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New slot canyon near Antelope


gregr

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On a visit to Antelope Canyon last week I heard about a woman who is taking

photographers to a slot canyon that isn't crowded. I was able to get in touch

with her and ended up spending half a day taking pictures in the "new" canyon.

It's called Mountain Sheep Canyon and is part of the Antelope Canyon drainage.

It's got a lot going for it- three big positives: it's nice and quiet, it's a

mile long (!) and the tour leader (Carol) is just about the nicest lady in the

world. Carol's family has lived in this area for a long time and it was her

mother that discovered the canyon when she was a little girl. Visiting a new

slot canyon was a great treat but to me the best part of the day was hearing

all the stories Carol had to tell- at times I wanted to put the camera down and

just listen. There are a few sections in the canyon that are really amazing

though you won't find those light shafts everyone seems so fond of (they may

exist but I didn't see any). The patterns and textures in one spot reminded me

of a mini Coyote Buttes. There is a bit of ladder climbing but not as much as

Lower Antelope, and there's one spot where it's a little bit narrow (I was able

to squeeze thru ok with a 38" waist). I believe she is doing two different tour

types- one is a full day and if you want it will cover Lower and Upper

Antelope, Rattlesnake and Mountain Sheep Canyon. The cost for that one is $226.

Then there's a half day tour (what I did) for $126. I imagine the hours will

not always be the same but for me it was an 8am meet and we got out of there

around 1pm-ish. I see from her website that she has a hogan bed and breakfast

deal too. Like the other slot canyons the light is better in different areas at

differfent times of day so I could easily see spending an entire day just in

the new canyon.

Here is Carol's contact info:

928 380-1874 (has voicemail)

928 608-7549 (no voicemeail)

http://www.aacpth.com/

Have fun,

Greg

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Posting this in a forum such as this is a sure way for this new canyon to become just as crowded as Upper Antelope is now. I've also spoken with Carol about this canyon and she suggested I look at your website. I only see 2 slot canyon images. Are these from Mountain Sheep? Before dropping a couple hundred bucks on a guided slot tour, I'd like to see images that prove that this canyon is truly as photogenic as Upper or Lower Antelope.
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I went to Lower Antelope yesterday and only had two or three instances of avoiding people to walk into the frame. Similarly, my wife and daughter went the Upper antelope at the same time without any problem. Probably, it's on Monday and/or at a little late hour (~12 noon).

 

It costed me exactly the fraction of $226, $6 for the entry permit and $20 for the 4hr photo "permit".

 

But I probably will visit other slot canyons if I get a chance.

 

BTW There is another canyon tour called Canyon X. I'm not if they are the same.

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Canyon X (see http://www.overlandcanyon.com/) is upstream from Antelope but channels the same Antelope wash/creek. It is expensive but, for me, was worth it as I was the only person there the day I took the "tour." It's hard to put a price on the feeling one gets from standing in total silence and hearing the wing beats of a raven flying high above the canyon. Here's a pic.<div>00PFXQ-43065584.jpg.beda6fe20d2abd98956b8432d6f874cd.jpg</div>
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  • 1 year later...
<p>My wife and I will be spending two days with Carol around the end of October exploring the canyons. We are very excited! We're staying with her mother as well at their Hogan BnB. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I'll post our pictures and thoughts when we get back. Any tips to share as far as lessons learned?</p>
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