Underrated Beauty of Glen Canyon

I had heard Glen Canyon described, by those who planned to reserve that part of the river for hydroelectric power development, as an unspectacular, gently flowing stretch of the river unruffled by significant rapids, that in fact the Bureau of Reclamation had begun to dam. From the very first day, I was overwhelmed by the scenery--both in prospect and in description grossly underrated. The monumental structure of the towering walls in variety and color defied comprehension.
- Eliot Porter

Eliot Porter made his first rafting trip down the Colorado River through Glen Canyon in 1960. He became captivated by the region's beauty, and over the next decade, returned to it ten times to photograph its weathered trees, colorful rock formations, and hidden slit canyons.

Instead of heading for the highly famed Grand Canyon, I decided to visit Glen Canyon. The reason was because I chanced upon beautiful pictures of hidden slit canyons. And the photos were taken in Antelope Canyon. So... OF COURSE I had to head down to get some pictures of my own and to stand there in awe of what nature has created for us, and that many would have missed it!

So off we went. The view from Glen Canyon Dam is amazing.. We were at Glen Canyon Dam as the Visitor Centre is there too. We found out that the Tour of the Dam is free. Of course we wanted to go. But alas, we missed the tour timings for the day. So we just mingled around and viewed the exhibits and goofed around.



The next morning we were there. In true KIASU (scared lose: literal translation) Singaporean style we were there at 10:00AM to book for the 11:00AM tour. Little did we know, most Americans are KIASU too, just that they didn't know the term. So even though we thought we were 1 hr early, we took the last 2 slots for the tour.. It was a very educational tour. Something I appreciated.


Of course we talked to the park rangers about the different places we might see. And I was asking about Antelope Canyon. To get to Antelope Canyon, you MUST have a guide. Antelope Canyon is a cathedral to the older Navajo generation. They would probably pause before going in, to be in the right frame of mind and prepare for protection and respect. This would also allow them to leave with an uplifted feeling of what Mother Nature has to offer, and to be in harmony with something greater than themselves. It was, and is, a spiritual experience.

But my excitement was quelled!! It has been raining the past week.. And there was a high risk of flash floods! And to be caught in these hidden slit canyons would be a recipe for death. So... instead, the park ranger told me that I could hike the Horseshoe Bend trail.

It was WONDERFUL! Seeing the horseshoe bend.. It just popped out from my geography text books. I can only imagine how many decades and centuries of erosion it took look like this! The pictures I took didn't do any justice. For one, I didn't have a wide-angle camera then. (I was but a student who had to practically BEG her parents for a camera for her birthday.. Beggars can't be choosers).


It was truly a sight to behold. It reminds me how little I am compared to what the world has to offer.