Page is a town of nine thousand people that's visited by 5 million people annually. Many are on their way through to the Grand Canyon in one direction or to Bryce and Zion Canyon's national parks in the other. The town was set up in 1957 as a land swap with the Navaho. It would be the home for the thousands of workers who came to build and operate the massive Glenn Canyon Dam across the Colorado River. Blair had to take a deep breath to overcome his vertigo in order to take this shot.
The reservoir is called Lake Powell and has become a recreation site for swimmers, boaters, divers - a bizarre lakeshore with no trees...overshadowed by buttes and mountains.
It was finished in 1966 and amidst great controversy flooded the gorge and
canyons behind it.
We had a busy time while we were there, but took some time out for lunch at Big John's Texas Barbecue. Blair and I love barbecued pulled pork...so wanted
to find out how a Texas Barbecue joint was set up here in Page in NW Arizona.
John Crim is standing beside his big barbecue pit where he's about to barbecue
200 pounds of pork and 220 pounds of beef brisket. He's a retired mechanical
engineer who pursued his love of 'barbecue' with a mobile rig he used to tour
the barbecue circuit throughout the southwest. He was based in Flagstaff
but decided to try opening his first restaurant in Page. Turns out
he's a route 66 fan and even though Page is about 200 kms north of 'The Mother Road"
he thinks he'll draw many of the same type of customers...like us!
The main reason we were there, though was to visit something geologists call a slot canyon - a narrow canyon formed by rushing water through sandstone or limestone.
The Navaho have called it Antelope Canyon. And since it's on Navaho land, they control access to it. For a fee of $32 they drive you out of Page into a dry, sandy wash that ends at a cliff face with what looks like a cave opening slashed into it.
It's hard to believe that there's ever enough water in this desert to carve the natural
sculptures we saw inside. But at times the canyon is flooded with swift
flowing water more than half its depth. The pictures you'll see are shot mainly
with the camera pointed upward to the light gleaming in from the top. But the
camera's also pointed up to avoid the heads of all the people who do the tour.
It's a zoo! Our Navaho guides move groups in and out of the quarter
mile canyon with wry amusement. But despite the congestion, we were
awed by the beauty.
All of these were shot with natural light...no flash... exposure pushed a bit.
Photography has been so important on this trip. I would never be able to remember
the curves and lines of Antelope Canyon without it. We've seen so much
beauty - the balloons at Albuquerque; the desert around Tucson; the Grand Canyon.
Next - Monument Canyon on our way to Durango Colorado. Get out your cowboy
hats and lariats!
I have to say, that while the Grand Canyon is probably more awe-inspiring, these elegant and sinuous caverns are more beautiful to my eye.
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