expedition_retirement | Glen Canyon NRA and Horseshoe Bend (Reply)

After finishing our tours the Lower and Upper Antelope Canyons, we still had most of the afternoon free to do some additional exploring in the area. Anticipating this, I had researched possible hikes in the area, and found one in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area across the Colorado River from Page that looked to be the right length and difficulty to suit our need. To get there, we had to drive by the Glen Canyon NRA visitor center at the Glen Canyon Dam, so we stopped to learn a little bit about the dam and Lake Powell, the reservoir behind it. We didn't spend a lot of time here, but it was interesting to see that the water levels in the lake have recovered a bit from the record low it reached in 2022. However, the lake is still well below its historically normal capacity, suggesting that continued conservation efforts are in order.

From the visitor's center, we continued out to the trail head parking area, just a couple of miles away. Our hike was about five miles, and was neither very long, nor particularly difficult. But the desert landscape was striking, and we got to explore some interesting sandstone formations. There were plenty of others out on the trail as well, many of them trying to capture the perfect selfie photos of themselves amongst the formations. The day was warm enough to be comfortable for walking, without being too hot, and we enjoyed the couple of hours we spent exploring this small area.

After our hike, we headed back into the city of Page so we could get something to eat before we needed to head out to Horseshoe Bend for sunset. We arrived about a half hour before sunset, and tried to figure out where to best photograph this incredible vista. I found myself struggling to capture the entire scene in a single frame with my camera. My widest angle focal length simply wasn't wide enough to get the whole thing. My frustration was increased when I saw all the other people around me successfully capturing the scene with their phones. As the sunset and I was still unable to figure out where and how to get the shot I wanted, my wife finally convinced me to pull out my phone and take my photo with that. Sure enough, my phone was able to capture a wider angle that successfully capture the entire scene, the way I envisioned it in my head. So much for all my expensive camera gear! I guess I'm going to need to remember that my phone should be considered part of my photography equipment.