Showing posts with label Explore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Explore. Show all posts

Antelope Canyon

May 31, 2017
Antelope Canyon is divided into the upper and the is lower Antelope Canyon.

Cost: Tours to the lower canyon costs around $35 per person and upper canyon costs around $45 per person which includes, entry to the antelope canyon and entry fee to Navajo country.There are no combination/concessional tickets for both upper and lower canyon. We should buy the tickets individually. Photography tour, which is designated only for professional photographers costs around $145.

Time to visit: Best time in the day to visit the canyon is when the sun is at its peak around 12.00 PM to 1.45 PM. Entry tickets at peak hour is $10 more than the regular prices. Tickets for this time slot tend to get sold quickly. We were lucky to get 1.15 PM tour slot.

Also, please know that the tours are scheduled to be canceled if there is a flash flood alert.

As the path in the canyon is tight there is no wheelchair accessibility and small children are not allowed ( only in the lower canyon). The canyon is the sacred place for the tribes. Hence its advised to treat the canyon with respect.

We were been asked to assemble at the tourist office 15 minutes prior to the departures time. We were divided into groups of 15 to 20 headed by one tour guide. At 1.15 PM slot, there were around five groups which departed from our tourist location. Also, please be aware that we cannot drive our private vehicle till the entrance of the canyon. The tour company takes us up and down to the canyon. Which means the tour starts at the tourist office and ends at the tourist office. The distance from the tourist office to the canyon is around 15 minutes drive. At the end of the tour, tips are appreciated by the guide.

The drive to the canyon is on a sandy unpaved road more like sand dunes.

Antelope Canyon

The picture below shows the entrance to the canyon. As I mentioned the path to the canyon is tight. Tour enters in one line, one direction and exists in the other direction. In the picture, we can clearly how the canyon was cut by the flash flood and of course the views inside again proves, nature is the best artist.

Entrance of the canyon
You tour guide will point out at the various place inside the canyon and what it depicts. They even assist you to capture pictures of the canyon.

Inside the canyon

     
If we closely observe sides of the canyon, we can get the feel how the water would have flown gushing through. When the lights penetrate through the canyon, it reflects vibrant colors.



Our experience about the trip: It was a very beautiful place to be in. We would vouch for its uniqueness and beauty. However, we were a little disappointed with the way the tour was organized.

1) Too many people inside the canyon, making the place congested.
2) Our tour guide would point out to a particular place inside the canyon and say, "stand here focus your camera to this point you will be able to see a dolphin, George Washington's face" etc;. It's a canyon any person can associate the formation as per his thoughts. It's just like looking at the cloud and telling it looks like a man's face while other will end up telling it looks like a girls face and the third person ends up telling I am unable to figure out anything.
3) When the tour guide points out to take picture of something our co-tourist used to push, come in front of our camera to take their picture. Totally inconsiderate. How nice will it be if each one of us took our turns? We didn't like the feel of people pushing into us. We ended up lining up last in the line in the batch of 15 people.
4) As we ended up being the last in the line we could listen to what our tour guide described and what the tour guide behind us describes. It was funny at the point where our tour guide describes as George Washington's face and the one behind describes as Abraham Lincoln's face. This is just an example and this happened multiple time. They were not consistent with the tour description.
5) Finally, there was no  useful information at the end of the tour like
a) geographical details
b) specialty of the canyon
c) anything about the flash flood
d) scientific details of the fine sand that you can find on the ground (walkway) not even
e) a short introduction about their tribal community, why the canyon is sacred to them. When I asked my tour guide. "Are prayers performed even today by the Navajo residents?" she replied. I am not sure but I guess not.

We paid $45 just to enter the canyon and walk around. Do you want to spend so much? or not? the ball is your court.

I would say its a beautiful place but not worth $45 after the tour, we decided not to take the tour of the lower canyon. We were just happy with one tour.

Glen Canyon Dam:

After visiting the canyon we headed to Glen Canyon Dam and took the guided tour of the dam for $5, they will take way to the generator room (which is down in the dam ) talk about the history, construction, maintenance etc.,




Generator room
From the bottom of the dam, focusing up the visitor center (the circular building that you can spot)


 Tour of the dam was great. We had a few kids in the tour, who enjoyed it the most.





After the tour, we headed to our campsite at the Powell Lake campground.
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Your guide to Havasupai Falls

October 04, 2016

Havasupai falls


Place: Havasupai falls, near Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Time of the year: We hiked in April 2017, the trail is open year around
Hike Description: Moderate to difficult hike based on weather
Alert: Possibility of flash flood
Lodging: Havasupai lodge or camping
Booking: Must, through official tribal website  http://www.theofficialhavasupaitribe.com
Mode of access: Hiking, riding a mule or Fly a helicopter
Training: Start at least three months prior actual hike. You must be comfortable to walk at least 10
 miles and climb 2500 feet on any given day.
Suggested trail:  In Seattle, start with Tiger mountain trail and be comfortable to hike Mt. Si.
Pictures: Below pictures are unedited and shot in iPhone 7
Cost: As below for 2017
Lodge: Entrance fee to the reservation  $40 Per person, Room rent $145 per day up to 4
people, $40 room deposit per day, additional 10% tax. Advance reservation is required.
Camping: $25 per person per night, entrance fee $ 50 per person, environment fee $10,
additional 10% tax. Advance reservation is required.
Pack mules: $121 one way, $242 round trip, advance reservation is required.
Flying: $85 one way, no prior reservations taken, Helicopter fly as per the weather
conditions and priority is given to the Indian tribal people and tourists are accommodated at last on first come first serve basis

Reaching Trailhead:

We landed at Las Vegas airport at 5.00 PM picked up a Hertz rental car at the airport, stopped at Costco for water, nuts, Snacks for the trip and head towards the long drive at 9.00 PM. We reached Peach Springs around 12.00 AM. Ensure to stop here for fuel as this is the last place where you can find a gas station.

We reached the Hualapai hilltop at midnight 1.00 AM and slept in the car, we felt safe to do so. You will also find so many fellow hikers doing the same. Next day morning we started at 6.30 AM after breakfast, peanut butter, and bread.


Hill Top, start of a long 13-mile hike to Mooney fall



























Gear Checklist:

The below list holds good for stay at the lodge

A pair of dress for the next day.
Towel, flip flop /water shoes, and swimwear for waterfalls.
Three liters of water for each person hiking
Sunscreen, tooth brush, paste and other essentials
Food nuts and snacks
Two pairs of socks
Gatorade
Sunglasses
Battery charger as a backup
Cash
Bristle tape and Band-aid
Volini spray and other daily medicines
Head light
Couple of polyethene cover to carry wet clothes and waste
Hat
Headband to cover your ears
Water purifying tablet or tube



Follow the link here Hiking to the Supai village and get a detailed description of the trail details, time taken, food and water consumed.


At the village:

The natives were very friendly and happy to help, to share their religious beliefs, traditions, the experience of living at Supai.
Kids will love to speak with you. We also had experience of kids touching our bags looking inside and happy to take chocolates and foodstuffs if you are happy to share. However be careful with your belongings
Price for food at the cafe is absolutely reasonable and good.

At the falls:

Village to Mooney falls 3 miles
Village to Havasupai Falls 2 miles
Village to Navajo Falls .5 mile

We first went all the way to Mooney falls and of all three falls, we enjoyed this falls the most. You have to hike through a cave which descends around 500ft to reach the waterfalls which adds fun. We suggest visiting this falls first as hiking through the cave can get tricky around sunset

You needs to climb ladders and the path is tight there are chain which you can hold on to

Hike through the cave


Mooney falls

On our way back we stopped at Havasupai falls, we spend around two hours her the water was cold though not striking cold.



Havasupai  falls
My Fitbit recorded highest steps till date otherwise my highest was 28000 steps 

We started back to the village around 6.40 PM


The time at the falls will be treasured and cherished for the rest of the life. The beauty of the falls makes the hike well worth the effort. Also, at the end of the day, this hike is unique from geological perspective dating back to two billion-year-old sediments and limestone.
Do notice the layered formation of the rocks


 Follow the link here Hiking back to the hilltop get a details description about the trail details, food and water we consumed during the hike back.



Follow the link tips and suggestions with regards to food, packing details, reservation tips, training that we can add to your trip from our experience.

Want to hike with your child and looking for tips, I have found a great guide for you visit this link.

Have a great time at the falls.


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Matanuska Glacier Walk

October 03, 2016

Its the largest and most easily accessible glacier in Alaska. You can drive as close as to a distance of a quarter mile. The glacier is visible from the Glenn Highway National Scenic Byway, Glacier View and falls in-between the cities of Palmer and Glennallen.

On Glenn Highway you can visit Matanuska Glacier Park at milepost marker 102. At the milepost market it will take you to a privately owned drive. They collect entry fee of $35 per person to let you drive on their private road.  From the parking lot, you can access the glacier's foot in about fifteen minutes around a quarter mile. 

The initial path up the glacier is muddy wooden plans are laid for a smooth walking experience. The glacier is all alive and you can hear the sounds of crack and water flowing in between the cracks. Take some time to intake the beautiful view. It gives an inner peace to the soul. You need normal walking shoes and ice cleats if you want to go and explore further inside of the glacier. There are guided tours and guided glacier climbing packages. 

View of the glacier from the parking lot


Glacier Crevasse 


               

Cryoconite holes
Top of the glacier
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Zion National Park

August 08, 2016

Zion National Park

We visited the Zion National Park as a day trip. The best hikes in the park are as below.

The Narrows, via river sidewalk, 10 miles:  World famous hike inside the canyon which is 20 - 30 feet wide and through which flows the river Virgin. The path is slippery and offers a challenge even to the most experienced hikers. When we visited the park, hike permits were suspended due to the rise in the water level. We somehow got unlucky. However, if you wish to read hikers experience at the Narrows, visit the link here

Angels Landing, 5.4 miles: The second most famous day hike in the park and the one we attempted and were successful in finishing it.

Both Narrows and Angels Landing is part of the strenuous hikes.

Weeping Rock Trail, 4 miles, Riverwalk trail to the temple of Sinawana, 2.5 miles form part of the easy hikes and Upper Emerald Pool, 1-mile forms part of the moderate trails in the park. Apart from the mentioned trails, there are other trails, but these will cover the highlights of the park and help you plan a day trip. For Map and more hiking trails visit here.

Last but the best drive of the park is Canyon scenic drive.

A weekly entrance to the park is $30 and is good up to 7 days.

Tips:

You need to start your day early for multiple reasons. Wait time for the shuttle bus can get really annoying after 9.00 AM, it can range easily above 45 minutes on weekends and 35 minutes on a weekday. We reached the park at 8.30 AM and we had a wait time of 20 minutes on a weekday. Schedule your day wisely.

Inside the park, Zion Lodge is the only point where you can find restaurants. So carrying light snacks is advised.

We headed our return journey from the temple of  Sinawana at 3.00 PM (last point in the scenic drive). The bus was full in a couple of stops. By the time the bus reached the Zion Lodge, there was no time for people to get on into the bus. Visitors who had got back to the Zion Lodge for lunch were stuck up with no space in the return bus back to the visitor center and wait time around two hours.

The bus frequency is really good. One ever 5 - 10 minutes, but the number of people visiting the park is also super high. So keeping these factors in mind plan your trip accordingly.

Carry your cap and binoculars.

View from the bus, you will drive through huge canyons
Our day trip to the park:

Driving our private vehicle inside the park is not allowed between March to Cover only way to access the drive is through the Zion Park free shuttle bus. After gathering day's details at the visitor center we arrived at the shuttle station and were set on our journey to the scenic drive.

We had a 20 min wait time around 8.30 AM in the morning. On the scenic drive, we decided to do the Angle sLanding and for down at "The Grotto". The Angles Landing trail shares its trail with the West Rim trail for the most part of the hike.

Reaching Angles Lading

About the Trail - Angels Landing:   

Complete hike is around 5.4 miles and ascends 1488 feet and took around two and half hours for the round trip.
Your time taken will depend on how many people are up at the landing because only one person can comfortably move at a given point of time
Most of the trail is paved other than the final stretch of .5 miles where the path narrow and leads up to the lookout point.
In the final stretch of the trail young children are not allowed, but however, we saw kids go 5 years and above attempting the final stretch and being successful.
In the final stretch, a little of crawling is required, they have laid chains which you can hold on to for support.
I hiked with my running shoe that I am comfortable with.
We both consumed around two and a half liters of water in the round trip.

Trail (west rim trail and Angles landing)
Here, Angles landing separates from West Rim trail

    
Trail leading up to the Angels Landing






               
                  From the top of the AnglesLandingg


View from the top of the Angels Landing will make your efforts worth the hike. The view is very promising and gives a complete view of the national park with the Virgin River



Spot the little white bus in the center, this is how small the bus looks

After hiking, we headed to the river sidewalk, to theTemplee of Sinawava, also the starting point of the narrows hike. Next, we visited the Weeping Rock, one of the beautiful sites. Do not miss to stand behind the weeping rock and capture the view of the park.

Behind the weeping rock

Pictures make no justice to how nice this looks. Thus we ended our day trip to Zion National Park and headed back home.
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Grand Canyon National Park

June 07, 2016














One of the "Natural World Wonders" of the world. A UNESCO world heritage site.  The majestic Grand Canyon National Park.

 The canyon was created by the incision of the Colorado River and its tributaries. The primary public areas of the park are the North and South Rims while rest of the Grand Canyon is vast and remote. It's so huge that it can be observed from the space.

 The park is divided into the North, South and West Rim. If you want to visit North Rim we suggest planning your visit during the Summer months as it opens late in May. However, South Rim is open year around.

Activity: Tour the canyon, Ranger-led programs, observe sunrise and sunset, hiking
Accommodation: There are accommodations (lodge and campsite) available inside the park and if not then Williams is the closest town/city around 45 minutes drive from the park which offers a wide range of accommodation.
Modes of transport: You can drive in your own car inside the park, however during a certain period, the only mode of transport to a certain point is riding the free shuttle bus. Finding parking inside the park will get tricky during peak season.

We did one hiking expedition in the Grand Canyon ( Havasupai Falls / Havasu falls). We strongly believe the only way to get an essence of the geographical feature in the park is by going on a hike spending time amidst nature. Even a helicopter tour will not do any justice to it.

We sent one and half days at the park covering the highlights and observing sunrise and sunset. This is a must do activity in the park. The color of the canyon turns bright and beautiful when the sun rays touch the walls of the canyon. Very unique and enjoyable moments of wonder by the mother nature. 

Our experience:

We visited early summer and the North rim of the park, so we covered only the South rim.

  
The south rim of the National Park 9.1 miles towards hermit road from the visitor center and 22 miles towards desert view from the visitor center.

On the first day we covered the viewpoint towards hermit road and the next day we covered desert view part towards the desert.

We reached the park about 2.00 PM in the noon. We stopped by the visitor center to check the points of interest that are open and to get an idea about the day's ranger-led activities. At the visitor center, there is a 15 minutes movie that is played. We strongly recommend watching the video.

We covered the attractions as below:  
Yavapai Point and Geology Museum: This is a very interesting museum inside the park as it covers details about the National Park, how the canyon was formed, how the wildlife and humans who made the majestic canyon their home.
Verkamp’s Visitor Center: This visitor center will give you an idea about the early human settlers in the grand canyon
Hopi House: An American Indian craft store with handmade tribal stuff for sale. If you want to purchase any of them go early, it closes by 5.30 in the evening.
Kolb Studio: They have photographs of the view of park and exhibits.

You can stroll through the village, which still has the old train depot that used to visit the Grand Canyon making the canyon much more accessible than before, Also houses of the native American Indian's in which they used to live are preserved.

After visiting the village we headed to the famous Hermit road viewpoint to observe the sunset. Again,  During peak season driving the hermit road is prohibited (March 1 to November 30 ). We will have to use the free shuttle bus service to the park. Allow some extra time for your turn to get into the bus. The Hopi point is the most desirable point in the Grand Canyon for sunset.


Sunset at Hopi Point

After observing the sunset, we returned to the campsite. Next day morning we woke up early around 3.30 and reached Mather point to observe the sunrise. Sunrise varies based on the month you visit, I strongly suggest you visit the link here.


                                                                      Sunrise at Mather Point

Both Sunrise and sunset are "must do once in the lifetime". The colors which the canyon reflects is beyond words to explain. It proves nature is the best artist on earth. The canyon reflects maroon, magenta, golden, yellow colors when the sun rays touched the walls of the canyon. At the visitor center, our park ranger said that we can even witness purple, but however we couldn't.

 To find out other recommended Sunrise and Sunset point please visit here.
After observing the sunrise we started driving towards the desert view. There are various viewpoints along the road like Yaki Point, Grandview Point, Moran Point, Lipan Point, Navajo Point and the desert view watch tower. All view points along the road will give you a great view of the canyon.

The Navajo point will give you a panoramic and the entire view of the canyon. If you choose to climb up the desert view watch tower you can get an eagle eye view of the canyon.

We exited the park and headed towards horseshoe bend viewpoint in the Grand Canyon. 

Before doing our initial research we were under the impression that the horseshoe bend is inside the Grand Canyon National Park, but however its near Page, Arizona, a two-hour drive from the park.
  

   


Horseshoe bed in the Grand Canyon


This is the most photographed location in the grand canyon. Here Colorado river turns as it cuts through the canyon and formed a horseshoe bend. It is the most ideal location to witness the depth of the canyon and to intake the majestic view of the river.

At Just fifteen-minute drive from the Horseshoe bend is the other scenic and the most photographed canyon in the United States. A canyon cut due to "flash flood". Yes, Antelope Canyon so called "photographers paradise"

If you want to visit the canyon, we cannot take a self-guided tour but only guided tour by the "Navajo Indian Tribe tour agency" is allowed.
      When you choose Antelope canyon in google maps it redirects us to the Indian reservation tour agency. There are around four to five tour agency that is owned by the Indian reservation.

I have blogged my experience here, please follow the link.
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