Outside of the circus of Antelope Canyon there are secret slot canyons that only the a few now about. These secret canyons lie on private property at the end of long unmaintained roads and down treacherous game trails. A perfect backyard adventure. Off the beaten path.
We met our guide. We were asked to place tied bandana's over our eyes so that we couldn't see how they arrived at the secret location...just kidding. We did however venture out onto a maze of dirt roads leading to different vague locations. We arrived at a gate and parked the vehicle. from there we hiked down a dirt road as the sun was continuing upward and the desert was heating up. From our vantage we couldn't see anything that remotely looked like a slot canyon but we did see signs of life...and death.
Skull bleached by the desert sun and sand.
A wild horse? We were not sure. It was very healthy and beautiful standing there looking at us.
Contrast a wild desert horse with the power station towers in the background. So many things have happened on these reservations that have exploited the people and poisoned the landscape.
Learn about: Uranium Mining and the Navajo People
My Shadow.
Is it a slot canyon?
Our guide
A surf down sand leads us down into the canyon.
Entering the canyon. Our friend Jennifer Clasgens walking through sand on the canyon floor.
Narrowing slot canyons
Light in play on the canyon walls.
Our guide leading the way deeper into the canyon.
We did a bit of climbing and scrambling in the canyons.
Waves of stone.
Climbing up.
A cathedral of orange sandstone. Jen and Ian.
The sky.
David and I.
Scrambling down and deeper into the canyon.
A pathway of sand along the canyon bottom.
Waves.
Light at the end. This was a beautiful and adventurous journey. It was hot with lots of hiking through sand washes at the end. It was definitley worth it for the solitide, the beautiful slots canyons, and the chance to get off the beaten path.
