Slot canyons have always held a special place in my heart.  Years ago I visited Upper Antelope Canyon, arguably one of the most amazing examples on Earth. Today I ventured into Lower Antelope Canyon which is every bit as amazing.  Overcast skies made for less than optimal lighting but every now and then the sun would find a hole in the clouds and the canyon would glow.

Pictured below is what the canyon looks like from the top.  Many sections are so narrow that only one person can pass at a time.

I emerged from the canyon just before noon and checked the weather to determine my next destination.  The Grand Canyon South Rim looked clear so I made a beeline for the park hoping to arrive in time for some decent evening light. My effort was rewarded and I made the best of the 2 hours I had to work with.

 

With a major storm approaching from the Pacific, I have decided to abandon initial plans to  move northwards towards Bryce and instead am making my way east towards Page, AZ. Temperatures remained below freezing all day which actually facilitated hiking to the Toadstool Hoodoos which was my first stop. Most people come here for the star attraction, pictured above, but I found many other gems by exploring some of the more isolated and inaccessible nooks and crannies.

Lake Powell was created by the Glen Canyon Dam which is a most impressive bit of engineering. Equally magnificent is the adjacent bridge which spans the Colorado River.

My second3-milee hike of the day took me down to the river’s edge where I found many beautiful rock formations and total solitude.

My final destination for the day was Horseshoe Bend.  Even though I have been here several times before, I am awestruck each time I step to the cliff’s edge (OK,  I actually crawl on my belly due to my fear of falling).  I am so jealous of all the tourists who simply walk along the edge snapping photos as if on a stroll through their living room. I am amazed that more do not wind up at the bottom of the canyon.  The only way I can take photos here is with my camera mounted on a tripod. From my prone position, I trigger the 10s timer and extend the assembly horizontally over the edge for an unobstructed view of the entire bend. It took a little trial and error, but I am happy with the result.

The North Coyote Buttes are most famous for a rock formation known as the Wave.  It is a scene on every landscape photographer’s bucket list.  Today my dream to visit this breathtakingly beautiful location came true.  Snow overnight only enhanced the splendor. I partner hiked with a young woman named Jordan, the only other solo hiker winning yesterday’s lottery.  The icy “trail” conditions, sub-zero temperatures, and challenging route finding on the 9.5-mile hike made the pairing a smart idea. Of the twenty lottery winners we were the first to arrive at the Wave and were rewarded with virgin snow. Jordan shares my interest in photography and the outdoors and was kind enough to take several pictures of me.

Although the Wave is arguably the jewel in the North Coyote Buttes, it is by no means the only spectacular geographic feature.  We spent close to 7 hours exploring the area and would have remained for longer if not for the small matter of getting back before dark.

When we arrived this morning the temperature was 18F and the dirt road to the trailhead was frozen facilitating a relatively easy traverse.  Not so as we were departing. With temperature just a tad above freezing the road had degraded into a muddy mess. The 8-mile exit journey was easily the most dangerous part of our day and that is saying something considering we “tobogganed” down a steep slope when we ran out of all other viable options for descent. The Jeep Renegade 4×4 I rented certainly earned its keep today.

 

For the past 13 years I have been trying to obtain a permit to visit the North Coyote Buttes (think Nirvana for photographers).  Only 20 permits are issued each day so as to protect the delicate environment; 10 through an online lottery and the other 10 through a walk-in lottery held at the Kanab Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitors Center.  I have entered and lost the online lottery roughly 80 times. Since arriving in Kanab, I have entered the walk-in lottery every day. Today the stars were aligned, if obscured by clouds, and my number was selected from the bingo ball cage used to determine winners. Weather conditions permitting (the road to the trailhead turns to mud and becomes impassable when wet), I will be visiting the North Coyote Buttes tomorrow. It has been raining and occasionally sleeting for most of the day which I have spent indoors planning for my long anticipated adventure. Temperatures are expected to plummet this evening and remain below freezing for the next 24 hours.  Not the ideal conditions for an all day outdoor excursion but a small miracle in so much as the muddy access road will be frozen allowing passage.

The raccoons were seated next to me at dinner and I thought the gambling theme befitting of today’s post.

 

The Narrows, a spectacular river hike in Zion National Park is considered by many to be one of the best in all the US. It is also very popular and the slot canyon can be ridiculously crowded during the spring, summer, and fall.  Not so in winter when water and air temperatures dissuade most.  I rented a wet suit, neoprene socks and canyoneering shoes from a local outfitter to ensure my comfort and safety.  Today the water was generally shin deep with one or two sections that reached waist level.

I drove to Zion from Kanab pre-dawn on icy roads hoping to get some nice morning light.  No such luck but gorgeous views nonetheless. I was more fortunate than others in dealing with the road conditions.

The canyon starts out wide and gets progressively narrower until you reach a section call Wall Street at about the three hour mark.

 I promised Jeanine I would pair up with another hiker for safety reasons and was good to my word.  I met a twenty-something fellow photographer from Australia who joined me for the first two hours. Unfortunately, he fell into a very deep section of the river, became totally submerged, and ruined his camera gear forcing his early return.  I was not about to turn back at that point and continued on exercising extreme caution.

Hiking through cold running water was much more physically demanding than I had anticipated. Six hours after starting, I returned to the trail head completely spent.  Yesterday’s 11 mile hike probably had something to do with it but I have never been so tired and sore in my life. 

The Wahweep Hoodoos have long been on my bucket list and conditions were good to make the 11 mile hike.  The trail head is just outside of Big Water and dumps you into the Wahweep Creek Wash which you follow all the way to the hoodoos. During the course of the day the only other living creatures I saw were long eared rabbits (scaring the shit out of me every time they darted out of the brush) and the coyotes that hunt them.

The hike up the creek wash (a quarter of a mile wide in some places) was relatively easy and beautiful in its own right.

After a couple of hours you arrive at what has been nick named Hoodoo Central, an area with dozens of hooddoos in all shapes and sizes. 

The self-timer on my camera will only go up to 10 seconds. The shot below required a full sprint to get into the frame and took more than one attempt to get right.  I wanted to give a sense of scale to the hoodoos.

I could have spent hours photographing but wanted to get back to civilization before sunset.  The nights here are about as dark as you have ever seen and I did not like the way the coyotes had been looking at me all day.

My flight to Las Vegas las night was delayed and I did not reach my hotel until 2 AM local time (5 AM my time).  I slept in before starting the three-hour drive to Kanab, UT which will be my base of operations for the next few days (weather dependent). The sky was overcast for all but 30 minutes of the day which made for generally uninspiring photography.  I ventured out to the ghost town of Paria where I found the best light of the day. When even slightly wet, the dirt roads in this part of the country become muddy and treacherous. It is very easy to get stranded and I was appropriately cautious not wanting to start my adventure with a tow truck rescue. I was very happy that I insisted on a true 4×4 with high ground clearance (Jeep Renegade) rather than the all-wheel drive SUV imposter that was waiting for me at the rental agency.

I am starting 2017 with a solo travel adventure to the US South West.  I am flying in and out of Las Vegas where I will be competing in a national over 55 soccer tournament on Martin Luther King weekend for a team representing Boston. Until then, I will be hiking, camping and taking pictures in Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California.  I will formulate and adjust my exact itinerary based on the weather.  I should be self sufficient down to temperatures of 10F.  Below that I will opt for a new destination or indoor accommodations. My gear includes a tent, sleeping bag/pad, clothing for 18 days, soccer kit for grass or turf, three cameras and tripod, computer, safety gear (GPS, personal locator beacon, first aid kit), hiking poles, waders, and warmth/rain/snow layers. I am pleased with the weight/volume of my travel gear which is comparable to what my sister brings when she visits us for the weekend.  My goal, cell service permitting, will be to post blog updates from the road.

The last day of the year saw our family scattered in all directions. Kyle took an early morning flight back to California, Nico and Karuna attended a Lettuce concert in Boston, while Maya and her friends attended a New Year’s Eve Party/sleepover. Jeanine is suffering from the flu so we stayed in for the evening binge-watching three episodes of The Crown. Caleb surpassed the number of household visits threshold requiring him to submit to a formal couples portrait for which he was an extremely good sport. Fiona and Sarinnagh are studio veterans and always happy to pose for a photo.

A good portion of the day was spent playing Catan. The boys have now lured cousin John William and Jeanine into the cult.  I was taught the game by my nieces during my last visit to Minnesota. I, however, opted to spend the day organizing my office and refining plans for my upcoming travels.  Much depends on the weather and my final itinerary will be decided in real time. 

The winter edition of the Colorado College Bulletin (large format magazine) featured two unrelated stories about Nicolai.  The first concerning his participation in the TREE (Teaching and Research in Environmental Education) program and the second about his soccer exploits in Costa Rica.  He remains thrilled with his choice to attend Colorado College and has been thriving academically.

It has been a real pleasure to listen in on the kitchen conversations amongst the kids as they debate topics ranging from politics to sociology, to the environment and capitalism.  It is satisfying to see that our investment in their education has yielded intelligent and caring citizens of the world.

Our home has four furnaces and three air conditioners configured into five zones (1st floor, 2nd floor, master bedroom, basement, and shop).  Two of these are now controlled by Nest thermostats replacing the programmable Honeywell controllers I installed when we first moved in.  Our local natural gas provider was offering a $150 rebate on each device which motivated the purchase. The new thermostats are much more elegant in appearance and far easier to program and operate. It took me about 20 minutes to install each and I will add additional units when rebates are offered again.

Recognized as one of the best farm to table restaurants in the state, Woods Hill Table is a local culinary gem.  Our family dined there this evening to celebrate being together.  As the children have matured and grown more independent, our time together as a complete family has become increasingly rare. In a matter of days Kyle will be off to California, Nico back to Colorado, Maya re-immersed in high school, Jeanine into the demands of her job, and I on my next travel adventure. More than the food was savored on this evening.

A planned “boy’s breakfast” at Concord’s Club Car Cafe morphed into a family breakfast at Babico’s (the girls wanted in and the Club Car was closed). Visiting Maynard provided Jeanine the perfect opportunity to show off the new Open Table facility which is under construction there.  Build-out is proceeding well and it will not be too long before I post a photo of the grand opening.