Pat’s Wildways: Antelope Canyon

For longer than I have known him, my husband of nearly 50 years has had a “bucket list” that he made when he was just a lad on Long Island. And, over the years, he has seen them all, some with me and some solo: Alaska, the Amazon, Egypt/pyramids, Australia/Ayers Rock and the Panama Canal. So, his list is done, and he has no new additions to it. So now it’s my turn. I have “always wanted to see Antelope Canyon,” I’ve told him. And so he agreed to go there with me.

Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon on Navajo land in far northwest Arizona. No problem. But to make matters worse for poor Bucko, I insisted that, since we were going to Arizona, I had to show him my favorite place in that state, Cave Creek Canyon, which is in the far southeast corner of Arizona. Do you know how big the state of Arizona is? Well we sure do now. This ended up being a 1,800-mile road trip for us, over 10 nights. About five nights more than Bucko was interested in.

I made our Antelope Canyon Navajo tour reservations many months ago, a necessary step in the process, since this is now a very popular place to visit for more than 1 million visitors a year from around the world. Now the only way to see it is by a Navajo guide for more than $100 per person, but finally, a good income source for tribal members that we had no qualms in supporting.

When we arrived at our prescheduled appointment time in the town of Page, we were loaded onto a 15-person van, one in a series of vans setting off in a parade to the canyon. And this was only one tour company. A number of other companies were doing the same thing and time in the canyon was carefully choreographed.

Our tour guide made the trip all about photography. And maybe rightly so, since almost everyone, myself included, was eager to get their own iconic photos. In the van, our guide told us, “Now I am going to teach you how to use your cell phone camera,” and she went through various maneuvers to set our filters properly, to use night vision, to turn off flashes, etc. Bucko, with no interest in photography, was bored.

Once in the canyon, our group of 15 was hurried through. At each iconic viewpoint everyone took turns shooting photos of each other while others waited. There was no going ahead of the group — another group was right in front of us, and often stragglers had to be told to move on, or we couldn’t get our perfect photo with people in the frame. And behind us another tour group was pushing us along too. Despite all this direction, I was in ecstasy to finally be within Antelope Canyon! Its unearthly magnificence was a wonder to behold!

Not so for Bucko. He is colorblind so the canyon colors were nothing to him, about as exciting as a trip with me to see the fall leaves changing colors. But worse, he was in a near panic from being stuck in a small space with a group of people all telling him, “Move out of the way,” “Stand over here,” “Keep moving,” “No, stop right there.” And I must admit I was one of those directing him out of the way or next to me if I could get someone to snap a photo of both of us.

We maybe had about 45 minutes in the canyon before we exited at the other end and then were led on a forced march across the desert to a long flight of stairs and back to our waiting vans. This was a new route, developed after we had purchased our tickets. Apparently, earlier tours went through the canyon and back again, but due to the crowds, the tour was changed to a one-way journey with the hike and stairs at the end. Bucko and I kept up with the group all through the tour and only stopped for a moment to rest before heading down the stairs. But our guide pushed us along, “Hurry up! Our van is leaving!” and she grumbled all the way on the van ride back about the slow people who held up the group.

Despite all this, for me this was a most wonderful experience, and a chance to see a long-admired place for myself. And for Bucko, it was a true “act of love” for him to acquiesce to this journey to please me. That’s what 50 years of marriage can get you. I am blessed.

Pat Foster-Turley, Ph.D., is a zoologist on Amelia Island. She welcomes your nature questions and observations. patandbucko@yahoo.com