More from Page, Lower Canyon, AZ

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008

I always forget to write this note! If you are linked here from a Forum, only because we are traveling more often now without any Internet connection, keep checking the Blog with an RSS feed. You can even subscribe to the comments through an RSS feed. Sometimes I just do not find the time to post on any Forums, as my entry about Bluff a couple chapters ago while taking a nice walk in the evening. The RSS feed subscription is at the bottom of the page.

lower exit B

This above was the exit of the lower canyon, you can barely see the gash we came out from! Looks like any other landscape, one has never been able to imagine what is below. Funny as since that day while we ride, I started looking for the same landscape as there has to be so many more yet undiscovered canyons such as the one I had gone through.

lower 12 B Gd

I feel at times in my Journal here that I make the mistake of not entering pictures of another "type" of surroundings. Of course there is a limitation of how much I can post, I think already my Blogs are sometimes too long, always honored by the ones that look at it, even more by the ones that read it. As 300 RV’s parked a couple miles away on the shoreline of Lake Powell… as a mob at the upper canyon of Antelope Slot… But those pictures do not move me, I have always leaned toward something a bit more attractive than 2 eggs and a piece of ham and biscuit just to document what I had for breakfast! They do depict the reality of some surroundings, reality we constantly try to avoid, which we do fairly well. I might be writing this because of my experience with the guided Tour of the upper canyon…

lower 19 B Gd

Should I say do not take the Tour of the upper canyon?… no, because I am glad I did, but the well being was nothing like being at the lower one, where sometimes alone for up to 20 minutes at the time, letting groups pass by, only for the guide to tell me "enjoy yourself". The upper one… as nice as the guide was… you did not want to loose her, as we did, "we" since Spirit was allowed… and I heard about it!!! Actually I could hear… from other guides… "you with the dog… don’t loose Vere (the guide), you are way behind!". I laughed… I think we both did…

lower 10 B Gd

It was like my surprise to see so many people at the Grand Canyon south rim last year… Everyone has the right and the desire to see beauty… and for those that tell me they will never go there for that reason, well, it is a choice. Either way, even if the experience becomes more visual then sensorial, I still want to see it! Will we go back to the upper canyon… probably not, the lower one? absolutely. No blame… no criticism, that is just the way it is! One can pick also sometimes the time of the year to visit an area. Zion for example is by now so crowded that they are shuttling people back and forth and the use of your own car is so prohibited. Wait for quieter times… that is if one wants to fully experience the sights or just see them.

lower 2 B Gd

So today I picked about twenty more pictures of the lower canyon! These will be last of them besides the upper ones which I am still going through and also eventually the Gallery I will put them all on. I am just mesmerized by them as I have not myself stopped looking at them. The delicate curves filled with their own parallel lines, all sandstones of different hues and colors. I find them peaceful, I find them conductive to dreams allowing my thoughts to escape and wonder through time. I think for the first time "pictures" are doing justice to what I saw and felt. Almost. All is abstract and at the same time I can clearly see the waters and sands slowly at times, rushing through at other times, carving those sights. I am still stunned on how all these lines and shapes and curves have come about!

lower 11 B Gd

I keep seeing new images amongst it all as I continue staring at them like a hidden puzzle one tries to decipher. But these forms are different. There is nothing to decipher, I think everyone will see their own pictures as time goes by, same as when we go back and will again see everything so differently. I just love in the photos and as well walking through those narrow, real narrow sometimes, the different colors of the sandstone. They are the colors of the curves but also the colors pronounced by the sunlight constantly changing. The reason I would love to go again throughout the later afternoon light.

lower 13 B Gd  
lower 14 B Gd  

The canyon being so narrow the Tribe does keep a constant watch on the weather, not only in Page but from a few miles away. This is the place where in August of 1997, water 50 feet deep from a thunderstorm 5 miles away swept through the canyon and 11 people drowned. There has been times when the canyon has been closed months at the time till safe to go back in. The watch is mainly during the monsoon season in July and August, but of course can happen anytime.

lower 15 B Gd  
  lower 16 B Gd

There was no draft till the end of the canyon, the air then was cool and smelled fresh after spending quite a bit of time looking forward but also always after a few steps looking backwards for a totally different image.

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lower 18 B Gd

We had a great time Spirit and I camping by the lakeshore where it was really quiet, being away from the crowd. The temps cooled down a bit and sleeping on the ground for me has always been the best comfort sleep. I hate to admit it… but we went to Mc Donald’s for breakfast!… their coffee is pretty good and there is nothing wrong with their Egg Mc Muffin. Hard to mess that one up. I know one of my readers, you might remember Donna from Texas, a Mc Donaldoholic will be really happy to read this! Of course this was after my own original cup of coffee… cannot move too far without that day starter…

lower 9 B Gd  
lower 10 B Gd  

Any favorites? really hard to pick one, for myself anyhow.

lower 6 B Gd  

lower 7 B Gd

I do need to mention to have your camera on a strap around your neck and in a case, I had put mine back on just for that day as I do not like straps. You will need both free hands quite often and do not wear a backpack or even a waist bag… breath in in some place an stay thin! It is tight. Non slip shoes are good as the metal staircases can be pretty slippery and in some area your shoe will not even fit the width of the path! But if I can make it… anyone can!

lower 5 B Gd

That is it for the lower canyon here… now you know what to expect and do not think for one second that these pictures will ruin your visit! These are just teasers… you have to be there and experience it as I did… This has been a real "treat" on this Journey.

Till next time… enjoy and all be well…

Have you checked the T-shirts? "Throw the Dog a Bone!"… T-shirtsMouse padsPhotography we have been getting great feedbacks.

We are always under deep appreciation toward the readers that have send in a contribution helping this website’s expenditures. For those who have not, continue enjoying the site, pictures, recipes, and if you feel it’s worth $1 a month, the contribution button is above, snail mail is below…

Ara Gureghian   853 Vanderbilt Beach Rd #245   Naples, Fl 34108

Ara & Spirit

 

lower 3 B Gd

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2 Responses to “More from Page, Lower Canyon, AZ”

  1. AtlasRider Says:

    Amazing photos Ara.

    Regarding encouraging subscribers, I would recommend placing an RSS link (sign up with Feedburner to offer email subscriptions as well for those less tech-savvy folks) up at the top of your page. The easier it is to subscribe, the more your subscribers will grow, especially with the great content you pump out.

  2. SheRidesABeemer Says:

    Ok if anyone has been holding out on getting a high rez monitor, these pictures should be motivation enough. Just amazing Ara!

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