- Driftwood high above the slot canyon floor, left by one of the flash floods that can "fill" one of these narrow slot canyons.
Lower Antelope reminder - flash floods
A lone piece of driftwood serves as a nature placed memorial marker for some who died in this short narrow hauntingly beautiful slot canyon on Navajo land near Page, Arizona. Difficult to imagine flash flood waters that high, when walking slowly through the canyon on a sunny dry desert day.
Flash floods in the American Southwest are serious stuff. They kill. For those not familiar with these events, water can rise and rush through narrow slot canyons even when the sky is clear and no rain is falling whrer you are hiking - - for the flash flood waters can travel miles to do their work.
Eleven people were swept to their death in lower Antelope slot canyon in August of 1997. Only two were Americans, the rest of those who died in the flash flood, were from Europe.
In October of 2006 another major flash flood swept the two antelope canyons. They stayed flooded for over 24 hours and caused the canyon to be closed for 5 months afterwards.
As we hiked the lower antelope canyon this sunny windy day in April of 2008, the debris from former flash floods could plainly be viewed at the bottom and exit to the canyon.
It is winter in the Northwest, and the shortest day of the year is but a couple of weeks away. Good time to be looking at photos of the American Southwest, and planning our next trip to the area.....which is exactly what I am doing.
To see the other photos taken at Antelope and the Paria River country on the 2008 "road trip", click here: www.flickr.com/photos/12150532@N04/sets/72157604788543795/
Comments and faves
sawtoothphoto, Bev and Steve, OldDogNewTrick, petalouda62, and 24 other people added this photo to their favorites.
sawtoothphoto (30 months ago | reply)
Pure beauty, light and mother nature. Thank you for sharing this.
Brian Pemberton (30 months ago | reply)
Wow, amazing shot, I would love to visit a place like this
Bev and Steve (30 months ago | reply)
Excellent capture! Some really nice tones.
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Seen in my contacts' photos. (?)
OldDogNewTrick (30 months ago | reply)
I just echo the thoughts expressed above.
petalouda62 (30 months ago | reply)
woooooooow, this is awesome, must be great to walk there, its magic Steve!!! ( a little jealous.....;-))
great capture!
thanks for sharing!
sea level to high desert (30 months ago | reply)
Well done. I'm glad you were able to go there. I've seen this spot (or similar ones) in other Flickr photos, and hope to go there someday, as well.
vonhaupt (30 months ago | reply)
Love the slot canyons and play on going again next year. Great shot.
LAP75 (30 months ago | reply)
Awesome OMT!! The wonder of nature!!
A Kingston (30 months ago | reply)
WOW! What an awesome shot! I love the colors. Mother Nature is very creative and scary all at the same time.
jetguy1 (30 months ago | reply)
Very well done!
meadowmom (30 months ago | reply)
Cameras go crazy in the redrock slots. Awesome. Wish I could go....
oldmantravels (30 months ago | reply)
Fred, Brian, Bev & Steve, Bernie, Roberta, David, Dave, Lily, Amy, Brent, & Laurie - - Forgive me for thanking all of you "in mass", but.....THANK YOU! This is a photo I had missed placing on flickr, and when a friend asked about "antelope canyons", I found it, liked it, and decided to post it. Eventually I will alter the "upload date" and get it back to the April 28th, 2008 photos of the same visit (with its brethren photographs).
For some deeply seated reason I have always been strongly drawn to alpine and desert. I think the ocean and sea beaches, can be wild and beautiful as well, but I have never had the same attachment as I have for high mountain meadows and vast desert landscapes and intimate narrow desert sandstone canyons.
So year after year like birds seeking the best of the seasons, I will migrate spring and late fall to the desert and then seek soul sustenance from the alpine.
Thanks for taking the moment to acknowledge your own private appreciation of the beauty of the American Southwest and my photograph. OMT
Coop Photography (30 months ago | reply)
Wow! That is a very unique shot OMT! Very nice.
oldmantravels (30 months ago | reply)
Thank you much Cooper. OMT
mousenana2002... (30 months ago | reply)
Spectacular shots...hope to be there in 2011...trip is planned anyway. Be well.
oldmantravels (30 months ago | reply)
Good for you Janene! I think it is so good to set plans for the future. They can always be altered if needed BUT the plan in place gives us something to look forward to and greatly increases the chances that the event, will in fact, take place. I have a plan for a road trip to Utah in April of 2010 and am having fun working on the route and places to see and hike. I can already see some of the spring desert blossoms that will be there to meet me! Thanks for your always kind photo comments. OMT
r.AI (-) (30 months ago | reply)
wOnderful Capture!
oldmantravels (30 months ago | reply)
Rodrigo - - Thank you! OMT
**Alice** (30 months ago | reply)
wow!!
oldmantravels (30 months ago | reply)
Thanks Alice - - I have always been of the mind that nature does the best job of creating cathedrals. This is such a place. OMT
donberry37 (California) (23 months ago | reply)
Great. I'm so jealous. I really want to shoot slot canyons.
oldmantravels (23 months ago | reply)
Thanks Don. I don't know where you live but from your photostream it appears you are well traveled. Recommendation: Go to Escalante, Utah and do the Zebra Slot and Peekaboo/Spooky slot hikes. Then head for Page, Arizona and visit the popular and mildly expensive: Upper and Lower Antelope slot canyons in Navajo land. Good luck. OMT
israel as i see it (9 months ago | reply)
Incredibly gorgeous capture of colors, light & textures, perfect detail & composition! This is art!
oldmantravels (9 months ago | reply)
isreal as i see it - Thank you. I enjoyed Lower Antelope much more than the Upper slot canyon, so this photograph brings back a lot of good memories. Thanks for visiting my photographs. OMT
light detail (8 months ago | reply)
Great composition... this image is beautifully layered.
oldmantravels (8 months ago | reply)
Jacob - Thanks. OMT