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Arizona
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| The very best of this
state is located along the Utah border in the
Paria Canyon - Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness.
Beyond that the Grand Canyon is the obvious natural attraction.
The South Rim is a zoo, but along the North Rim solitude can be
found and the views are just as good, in particular Toroweap
viewpoint. |
| Right:
Lake Powell, a welcome
respite on a hot day |
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Grand Canyon National Park |
| This was one of the first parks we ever visited, long before we
became serious about photography. While the canyon
itself
is quite a spectacle, the turquoise waters, red
rocks and striking waterfalls on the Havasupai Trail are
far more enchanting.
We visited right before the great flood
of August 2008 which changed many of the features |
| Left:
Navaho Falls, post 2008
flood, is now
dry. |
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"We smoked the 8 mile trail to the village pretty quickly
as it was mostly downhill or flat. We had to keep an ear out for
thundering horses though, they come flying around blind corners pretty
quickly and send you scrambling for the sides of the
canyon."
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| "The big surprise of this hike was
how beautiful the hike itself was. All you ever see is pictures of
Havasu Falls,
(right) no one hardly ever
mentions the beautiful canyon or even the lovely little village of Supai
nestled in the little valley surrounded on all sides by towering red
cliffs." |
| Right:
Havasu Falls |
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"The
only unfortunate part about photographing this waterfall was we had
very cloudy weather the day we hiked in, and we left early the next day
before the sun was hitting the area. Maybe that’s a good thing because
we did not have to deal with such harsh lighting, but I suspect the
sunlight would have really made the color pop in both the water and the
surrounding red cliffs."
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| Left and below:
Mooney Falls |
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"I have to say I
think Mooney Falls
was my favourite! The climb down to the base of the falls
is a bit
tricky. They have blasted holes into the rock and placed
chains,
ladders and stakes to make it easier. I’ve done stuff like
this
before, but my knees were knocking by the time we got to
the
bottom!"
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| 21
miles return, Fees $35+$5 Camping
$17 Helicopter $85
(Optional)Website |
| The Little Colorado River, east of the Grand Canyon, also has
bright blue calcium carbonate infused water. Access
is via the Hopi Salt trail, a lesser known route, ~6 miles,
2600ft loss. However like Havasupai, in times of heavy
flow, the water can be muddy. |
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Although
probably better as a sunrise location this
picturesque bend in the Colorado River near the
town
of Page Arizona is
just an easy ¾
mile walk. Expect lots of company as it is a
favourite stop for tour
buses. |
| Page is also home to the most
visited, most photographed slot canyon of them all: Antelope
Canyon. This along with the famous 'Mittens' of
Monument
Valley are part of the Navajo
Nation Parks Systems. Tours are a requirement
on
Navajo land, and some like Hunts Mesa can be hundreds of
dollars. However Monument Valley can be seen clearly
from
the highway at no cost and the basic entrance fee is only $5. |
| Left: Sunset at Horseshoe Bend
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