Winter Gateway 2020

GATEWAY TO CANYON COUNTRY 1

Winter Hours:

November 1-

February 28

8:45 am - 2:45 pm

7 Days a Week

Summer Hours:

March 1 -

October 31

7:45 am - 4:15 pm

7 Days a Week

Hiking Tours Depart

Every 30 Minutes

$48 00* Adults

Per Person. Includes

Navajo Nation Permit Fee.

$28 00* Children

8-12 Years Old. Per Person.

Includes Navajo Nation

Permit Fee.

0-7 Years FREE

All Tours Are Guided

THINGS TO BRING:

HIKERS:

• Bottled Water

• Closed-Toe Hiking Shoes

• Sun Screen & Hat

Hiking Tours Depart Every 30 minutes

TO BOOK CALL:

928.640.1761

www.antelopelowercanyon.com

book@lowercanyontours.com

*Prices subject to change.

2 GATEWAY TO CANYON COUNTRY

Set against the dazzling Glen

Canyon Overlook off Highway

89, the Sleep Inn & Suites® hotel

and Baymont Inn & Suites® hotel

in Page puts guests close to

gorgeous Arizona landmarks like

Horseshoe Bend and Rainbow

Bridge.

SLEEP INN & SUITES

673 Scenic View Rd, Page,

AZ, 86040, US Phone: (928)

645-2020 Fax: (928) 645-4950

These non-smoking affordable

Page hotels are also near attractions

like:

• Antelope Canyon

• Horseshoe Bend

• Lake Powell

• Wahweap Overlook

• John Wesley Powell Museum

• Water Holes Canyon

We want you to feel refreshed when you stay with us, that’s why our indoor heated

pools and whirlpool is a great place to relax. Our exercise rooms are the perfect

place to keep your endorphins going.

Other amenities include:

• Free full breakfast • Free WiFi • Free parking • Guest laundry

All guest rooms offer a 40-inch HDTV and desk. Some rooms feature a balcony,

coffee maker, whirlpool, microwave, refrigerator, sofa sleeper

and in-room tea and coffee.

Dream better at the Sleep Inn & Suites

and Baymont Inn & Suites® hotel.

Hotels in Page, AZ offer cozy,

modern rooms at a great value.

Book now!

Baymont Inn & Suites

677 Scenic View Rd, Page AZ

Ph: 928-645-5050 • Fax: 928-645-0028


E D I T O R ’ S N O T E

Model: Andrea Tso-Holt

/andrea.tso.1

tso_strong

Photographer: Lyonel Tso

Three Diné women now hold the top three positions

on the Navajo Nation Supreme Court in the Alą́ą́jį́ Hashkééjí

Nahat’á. Those three women are Chief Justice JoAnn Jayne,

Associate Justice Eleanor Shirley, and Associate Justice Tina

Tsinigine. As I write this editorial (Jan. 30, 2020), I learned that

local businesswoman Baya Meehan, co-owner of Shash Diné

Eco-Retreat, was also named to the Change Labs Board of

Directors.

The Navajo Nation, the Diné Bikéyah, is home to strong,

powerful Diné women, some of whom have gone on to become

professors at a university, lawyers and attorneys, physicians,

state senators and representatives. The list goes on. But

Diné women’s accomplishments in politics, medicine, media,

sports, business, and other pursuits are worth celebrating every

day.

It was either a landscape photo or an action shot of Andrea

Tso-Holt, a Diné college student at Chandler-Gilbert Community

College in Chandler, Arizona. We at the Lake Powell

Chronicle and at the Gateway magazine chose Andrea soaring

over Lake Powell – Dá’deestł’in Hótsaa – for the cover of the

winter edition. Chances are, something like this has never been

done in Gateway.

Andrea, a personal trainer, is wearing her high-topped

moccasins, kénitsaa, with her gym wear adorned with her turquoise

and silver – dootł’izhii and béésh łigaii, representing the

blend of Diné culture, traditions, and modernization.

When I look at this photo, I see Andrea ascending with

her sis łichí’í (red woven sash) and ádístsíín – stirring sticks,

carrying with her the prayers and songs of all the Diné

grandmothers and mothers. She is a sophomore and will be

transferring to Arizona State University soon. I see her leading

the charge to change for the Diné. So, this is in honor of all

the strong Diné women who are able to stand up for themselves

and who don’t need to hide because their fierce hearts

don’t settle between walls and their instinct is strong as their

upbringing.

Krista Allen, Editor-in-chief


Pow Wow Trading Post

Specializing in

Native

American Arts

& Crafts

635 Elm Street, Page, Arizona

powwowtradiingpost.com • 928.645-2140


Celebrating

GATEWAY

Gateway to Canyon Country is a travel-outdoor

magazine published four times a year.

Publisher

Mike Caywood

mcaywood@lakepowellchronicle.com

Editor

Krista Allen

kallen@lakepowellchronicle.com

Photojournalist

Bob Hembree

bhembree@lakepowellchronicle.com

rjhembree.com

Contributing writer

Shanna Lewis

Graphic Design

Marty Sisk

msisk@lakepowellchronicle.com

Advertising

Norma Tsinnijinnie

ntsinnijinnie@lakepowellchronicle.com

Norma L Y Max

Norma L.Y. Tsinnijinnie

Ed Pease

epease@lakepowellchronicle.com

Circulation

Jim Blittersdorf

John Baker

C O N T E N T S

ON THE COVER

Andrea Tso-Holt photograph by Lyonel Tso.

10 11

Page, America

The Chains

Photography tips from a The Hanging Gardens near

local photographer. Page are interesting to

BY BOB HEMBREE

look at, but the best photo

opportunities are at The

Chains.

29

Patterns in nature

Adventurous Antelope

Canyon Photo Tour


BY KRISTA ALLEN

14-17& 28 21

Maps

The centerfold features

Page-Lake Powell area

maps, including the Rimview

Trail.

26-27

A pair of cowboys herd cows across U.S. Route 89

on Babbitt Ranches Jan. 31 near Cameron, Arizona.

Wahweap Overlook

It’s a three-act show. And

the clouds create a light

shadow.

PHOTOGRAPH BY KRISTA ALLEN

Glen Canyon Dam

Night photography

tips.

Stepping into silence

A WALK IN THE DESERT

Story by Shanna Lewis | Photographs by Krista Allen and Bob Hembree

Go to the desert, my heart tells me.

Where dark canyons etch deep into the

earth. Where massive pink and orange

sandstone walls loom high above dry

sandy washes. Where towering rock

spires create an exquisite, yet alien landscape

set against the smooth blue sky.

Pick a less travelled area, like Bears Ears or Grand Staircase-Escalante.

Rattle the car over a washboard dirt road.

Park at an unmarked turnout.

This is a gateway, a portal to serenity not found in modern

life expanded, yet limited, by technology.

Once the clatter of arrival fades, I feel the silence, the

utter lack of man-made sound. Motionless, I let the desert

stillness wash over me, envelope me, soak in, reach into my

body and mind. It courses through my veins and settles into

my bones.

Somehow this silence is louder than the anxieties, the chatter,

the worries, the fears, the plans, the daydreams.

I walk out across the rock with no particular destination,

only the goal of disconnecting from stress. Untethered

from technology, ears unfettered by anything other than the

desert around me, my footsteps and breath harmonize into a

rhythmic beat that carries me on my path. I get to the rim of

a canyon and walk along the edge, until a way down and in

opens to me. I descend.

Sliding my hand along the gritty red slick rock, I feel the cool

of the previous night, even as the sun begins to warm the air.

The cascading notes of a canyon wren’s song slide sweetly

down the canyon walls, caressing my ears. This is not noise;

this is nature painting on the canvas of silence.

Finally, I reach the bottom and follow the meandering

wash. Then something quietly draws my gaze. The stacked

stone masonry walls of ancient Puebloan people nestle high

up, hidden under a rock overhang. Easy to miss, the small,

strong structures are sited so they’re protected from the

scorching summer heat yet warmed by the rays of low angle

winter sun. Precarious, seemingly impossible to get to and so,

although risky for daily life, they are safe from adversaries.

These buildings have survived the passage of centuries.

The afternoon breezes roll in. A raven soars far above me.

Wings spread, its shining black feathers are beautiful and

Bears Ears (Shash Jaa’ in Diné bizaad – Navajo

language) meadows in southeastern Utah.


Bears Ears National Monument (Shash Jaa’ in Diné

bizaad – Navajo language) in southeastern Utah,

has an elevation of 9,058 feet. Shash Jaa’ is located

in San Juan County.

maybe a little frightening. It caws, circles twice and then

flies on. I’m uninteresting to this huge bird, which apparently

has other more important matters to attend to.

I stop further down canyon. Petroglyphs are carved

into the rust colored wall. Mysterious figures and images,

but a connection to the past, to the ancient people who

walked these canyons and built their homes of stone

perched up high.

People who likely had their own fears, anxieties, worries,

plans and daydreams, like me.

Time doesn’t exist here - until it does. The sun moves

west, and shadows grow, reaching eastward. I return to

the car the way I came.

The night sky fills with stars. The Milky Way cuts a

misty swath across the heavens. It is cool, the heat of day

gone. Silence seeps into my flesh, my blood, my being. It

collects in my soul, nourishing the heart that called me

to come here.

Paria Canyon and the Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness

area offers hikes to spectacular formations – hoodoos,

slender, ghostly rocks that can reach several

stories high.


White Mesa Arch in Tonalea-Red Lake, Arizona, in

Western Navajo Nation. Wildcat Peak (Náshdóíts’ǫǫį)

and the San Francisco Peaks (Dook’o’oosłííd) are

seen in the distance.

iPHONE X PHOTOGRAPHS BY KRISTA ALLEN

WHITE MESA ARCH

Tsé Łigai Ńt’i’

Join us for excellent food and service.

Visit our website

www.eltapatio-restaurants.com

25 Lake Powell Blvd., Page, AZ

928.645.4055

Open 7 days a week 11 am - 11 pm

LIQUOR STORE

Fine Wines and Champagnes

Domestic, Imported and Microbrew

Fresh Draft Beer To-Go from the GROWLER STATION

www.fredsliquorstore.com • 928-645-3575

902 North Navajo Dr., Page, AZ 86040

We Book Tours for Most Local Companies

See Page & Lake Powell Today!

• Individual/Families/Tour Groups

• Same Rates as Local Guides

• Tips & Ideas to Tour Area

• Hike/Boat/Kayak/Whitewater Rafting

Helicopter Rides/Swim/Fishing/Dining/Hotels

Need ice? Get it straight from the source, Reddy Ice!

www.ReddyIce.com 928.645.8886 ext. 35480

2018 E. Frontage Rd., Page, AZ 86040

www.PageChamber.com

928.645.2741

5 Lake Powell Blvd., Unit 3

M-F 9-5


PAGE, AMERICA

Tips from a local photographer

Story and Photographs by Bob Hembree

I’ve

I used a Nikon D810 camera

with a Tamron 24-70 f2.8

lens for this photo. Settings:

1/1250 seconds, f/8, ISO 400

at 24mm. I usually darken

the exposure by a 1/3 stop

of what the camera’s meters

recommend. This helps prevent

blown-out whites.

spent a lot of time taking photos in the

Page area before making it my home. I’ve

spent time in the U.S. and in Canada, seen

a lot of amazing sights, and visited many

national, state and regional parks. Even

two- to three-month road trips weren’t

enough.

There were always places I wish I could

have stayed longer, always more to see.

When I reached retirement age, I’d planned

on moving to a new area every year: a year

in Idaho, another in Oregon, maybe Montana

or in New Mexico.

I felt it was the only way to learn the

area and the photography potential. While

wildlife photography is about patience,

landscape photography is about persistence

and readiness when the weather conditions

are right. Page, Arizona, changed my plans.

I quickly discovered there’s a lifetime

worth of exploration and photographic opportunities

– much of it is walking distance

from my home. That’s the thing about

Page. It’s like a remote island, yet smack

dab in the middle of everything beautiful.

While a wide variety of scenic locations

are important, and Page has plenty, I look

at other factors. Weather conditions are at

the top of the list. The beauty of the high

desert changes daily. The colors, lighting,

and the clouds constantly change the textures

and backdrops. I learned to appreciate

storms, before, during and after.

In Canyon Country, you can photograph

from a distance, safe and dry. Page

itself gets very little rain.


Page is on Manson Mesa, though it reaches beyond the

mesa to Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell, the Colorado River

and the Navajo Nation.

Last November, at the Balloon Regatta, I had the chance

to see Page and the surrounding area from a hot-air balloon.

The image on page 10 shows a bird’s eye view of many of the

locations in the following pages. A map of Rimview Trail is

also included.

In this photo story, I’ll share locations, tips and camera

settings. I shoot with Nikon DSLRs and variety of lenses, but

much of the information applies to any camera, including

smartphones.

The Chains

Settings: Aperture Priority, 1/320 seconds, f/11,

ISO 320 at 35mm. I always use a tripod because

I use graduated filters, but it’s not needed if the

light is good; or with cameras and lenses with

good vibration reduction.

FOR THIS PHOTO, I USED A NIKON D600 CAMERA WITH A NIKON NIKKOR 17-35 F2.8 LENS WITH

A 3-STOP GRADUATED NEUTRAL DENSITY FILTER.

The Hanging Gardens near Page are

interesting to look at, but the best photo

opportunities are at the Chains at the end

of the road. This isn’t on most maps, but it’s easy

to find. There’s a large parking lot at the end of the

graded road. From there you can walk down the

hill to Lake Powell or explore the rock formations

to the east or south.

This is an easy daytime trip, and usually great

for water reflections on the Colorado River. The

water was clean and clear every time I’ve gone. To

the west, there’s a good view of the Glen Canyon

Dam. Walk a short distance to the east, Wahweap

Marina, Navajo Mountain (Naatsis’áán in the Navajo

language) and Tower Butte come into view.

I recommend treaded hiking boots, though I’ve

seen many take the hike in sandals and in running

shoes. My personal favorites are Timberlands for

traction and comfort. In some areas, the loose

sandstone is fragile and slippery. There are trails,

but they’re difficult to see and not necessary. It’s

easy to look ahead and make your own path.

Landmarks are always visible, so it’s easy to find

the parking lot on the return hike. There’s a lot to

explore, and you might decide to stay longer once

you see views. I always bring a bottle of water.

The sandstone formation in the above photo is

below the parking lot at the end of the road. It’s

easy to spot. I walked down the hill, then tried a

few vantage points. I settled on this one because of

the sharp contrasts. Luck brought a storm to the

north. This added some depth to the composition.

Luck also brought two speedboats crossing paths.

They added splashes of light to the darker waters.

It works as a counterbalance to the sunbathed

water on the other side of the rock formation.


For the Chains area, I

prefer wide-angle lenses. It’s

easy to get close to photo-worthy

subjects.

I always use a tripod and

graduated filters, but it’s not

needed if the light is good or

with cameras and lenses with

good vibration reduction.

Right photo

Gear: Nikon D810 camera with

a Tamron 24-70 f2.8 lens and

2-stop graduated neutral density

filter. Settings: 1/125 seconds,

f/13, ISO 100 at 200 mm.

Bottom photo

Gear: Nikon D750 camera with a

Nikon NIKKOR 50 mm f/1.4 lens.

Settings: 1/100 seconds, f/136,

ISO 100.


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Juicy Steaks & more!

Freshly made

Sandwiches!

Authentic

Navajo Tacos!

Great Food &

Great Prices -

come on down

and see for

yourself!

Fresh Salad Bar!

Open 11 am to 2 pm; 5 pm to close

718 Vista Ave., Page, AZ • 928-645-0908




89

Morgan Rd.

Hawk Ct.

Falcon Ct.

Elk Rd.

Cameron St.

Bonita Rd. W

Bonita St. Bonita Rd. W

Piute Piute Ct.

Castle Rock St.

Driftwood

Del Barrco Ave.

1

2

Page Hospital

Urgent Care

Police Station

Fire Station

Park

ATM

KEY

Must See

Visitors’ Centers

Scenic Overlooks

Marinas

Lake Access

Church

School

Golf Course

United States Post Office

A B C D

To Glen Canyon Dam

Wahweap Marina

& Kanab, UT

Glen Canyon

Dam Overlook

89

View Rd.

Scenic

N. Navajo Dr.

89

Lake Powell

National Golf

Blvd.

Powell Lake N

Date St.

Clubhouse Dr.

Dr.

Eagle

Dr.

Navajo N.

St.

Gum

Fir St.

Ave.

Vista

Ave.

4th

19th Ave.

Pueblo Dr.

Dr.

Rim View

N. Navajo Dr.

18th Ave.

Dr.

Rimview

17th Ave.

Ave.

16th

15th Ave.

14th Ave.

6th Ave.

13th Ave.

St.

Bureau

20th Ave.

Ave.

Vista

A

8

Ave.

7th S.

Elm St.

4

Mesa Dr.

B

Ave.

12th

Grandview St.

13th Ct.

Ave.

Knoll

N. 10th Ave.

Hemlock St.

Pine St.

Poplar St.

S. Lake Powell Blvd.

Coconino St.

View Dr.

W.

14th Ave.

Ct.

Butte

Ct.

Valley

Padre Escalante Dr.

Ave.

11th

Cathedral Ave.

Kachina Kachina

20th Ave.

Westview Dr.

10th N. Ave.

Aero Ave.

Plateau Ct.

Ave.

Turquoise

7th Ave.

Grandview St.

Ave.

Mesa Red

8th Ave.

Gunsight St.

S. 9th Ave.

Grandview St.

Glen Canyon Dr.

Gunsight St.

Golliard

Park

Glen Canyon Dr.

Thunderbird Ave.

Gramdview St.

Spruce

Tower Butte Ave.

Page Municipal Airport

Redrock St.

Mirage St.

El

St.

10th

Cll Hermosa

Pondersoa St.

Juniper Ave.

Cypress Ave.

Tamarisk St.

Crestview

2

Colorado St.

Willow St.

Vermilion Ave.

Tower Butte Ave.

Sage Ave.

S. Navajo Dr.

3

S. Navajo Dr.

1st Ave.

Ave.

2nd

Ave.

3rd

Cedar St.

St.

Birch

Aspen St.

Date St.

S. Navajo Dr.

3

5

5th Ave.

John C.

Page Park

9

1*

F

E 6

L

K


Aqua Ave.

Ave.

S. 9th

Oak St.

Village Dr.

Veronica Ct.

Antelope Ave.

Cheryl Ave.

Diane Ct.

Sunrise St.

Hopi Ave.

Lakeside Ct.

Sage Ave.

Elm St.

89

Haul Rd.


Kaibab Rd.

Haul Rd.

Golden Eagle Ct.

I

Cache Rd.

Bran Rd.

K


Cemetery Rd.

San Francisco Rd.

Azure Rd.

C

Cameron St.

7

Page

Public Library

Cascade St.

Manson Rd.

Marble Rd.

Granada

Via Valdez

Jerome St.t

Newburn Rd.

Maverick Loop

Rd.

Newburn

Coppermine Rd.

Coppermine Rd.

Sandpiper Dr.

Osprey Dr.

Buckeye Dr.

4

Appaloosa Rd.

e Powell S. Lake Blvd. Powell Blvd.

Cameron St.

Haul Rd.

Palomino Rd.

Clydesdale Rd.

Cliff Ct.

Manson Rd.

Packer Ct.

Bass Ct.

Rd.

Coppermine

Sunset Rd. W Sunset St.

5

89

To Horseshoe Bend

lake powell

printing

98

Rd.

Pinto

Shetland

Mustang Rd.

San Francisco Rd.

98

Azure Rd.

Loop

O’Neil

C

Sunset St.

Aztec St.

Amand Cir.

Scott’s Lake Powell Printing ©2015 All Rights Reserved

315 S. 12th Street :: Montrose, CO 81401 :: 928-645-3663 :: scottb@scottsprinting.com |Reproduction of the whole or any part of this publication, by any method for any purpose whatever, without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Amado Rd. W

Amado St.

Bonita Loop

Cameron St.

To Antelope Point Marina

Navajo Generating Station

& Kayenta, AZ

98

To Flagstaff, AZ

Aero Ave. C, D-2

Amado St. C-4

Amado Rd. W. C-4

Armand Cir. C-4

Antelope Ave. D-3

Appaloosa Rd. B-5

Aqua Ave. D-3

Aspen St. C-3

Aztec St. C-4

Azure Rd. B-4

Bran Rd. B-4

Bass Ct. C-3

Birch St. B,C-3

Bonita Lp. C-4

Bonita Rd. W. C-4

Bonita St. C-4

Buckeye Dr. D-4

Bureau St. C-2

Butte Ct. C-1

Cll. Hermosa D-2

Cache Rd. B-4

Cameron St. B-3, D-3,4

Cascade St. C-4

Castle Rock St. C-2

Cathedral Ave. C-2

Cedar St. B,C-3

Cemetery Rd. B-3,4

Cheryl Ave. D-3

Cliff Ct. B-3

Clubhouse Dr. B-1,2

Clydesale Rd. B-4

Coconino St. C-2

Colorado St. D-2

Coppermine Rd. (89T)

C-3,D-3,4,5

Crestview Ave. D-2

Cypress Ave. D-2

Date St. B-2,3,C-3

Del Barrco Ave. D-2

Diane Ct. D-3

Driftwood Ave. D-2

Eagle Dr. B,C-2

Elk Rd. B-3,4

Elm St. B,C-2

El Mirage St. D-2

Falcon Ct. B-4

Fir St. C-2

Glen Canyon Dr. D-1,2

Granada Rd. C-4

Grandview St. C-1,2

,D-2

Golden Eagle Ct. B-3,4

Gum St. B,C-2

Gunsight St. C-1, D-1,2

Haul Rd. A,B,C,D-4

Hawk Ct. B-4

Hemlock St. C-2

Hopi Ave. D-3

Jerome St. C-4


street index

Juniper Ave. D-2

Kachina St. C-2

Kaibab Rd. B-3,4

Knoll Ave. C-1

Lake Powell Blvd.

A-3,B-1,3,C-1,2,3, D-3

Lakeside Ct. D-3

Manson Rd. B,C-3

Marble Rd. C-3

Maverick Lp. C-4

Mesa Dr. C-1

Morgan Rd. B-4,5

Mustang Rd. B-5

Navajo Dr. B,C-1,2,3,

D-2

Newburn Rd. C-3,4

Oak St. D-3

O’Neil Lp. B-4

Osprey Dr. D-3

Packer Ct. C-3

Padre Escalante Dr.

C-1,2

Palomino Rd. B-4

Pine St. C-2

Pinto Rd. B-5

Piute Ct. C-3

Plateau Ct. C,D-1

Ponderosa St. D-2

Poplar St. C-2

Pueblo Dr. C-1

Red Mesa Ave. C-2

Redrock St. D-2

Rim View Dr. C-1

Rimview Dr. C-2

Sage Ave.

Sandpiper Dr.

D-2,3

D-3,4

San Francisco Rd. B,C-4

Scenic View Rd. B-1,2

Shetland B-5

Spruce D-2

Sunrise St. D-3

Sunset St. B-4

Sunset Rd. W. B-3,4

Tamerisk St. D-2

Thunderbird Ave. C,D-2

Tower Butte Ave. D-2

Turquoise Ave. C-2

Valley Ct. C-1

Vermilion Ave. D-2

Veronica Ct. D-3

Via Valdez C-4

W. View Dr. C-1

Village Dr. D-3

Vista Ave. C-1,2

Westview Dr. C-1

Willow St. D-2

1st Ave. B-2,3

2nd Ave. B-3

3rd Ave. B,C-3

4th Ave. C-2,3

5th Ave. C-2,3

6th Ave. C-2,3

7th Ave. C-2

8th Ave. C,D-2

9th Ave. C,D-2,3

N. 10th Ave. C-1,2

10th St. D-1,2

11th Ave. C,D-1

12th Ave. C-1

13th Ave. C-1

13th Ct. C-1

14th Ave. C-1

15th Ave. C-1

16th Ave. C-1

17th Ave. C-1

18th Ave. C-1

19th Ave. C-1

20th Ave. C,D-1

Wahweap

Bay Warm Creek

Bay

Hole-

In-The-

Rock

Antelope

Point Marina

State Line Launch

Ramp

Dangling

Rope

Marina

Rock

Creek

Escalante

River

San Jaun

River

Halls

Creek Bay

Bullfrog Bay

Bullfrog

Marina

Halls

Crossing

Marina

Colorado

River

Hite Marina

Lake Powell

Lone Rock Beach/

Fee Camping

Last Chance Bay

Padre Bay

Wahweap

Marina & Launch

Ramp

Glen Canyon Dam

West Canyon

Navajo Canyon

Antelope

Point

Marina &

Launch

Ramp

City

of

Page,

AZ

Colorado

River

Rainbow Bridge

National

Monument

Wahweap Marina


ZION NATIONAL PARK

Zion National Park is distinguished by Zion

Canyon’s steep red cliffs. Zion Canyon Scenic Drive

cuts through its main section, leading to forest trails

along the Virgin River.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY BOB HEMBREE

At the End of Your Day...

• Deluxe guest rooms with fridges, microwaves,

Coffee pots, irons & ironing boards

• Boat parking/AC power • Convenient location

• Free wireless Internet • Breakfast

• Guest laundry

American Bighorn Sheep (Tsétah

Dibé in Navajo) in Zion National

Park.

LAKE POWELL

Lake Powell Days Inn & Suites

961 Hwy 89, Box 3910,

Page, AZ 86040

(928) 645-2800

www.daysinn.net

Nationwide Reservations

1 (800) DAYSINN



Nikon NIKKOR 85 mm f/1.8 lens.

Settings: 1/100 seconds, f/11, ISO

100, -0.67 EV at 85 mm.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY BOB HEMBREE


Nikon NIKKOR 17-35 mm f/2.8

lens and 2-stop graduated neutral

density filter (GND). Settings:

1/125 seconds, f/11, ISO 100,

-0.67 EV at 35 mm.

For this photo of Lake Powell, the GND filter helped balance the sky and

water brightness. I use square filters on the lens. Sliding them up and

down in the filter holder controls what areas are darkened. GND filters

are especially useful on bright days. They preserve the sky’s color and

prevent it from blowing out (losing detail and turning white).


A

DOUBLE RAINBOW IS QUITE A CATCH. IN HINDSIGHT, I WISH I CARRIED A WIDER ANGLE LENS TO

CATCH MORE OF IT. I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM A GROUP PHOTOSHOOT AT THE MARINA, AND

ALL I HAD WAS THE 35 MM LENS. IT DOES A GREAT JOB, AND I’M HAPPY WITH THE PHOTO, BUT I

KNOW TO ALWAYS CARRY A 15-30 MM LENS FOR OCCASIONS LIKE THIS.


Wahweap

Overlook

It’s a three-act show.

Act I: For the first hour and

half, especially when it’s breezy, the

clouds create a lightshow by letting

the sun spotlight different features of the

landscape. I watch the shadows move and

wait for the light to shine in the most interesting

places. This is also the best time to

catch rainbows during and after rains.

Act II: As the sun descends behind the

mountains to the west, colors begin to

change. They vary from reds, to oranges

to purples. I follow the colors as they shift

west to south from across the sky.

Act III: After the sun sets, the blue hour

begins. It’s often surprising, and sometimes

there’s a small window of time – usually

less than five minutes, when the light takes

amazing twists and turns.

I’ve seen it cast a metallic tint on

everything, and sometimes, it will coat the

landscape with surreal pastel colors. Most

people leave once the sun sets, but I like

to stick around for another 30 minutes in

case anything interesting develops.


a Tamron 35 mm f/1.8 lens and


filter (GND). Settings: 1/320

seconds, f/9, ISO 400.

WHEN THE CLOUDS ARE RIGHT,

WAHWEAP OVERLOOK IS UNBEATABLE

FOR DRAMATIC PHOTOS.

I USUALLY GO TWO HOURS BEFORE SUNSET.



Tamron 35 mm f/1.8 lens and 2-stop

graduated neutral density filter

(GND). Settings: 1/15 seconds, f/11,

ISO 400.

Gear: Nikon D750 camera with a Tamron 35 mm

f/1.8 lens and 2-stop graduated neutral density

filter (GND). Settings: 2/5 seconds, f/11, ISO 100.

Gear: Nikon D750 camera with a Nikon NIKKOR

85 mm f/1.8 lens and 2-stop graduated neutral

density filter (GND). Settings: 1/500 seconds,

f/11, ISO 100.

Gear: Nikon D750 camera with a Nikon

NIKKOR 85 mm f/1.8 lens and 2-stop

graduated neutral density filter (GND).

Settings: 1/500 seconds, f/16, ISO 100.

Gear: Nikon D750 camera with a Tamron 35 mm

f/1.8 lens and 2-stop graduated neutral density filter

(GND). Settings: 1/500 seconds, f/11, ISO 100.


Rimview Trail


a Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 lens and


filter (GND). Settings: 8 seconds,

f/8, ISO 100 at 70mm.

I’ve spent more time on Rim View Trail

than any other location in the area. It’s a

10-mile trail circling the perimeter of Manson

Mesa, which Page is built on. It’s walking distance

from any place in town.

In the mornings and late afternoons, I follow the

clouds. They keep things interesting. My favorite part

of the trail is on the east side, near the airport.

Navajo Mountain, LeChee Rock (aka Sleeping

Indian), and my favorite subject, Tower Butte are all

visible.

As I’ve mentioned, in the high desert, everything is

constantly changing. The changes are not only seasonal,

they’re weekly, daily, even within minutes.

The best times for photos are 30 minutes before

and after sunrise, and 90 minutes before sunset and 30

minutes after.

For the Rimview Trail area, I prefer the 70-200-millimeter

range. The landmarks are in the distance, so

a wide-angle lens, or anything below 70 mm is too

limiting for me. For a while, I used a Nikon NIKKOR

85 mm lens, which is a practical walk around size for

the trail.

Blue hour is shortly before sunrise and shortly after

sunset. Above is a blue, misty, winter morning shot of

Tower Butte from Rim view Trail. It was dark, so I setup

for a long, eight-second exposure, just long enough

to soften the moving clouds a bit.

“This is a blue, misty, winter morning shot of

Tower Butte from Rimview Trail.”


Tower Butte

For Tower Butte, I set

up the tripod and

frame according to

the clouds. I wait

until they move into the

best positions relative to the

subject.

The lighting can change

quickly, so I use aperture

priority and let the camera

figure out the shutter speed.

What’s important to me is

using the lowest ISO (measures

the sensitivity of the

light sensor), like 100, and

having the aperture set to get

the depth of field needed,

that is, to get both near and

far in focus.

I usually start with F/11

then then go from there.

There are mathematical

formulas to figure this out,

but out in the field it’s easier

to snap, preview and adjust

the aperture as needed.

There’s a trade-off when

using different size apertures.

A wider aperture gives less

depth of field, but less noise.

A smaller aperture gives

more depth of field, but

more noise.



a Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 lens

and 2-stop graduated neutral

density filter (GND). Settings:

1/4 seconds, f/11, ISO 100, 135

mm.

Grandview

Overlook

It’s not unusual to find Page residents along the eastern side of the

trail and watching the sunrise. It’s different every morning. Photographers

can easily find the perfect vantage point to align the rising

sun with a landmark. Sometimes, I use a phone app called “The

Photographer's Ephemeris” to find the best location to shoot for sunrises

and sunsets.

Occasionally, races are held in the Rimview Trail area, like the Lake

Powell Obstacle Race and the Lake Powell Half Marathon.

This photo was taken from Grandview Overlook, which is scheduled

to open in 2020. It’s up the hill, at about mile 3.2 on the Rimview Trail

(see Rimview Trail map at the end of this story).

The Canyon Club and local businesses donated time, materials and

money to build the project. They will present it to the City of Page when

completed in early spring. The above photo was taken from the construction

site with a telephoto lens (200 mm).

Top photo


Tamron 70-200 mm f/2.8 lens and


filter (GND). Settings: 1/125 seconds,

f/13, ISO 100, 200 mm.

Left photo


Nikon NIKKOR 18-200 mm f/3.5-

5.6 lens. Settings: 1/1600 seconds,

f/8, ISO 400, 75 mm.


Glen Canyon Dam

This a long exposure night

shot from about mile 9.4

on Rimview Trail on July 4,

2019. I went there to photograph

the fireworks but stayed to photograph

Glen Canyon Dam.

The traffic was busy with people returning

home from the event, and the 20-second

exposure captured the consistent trails

of car lights.


Nikon D7200 camera with a Nikon NIKKOR 18-

200 mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Settings: 20 seconds, f/8,

ISO 200, 50 mm (full frame equivalent is 75 mm).

Top photo

Gear: Nikon D7200 camera

with a Nikon NIKKOR

18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 lens.

Settings: 6 seconds, f/10,

ISO 125, 18 mm.

Bottom photo

Gear: Nikon D7200 camera

with a Nikon NIKKOR 18-

200 mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Settings:

13 seconds, exposure

compensation -1.67 EV, f/8,

ISO 400, 35 mm.



ADVENTUROUS

ANTELOPE

CANYON

PHOTO TOUR

PATTERNS

IN NATURE

Story by Krista Allen

and Photographs by Lionel Bigthumb

Carol Bigthumb’s family

dumped around 5,000 gallons

of water into a section

of Antelope Canyon in August

2001 just so Britney Spears could

walk through it for her music video.

“My whole family was down there

that day,” said Carol’s son, Lionel

Bigthumb, the chief operating officer

for Adventurous Antelope Canyon

Photo Tour, which is owned by his

mother, “and it was kind of embarrassing.”

Then-20-year-old pop star Britney

Spears’s music video “I’m not a girl,

not yet a woman,” which was released

in 2002, was shot in Antelope Canyon

and in Glen Canyon National Recreation

Area.

Carol Bigthumb’s family has also

done work with popular celebrities such

as Howie Long, John Travolta, and

Seal. And they have given private tours

to big names such as Tyler Perry and

fine-art photographers Peter Lik and

Jeff Mitchum.

Lionel says Adventurous Antelope

Canyon Photo Tour is more about

quality rather than quantity and

focuses exclusively on journeys to the

labyrinthine underworld where he and

a cousin grew up and were raised by

their grandmother, Pearl Young Begay,

95.

Since leading her first tour in 1985,

Begay has passed the business to her

children.

“We used to live in a hogan … that

my grandfather, Dan Begay, built,”

Lionel recalls. “One summer day my

grandparents started getting ready as if

they were going somewhere. I wondered

what they were getting ready for.

But they didn’t get us ready.”

“Next thing we knew, a Bilagáana

(non-Native) lady pulls up in a riggedout

jeep,” he continued. “I guess she

had made a deal with my grandmother,

a certain amount of money or something.

That’s when the story of tourism

for my family started.”

Thereafter the non-Native woman

visited regularly. Eventually, photographers

also started visiting, to photograph

Begay and her family. Lionel

says there is a portrait of his aunt that


hangs on a wall of a Native American

museum in Washington, D.C.

Before long, Lionel’s grandparents

– experts with deep knowledge on the

area – started guiding the non-Native

woman down Antelope Canyon, or

Tsébighánílíní or Tsébii’ Hazdeestas in

Diné bizaad (Navajo language).

“They took the jeep (into the

canyon) and we would stop and (my

grandmother) would talk about the cacti,”

Lionel explained. “We’d drive down

and that’s when tourism started for us.”

Today, people from all over the

world stop by to see Antelope Canyon

with this tour operator situated at

milepost 302 on State Route 98. And

it has some of the best guides, the best

itineraries, and the best value.

In fact, this tour operator has an

agreement with Amangiri, the ultra-luxury

resort in nearby Canyon

Point, Utah, to provide tours to their

high-end clients.

Carol’s business though is still fairly

new. She started the legwork in 2009

when she ventured outside her brother’s

tour operator business, where she

worked after she retired as an educator.

Concurrently, Lionel was an engineering

student at the University of Arizona

where he thoroughly took in a particular

engineering management course

and used it take the family business to

the next level.

“I understood the dynamics of operating

a business,” Lionel said. “So, we

turned four products into 14 products.

We have the three extra canyons that

we go to (as well), so it’s four canyons.”

Adventurous Antelope Canyon

Photo Tour operates 14 trips, spanning

four slot canyons – Mountain Sheep,

Owl, Rattlesnake, and Upper Antelope.

Each trip is designed to reflect travelers’

broad spectrum of interests.

“So, a lot of hiking, photography,

and a lot of colors to see,” said Lionel,

a professional, fine art photographer

who owns a galleria in Page as well.

“That’s who we are as adventurists.”

This tour operator provides more

than 60 jobs during its peak season and

around 25 jobs during the off season.

The business sees up to 400 people a

day.

“We’re busy 10 months out of the

year,” Lionel said. “So, for us as a family,

we’ve been doing this for three decades.

We have a connection to Mother

Earth to be able to do this because we

have songs, prayers, and offerings. We

give offerings to the canyons, so for us

that connection is there.”

“That’s how we’re able to have a

livelihood,” he added, “how we’re able

to have jobs and how we’re able to feed

families.”

Carol also makes an effort to help

the nearby community of LeChee by

supporting the senior center, the veterans’

organization, and other programs.

There are five tour operators in

Upper Antelope Canyon and two tour

operators in Lower Antelope Canyon,

according to Navajo Parks and Recreation.

At least two operators – Dixie

Ellis’ Lower Antelope Canyon Tours

owned by Dixie L. Ellis and Ken’s

Tours owned by Kenny N. Young – are

related to the Bigthumb family. Ellis

and Young are siblings.

Information: navajoantelopecanyon.

com



928-645-4082

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Winter Gateway 2020

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