Page 6- Glen canyon dam tour, upper Antelope canyon and Horseshoe Bend

Our Lower Antelope canyon kayak ended with rough waters so it was no surprise that the conditions were too windy to kayak today.  We were prepared to kayak the slot canyons near Lone Rock but it just wasn't in the cards.  

Instead we headed over to Glen canyon dam, paying 5$ for a tour and a history lesson.   

This is one of eight original turbine runners which created electricity until 2007 when they were replaced for more efficient ones.  Turbine runners supply 5 billion kilowatt hours of power a year and serve 5.8 million customers in seven states. 

It took over 400,000 24 ton buckets and three years to complete the dam. 

There are about two acres of grass acting as a cooler to reduce temperatures in the powerhouse located directly below.    

Approximately 2,600 gallons of water per minute seep through the porous sandstone walls of Glen canyon.  

The bridge next to the dam has camera holes in the fence, for nice pictures of camera holes in the fence such as this one. 

We then signed up for the Upper Antelope canyon tour. 

Upper Antelope canyon is part of Navajo Nation Parks and Rec, and a tour guide through the canyon is required.

The ride in the back of the truck is rough at times but definitely added to the experience.  

Our tour guide, Henry, was full of interesting facts.  For example, Native Americans cannot eat snake or they will die (sometimes not until years later), and if they eat frog legs their legs will turn into frogs.  White people on the other hand can eat anything, even people.  

Even people.  

A bear.

I cannot imagine that there is a more touristy slot canyon than this one.  It felt like I was in line for a ride at Disneyland, but it is just 15 minutes of walking in the canyon and totally worth the money and time.  

Henry told me that this was a million dollar photo that he took for me.  I told him that he should give me a million dollars or I was going to eat him.  

On the way home we hiked to Horseshoe Bend which is about 5 miles downstream from Glen canyon dam.

We have had the ultimate Page experience.  

Page 5- Lower Antelope canyon kayak

We set off for lower Antelope canyon from Antelope Point marina.  It is about a mile and a half of paddling just to get out of the marina, but Antelope canyon is close by, and it was not worth paying another 65$ per person for a shuttle.  

The water level is so low right now (about 100 feet lower than when it is full) that rock formations become visible that would typically be under water.  The water level is drawn onto the face of the canyon since water bleaches the red Navajo sandstone. 

 Three miles from the marina is the entrance to hike lower Antelope canyon.  

Each canyon is spectacular and unique. 

Nature is so incredible; I love seeing the results of natural selection.  

Page 4- The Wave and Buckskin gulch

Raya and Josh planned another epic day of sightseeing around Page.  

Right on the border of Arizona and Utah is the Wire Pass trailhead which leads to the Wave, part of the Paria Canyon wilderness.  You do need a permit to go to the wave, which are given out via a lottery system (for all of those suckers who are rule followers at least).  

The hike to the Wave is beautiful, but pales in comparison to the main destination.  

The Wave is fossilized sand dunes, created around 200 millions years ago when the US was located near the equator.  It has been shaped and smooth by erosion, and painted by chemical reactions.  

After the Wave we walked to Buckskin gulch, one of the main tributaries of the Paria river which leads to the Colorado river.  It is the longest and deepest slot canyon in the Southwest US.  

Petroglyphs left by Pueblo Native Americans who lived in the area 700 years ago are located along the route through Buckskin gulch.  

13 miles later were back at the car.

I heart Page.