Antelope Canyon is at once one of the most
breathtaking and tranquil places on earth. Gently carved from the
Navajo sandstone over the course of countless millenniums, the slot
canyons are majestic and narrow passages, just enough space for a small
group to walk the sandy floor - and for the occasional shafts of
sunlight to shine down from above.
It
is really two separate canyons - Upper and Lower Antelope. Each
contains the hidden "slots" carved from the swirling sandstone, and
both drain from the south into Lake Powell (once the Colorado River).
The canyons are so narrow in places that one can stretch out his or her
arms and touch both sides.
The
Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tse' bighanilini, which means
"the place where water runs through rocks." Upper Antelope is at about
4,000 feet elevation and the canyon walls rise 120 feet above the
streambed. Lower Antelope Canyon is Hasdestwazi, or "spiral rock arches." Both are located within the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation.
Though
dry most of the year, Antelope Canyon runs, and sometimes floods, with
water after rains. It is the water, slowly wearing away the sandstone
grain by grain, that has formed the beautiful and graceful curves in
the rock. Wind has also played a role in sculpting this fantastic
canyon. -Navajo parks and recreation department.
Title: Sinuous
A photograph by Bartram Donovan
Edition of 30
Chromogenic C-Print
Prices subject to increase as Edition sells.
