Deserted High Desert Dessert

We're at the end of our stay at Lake Powell, and I think we saved the best for last.  We've taken two boat tours on the lake,

one to the infamous Rainbow Bridge.  If you can see the tiny people under the arch on the left side (one has a red jacket on), that will give you a sense of how huge it is.

We rafted down the Colorado through Glen Canyon, drifting through and then later overlooking another often photographed landmark, the Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado:

We've visited the North Rim of the Grand Canyon,

and taken some beautiful hikes.

But the creme de la creme was the 1/4 mile hike through Lower Antelope Slot Canyon:

When I viewed all my photos from the slot canyon it looked like I was trapped inside a taffy machine. It was certainly sweet. I was a little giddy right from the start; it's kind of a heady experience because it is so unusual. It's very narrow, and requires maneuvering some tight squeezes and climbing up and down some steel ladders.  The canyon walls are all the same pinky orange sandstone, but the depth and the bounce light create the range of colors from golden to purple and sometimes even blue.

Lake Powell is a hub of spectacular scenery. It's especially grand this time of year when the lake is almost deserted. In peak season the campgrounds are packed and the lake is buzzing with house boats, ski boats and jet skis.  The canyons would have been crowded with photographers. But now we have it almost all to ourselves.  The weather has been chilly: low 50's in the day and just below freezing at nights, so swimming, except for Kona, is out of the question. Kona and I have been to almost all of the sand and rock beaches around here, and they are as beautiful as any tropical ones I've seen.

We'll be leaving tomorrow, heading for Cottonwood, AZ, near Sedona. More red rocks.