hearing!







You can see how high the water gets during a flood! As we continued, the walls got higher and it was darker.
Here is a sand fall. I was glad to have my rain jacket, as it kept the sand from falling all over me.
Here's the other end...
This giant mound of sand was left after the last flood, 2 years prior.
I love this shot.
And back through, loading up.

Yet another gorgeous place in the Arizona Strip!

One of those silly apps from Face Book!

Ellie Creek

Play With Your Name
ELLIE MICHELLE CREEK

1: E - has gorgeous eyes

2: L - is a very good kisser

3: L - is a very good kisser

4: I - is really sweet & romantic

5: E - has gorgeous eyes

6:

7: M - Makes dating fun

8: I - is really sweet & romantic

9: C - selfish

10: H - stick to one

11: E - has gorgeous eyes

12: L - is a very good kisser

13: L - is a very good kisser

14: E - has gorgeous eyes

15:

16: C - selfish

17: R - funny

18: E - has gorgeous eyes

19: E - has gorgeous eyes

20: K - hot

Spring Break...Navaho Bridge and Glen Canyon Dam

Standing on the old bridge, looking at the new bridge...

THe little black dots in the middle of the rock are condors.

Looking down on the Colorado River.

Amazing river canyon walls.

Looking out at Lake Powell, made when they dammed up the Colorado River.

Glen Canyon Dam.



The green down there is lawn...the little black speck is a riding lawn mower!




The blue things floating on the other side of the river, under the bridge, are the large river rafts they use to float from here to Lees Ferry.
Looking back at the damn dam.

It was very windy...took a few tries to get a good shot, lol.

Spring Break...Third Leg

Lees Ferry (don't know why they dropped the apostrophe) is just south of Page, Arizona. Today, is the official "put in" for white water rafters on the Colorado River to make their 16 day trek (over hundreds of rapids) through the Grand Canyon. (this pic was taken off the internet) BTW, permits for these float trips used to be taken from a 10-yr or so waiting list. Now they are lottery.
Historically, (1871) this is the location where John D. LEE would ferry many, many wagons of Mormon missionaries across the river. He was directed by the Mormon Church to build this ferry so their missionaries could get to the Hopi and Navajo tribes as well as the Mormon newlyweds making their pilgrimage to the Temple in Utah. Here is a sign and portrait of the landscape describing such feats.
Part of the sign reads, "In spite of many lost wagons and drownings, Lee continued to ferry passengers into the 1900s." Always a risk when starting something new, isn't there?
The ferry was closed in 1928 when the Navajo Bridge (now carrying U.S. highway 89-Alt) over Marble Canyon was built. (Will be a later post)
There are a couple buildings left built from the red rocks that surround it.




Thick walls to keep the heat out!



Here is the remains of a steamship and there is another sunken one in the river.
Gorgeous country and trails along the river.
After visiting Lees Ferry, we headed out to see some country that wasn't crawling with tourists, and such.
We first headed out to Badger Rapid look-out point to see and hear one of the first on the river after the put-in. It has the most incredible looowwww rumbling sound, so you know it's big and deep!
Badger Creek drainage.
Here's a better shot of the rapid...one of the smaller ones of the float trip!
Cliffs...and the cliffs in the background are called the Vermillion Cliffs. (Next post will be our hike to the top of those!)
Scott scouting the point...
And of course I was enthralled by the plants on this gorgeous desert. Look how cute and chunky-monkey these barrel cacti are!
And here is this cute little pin-cushion cactus. It is rare and endangered, so many of them are marked so you don't step on them. I just loved these little guys!
The beauty of the desert is simply breathtaking.