Shot shorts (old blog)

After leaving Upper Antelope Canyon (see previous blog), I knew I was on borrowed time since the tour guides at the slot canyon were gathering up their tours to leave the canyon, which are flash flood areas.

I clearly saw the dark clouds approaching, so I drove to the next photo site on my list as quickly as possible – Horseshoe Bend. I had maybe a half hour, an hour at the most, before it would start raining. Off in the distance I caught a glimpse of clouds “falling” to the ground – a clear sign that it had already started to rain in the distance. 

Page, Arizona, was a day stop on my trip, so if I missed getting a photograph of Horseshoe Bend, the spectacular view would not be had. 

Horseshoe Bend is located to the southwest of Page and provides a breathtaking view of the Colorado River from the steep rim of the bend that makes a 270 degree curve. 

From the parking lot, the walk to the overlook is about ¾ mile. I quickly grabbed my wide-angle lens and headed up the hill. Once up the hill, I looked down a long path where you could see people the size of ants, so I half ran/half walked as fast as I could to the edge. About 15 minutes later, I arrived at the edge. 

In order to get the expansive full view of the bend, you will need a wide-angle lens or a point and shoot camera that has a 24 mm or preferably a 21 mm lens. A 28 mm lens just won’t do if you want to include both sides of the river. I took the photo below with a wide-angle zoom lens set at 22 mm.

After taking my photographs, I headed back to the car before it started to rain. I saw people from my Upper Antelope Canyon tour heading down to the overlook. I also talked with several people whose afternoon tour of Antelope Canyon had been canceled because of the storms – they were from Europe, so I could only imagine their disappointment.

It was well after lunch, so I headed back to Page for a quick meal before driving to Flagstaff, Arizona. I was not in the restaurant one minute and the sky opened up and poured, and I mean poured, for about 45 minutes.

I felt pretty lucky for experiencing both Upper Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. As I waited for the storm to pass, I looked at my pictures before heading to my next adventure, which would not be filled with much luck. But that story is for a future blog.