%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 Items to fit into your overhead compartment |
| If you like the *shudder* outdoors, here's a secret from SFGate: Arizona's secret slot canyon offers all of the scenery, none of the crowds  A visit to Antelope Canyon's lesser-known sibling Except I guess it isn't a secret anymore, is it? Now that you've told the entire world with a webpage. Way to go, assholes. Way to ruin it. The article does, of course, include pictures, and they're cool. Though some of them are suggestive enough that you might not want to view them at work or around kids. The slot canyon’s sandstone layers were so flawless they looked as though they’d been thrown on a pottery wheel. Careful, there. Wouldn't want to give the creationists any ammunition. This sculpted maze could easily have been mistaken for Arizona’s wildly popular Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon. You'll have to forgive me for never having heard of the Antelopes. I live on the other side of the country, and I'm an indoorsman. Pretty sure I've seen pictures of them, but without attribution. While smaller in size, this secluded fissure is just as extraordinary, with the same curving walls and an ever-changing orbit of gold and purple shades, occasionally transformed by light rays into vibrant reds and oranges, adorning its narrow passageways — but far fewer crowds. This is the sort of description that makes travel writing work, incidentally. And like its more famous counterpart, it’s only accessible through a Navajo tour. Well, then, maybe it'll just have to be on them to keep the crowds manageable. Reaching the canyon entrance is an adventure in itself: It requires a 20-minute off-road ride in one of the company’s modified, open-air (bring layers!) Ford F-350s. Oh, did Ford pay you for the product placement? For the benefit of anyone unfamiliar with Arizona, the "layers" thing is because, though you might have heard how scorchingly hot Phoenix can get, that state can also get finger-numbingly cold. Upon arrival, McCabe began walking our group of 12 through millions of years of geological history. “It’s volume and velocity that forms a slot canyon,” he said, referring to the many flash floods that carved the formation through repeated erosion of its soft rock, which was then further shaped by wind. SCIENCE! McCabe pointed out sandstone formations that resembled an elephant, some woolly mammoths and even an Egyptian queen as we went. Somehow, I don't think any of those are Navajo things. Well, maybe the Egyptian queen. As Steve Martin related in his musical documentary, speaking of Tutankhamen, "Born in Arizona, moved to Babylonia." McCabe explained that to the Navajo people, slot canyons are symbols of creation — linking the physical and spiritual worlds — and are often associated with guardian spirits. So we come to the main reason I saved this article at all: the combination of science and spirituality. Apparently, not everyone sees a need to choose between the two. While I haven't done canyon hikes (I haven't even been to the Grand one), I have spent time in Navajo country, and I can attest that it's pretty damn awesome. I try to swing through every time I go out west, sometimes staying in Page or Kayenta. Maybe next time, if there is a next time, I'll go look at some rocks. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
