This might be the most photogenic slot canyon I have been into so far. It’s not long by any means, but it sure packs a punch pretty quickly. I had wandered down to this location a few weeks ago while exploring some other canyons in the area. Not surprisingly, it was the only canyon I entered where I had company. I wandered down to the sandy wash in search of a dark abyss straight into the canyon walls. When I reached the entry point, I heard the echo of voices off the canyon walls. I knew I would have to be relatively patient here, as there is not a whole lot of room to bypass other hikers. When I caught up to them, I greeted them, asking if it was much further towards the end. Clearly, it was pretty much the end of the canyon. A short wall one needed to chimney up to head further in was all that was in our way. I decided best not to make a fool of myself, and passed up squeezing through another narrow passage. The two other gentlemen, traveling from California, figured they might as well give it a shot since they are here. As one reached the top of the wall, it was apparent that this was pretty much it. However, he proclaimed that the view from above was quite beautiful. I didn’t doubt him one bit. The swirling sandstone layered like waves throughout the canyon, almost in perfect symmetry. For a brief moment, another couple had wandered up the slot and caught up to us. They didn’t stick around long, but for some reason, I instantly felt sick to my stomach. I’ve been in slot canyons before, even crowded ones, and one of my biggest fears is getting stuck down there by some sort of injury or even worse, a flash flood. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, not for nearly four days. My body cooled off significantly, and it felt as if there was something trying to claw out of my stomach. I leaned against the cool canyon wall and took a few deep breaths, a few sips of water, and took it slow for the next few minutes. It was almost as if the couple who wandered up brought some bad forces with them (not that I am really into that stuff), but as soon as they disappeared, I was instantly feeling better. I am not sure what exactly happened, perhaps it was the start of slight dehydration, or heat exhaustion. After feeling well enough to move around and try to place the camera in angles that would make some people dizzy, I resumed my photographic journey through this canyon. I stopped here and there to let the other guys take their images, and sparked up a little conversation about various locations around the area as well as Arizona. Just before I decided to get out of the canyon, I took one last image of the swirling sandstone striations that ended up reminding me of some beast that had scratched and clawed it’s way out. I wanted to try and get something a little different, and the light and lines were just perfect for what I envisioned. The next day, I wandered into a few more slots, and not a single soul was present in either. It was haunting, beautiful, and relaxing. Just a man and his camera marveling at natures incredible creations.
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Sig Nordal 