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Tag: antelope

  • Buckskin Gulch

    Buckskin Gulch

    What say you? In southern Utah or northern AZ and not sure what to do? You must not be looking deep enough — deep into the earth, that is.  Many tourists come into the area with a linear focus on Antelope Canyon, and they ignore other great places, such as Buckskin Gulch.

    Antelope is privately owned by a Navajo family, within the Navajo Nation, and beautiful, nonetheless.  As seen on Instagram, it is stunning. How could you not be in awe of such an incredible display of nature? What if I told you there’s another area close to Antelope Canyon that’s just as magnificent; even better, it’s Antelope Canyon on steroids? And… And… It’s much cheaper than Antelope.

    Don’t get me wrong:  Antelope is stunning and well worth the tour if you can afford it or make it with or without a reservation. Wouldn’t you rather or in addition to explore the longest slot canyon in the US, possibly the world? I have and will go back many more times to get my fix exploring this extremely amazing natural environment.

    Do you want the juice? Are you ready for the juice? LOL Here’s the juice… BUCKSKIN GULCH is the longest slot canyon in the United States and possibly the world. It’s around 40 miles west of Antelope Canyon. Yes, lovely adventure seekers!  Antelope Canyon is not the only slot canyon in the southwest. I bet you didn’t know there are well over 1,000 slot canyons below interstate 70 in Utah and quite a few more in northern Arizona. Unfortunately, most of the slot canyons require canyoneering skills, while some are not really worth the time and effort to explore.  And many are privately owned by the Navajo Nation.

    IN ADDITION TO…

    Buckskin Gulch is a slot canyon I have wanted to explore since 2017.  Here at Liberty Vacation Rentals, we host guests from around the world quite frequently. Once, we hosted twin sisters. They were super excited to hike this slot canyon and couldn’t wait to begin their journey. I was excited for them, until I read the details regarding this adventure. It so happens these ladies were going to hike the longest slot canyon in the US and most likely the longest one in the world. It’s located just under 30 miles from our AirBnB in southern Utah; 18 miles on the highway and then a few more, down road of gravel and dirt. The name BUCKSKIN GULCH comes from the color of deer hide. It’s also called Kaibab Canyon which makes more sense to me. Kaibab means “the mountain lying down.”  It’s a terrific alternative to Antelope Canyon or Waterhole Canyon, or Secret Canyon, or Cardiac Canyon, or Rattlesnake Canyon.  (Did you know there were so many?)  Sometimes, these other canyons have sold out of space, and have long waiting lines.  Think of Buckskin Gulch as another great hike, in addition to these slot canyon major attractions. It is a definite photo op for tourists and explorers, when they come to visit the area.

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    GETTING THERE…

    From Highway 89, it’s less than ten miles down a road built for ranchers back in the day. Sometimes flash floods and weather will wash away portions of the road but the highway officials will fill it in with more gravel eventually. Any car will make the trek on a normal day if you take it slow and steady. Although during the winter months of snow or rain, only a four-wheel drive will make it down House Rock Valley Road to the parking area at the end.  Here, you can access The Wave (permit required), Wire Pass, and Buckskin Gulch. There are actually a few different parking areas. We found the one shared with The Wave is the best location to start the hike into Buckskin Gulch.

    At the parking area, grab a day use permit from the kiosk, deposit money, and fill in the form as instructed. Hike across the gravel road to start the trailhead for WirePass. Continue onto the Wire Pass trail. You will be heading back north close to the road. Protect yourself in the first mile because of the extreme sun exposure. It will curve to the right and head east. In the middle of WirePass trail you will come to a rock jammed in the narrow slot canyon. Just over the rock is a lower level. The rock adds at least two feet onto the level and you must pass over this rock to go further into the canyon. The second level is around six feet down. So it’s around eight feet you must climb down and back up when leaving. There is an alternative to WirePass to get to BUCKSKIN GULCH, but it’s worth the effort to move forward in this direction. This “rock jam” is the only obstacle for this pass. Be cautious using the rope provided around the rock. It’s not stable and you could fall off. Be careful.

    On with the trail. The next part of the hike will enter a confluence for WirePass and Buckskin Gulch. This is where you will hike north or south. We headed north and it was pretty spectacular. The gulch is much wider and the canyon walls vary in height. The extent of the canyon continues east for 40 some odd miles to Marble Canyon and Lee’s Ferry. There are several trails through the passes although I would suggest a day hike in and out of the canyon. Stay hydrated and aware of the weather, especially any flash flood warnings, during and after rainfall.  Take provisions. The only bathrooms are located at the trailhead. Don’t get caught up in sneaking into “The Wave”. It’s a hefty fine and possible jail time. Not worth the time and effort to see a landmark. Especially if you know where to look, you can see similar “waves” within other places all around the area.

    So… that’s the juice. Are you pumped to see Buckskin Gulch? I am definitely pumped to go back and to tell others. Antelope is amazing but you will be pleasantly surprised with this canyon. It’s cheaper and so much more to see. I would advise using AllTrails app to help you navigate this hike and so many others in the area. If you are staying with us in our AirBnB, we have so many places we can fill you in to explore more on your adventure and journey into nature and the WildWest.

     

    Antelope Canyon on Steroids – Side effects:
    Positive:  A spectacular performance of nature.
    Negative:  Watch for flash floods and heat exhaustion.

     

  • Antelope Canyon

    Antelope Canyon

    HISTORY of ANTELOPE CANYON –

    Imagine no social media, or even no internet.  You have a great natural wonder you want to share with others.  What do you do? How do you share this phenomenon with others? In 1992, at what we now know as Lower Antelope Canyon, Ken and his wife would sit on the side of the road waving down cars to tell them about this wonderful natural phenomenon on their private property. It was well over two decades until their efforts would prove beneficial.

    Today, Ken’s Tours hosts about 500 visitors a day. No more need to sit outside and wave down visitors. Due to a surge in travel, homestead lodging, and more social media sharing starting in 2012, a marvelous place such as Antelope Canyon has experienced a vastly large increase in explorers seeking a great adventure to share with others.

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    MY EXPERIENCE –

    Before moving to this area, I had no idea about Antelope Canyon, although I was well aware of The Grand Canyon. It’s about a two-hour drive to the north rim from our current location. Antelope Canyon is less than a thirty minute drive from Liberty Vacation Rentals. After arriving and searching the area on Google Maps, I saw the property was located really close to a massive body of water: Lake Powell. I grew up close to lakes and know that lake life is amazing.

    Our first year in Big Water, we cleaned up the building, and after much effort, opened it up to rent on AirBnB. Our first few guests mentioned Antelope Canyon but we still had no idea what it was and the extent of this natural phenomenon. Oh, the lovely resource of the internet! I went deep, exploring the area of northern Arizona and southern Utah. What a spectacular find of natural phenomenons: Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Moab, Colorado River, and most of all… Antelope Canyon.

    GETTING A TOUR –

    Dixie Ellis and Ken’s Tours own the property rights to Antelope Canyon. A few years ago when we arrived, they were still getting used to the massive influx of visitors. A comfortable system to guide guests into the canyon had not been implemented. An allotment of twenty visitors per guide, every ten or fifteen minutes, was the standard. Complaints came in of the narrow canyon feeling “too crowded.” But what else can you do when hundreds of people are waiting two or more hours just to get in, all summer long?

    In March of 2020, we took a free-tour on a special day for locals, and learned that these tour companies will be reducing the crowds, tapering down the numbers to 10 people per guide.

    We climbed down into the earth, via metal ladders installed for ease of access. Descending 55 feet with our guide, we begin our tour through the slot canyon. Several people packed into the sandstone channel began gasping and clicking away on cameras, while taking in such an incredible natural wonder.

    I remember the crowds in the canyon. I remember meeting several tourists. I remember standing in the 100 degree temperature. I watched videos of our journey. This time would be different. In 2020 we would tour Lower Antelope Canyon and I would remember all of it. Ken’s Tours and Dixie Ellis welcomed locals to tour the canyon two weekends in the “off season”. We didn’t realize until the end of the first tour locals had the opportunity to explore the canyon several times throughout the two weekends.

    Since we have lived in the area a few years, we consider ourselves locals. Living in an area mostly for vacationing, we, as locals, have incredible perks. (Read through our other blog posts for more local attractions.) Ken’s Tours and Dixie Ellis wanted to extend a gracious expedition to their exquisite unique sandstone rock formation.

    The first tour was Leap Day, 2020. The weather was a little cool with frequent sun rays and a few clouds. It wasn’t too hot and it wasn’t too cold. Since we are sort of deep in the canyon, I could have used a second long sleeves layer under my vest. Somehow the cool stays in the channel and remains a few degrees cooler throughout the year, up to ten degrees fahrenheit cooler. I knew this time my adventure through the canyon would be well documented and would definitely pay off if I keened in my super awareness of this grand experience. I was excited and grateful for Ken’s Tours gracious gift and I was assuredly going to take advantage of this offer.

    As you have been able to see the details of the canyon through social media postings, blog articles, video contents, and advertisements Antelope Canyon is undeniably a bucket list for all that venture into this marvelous rock we call Earth. There’s nothing new I can tell you about the canyon. It is one to be experienced, not just talked about or seen through the eyes of another. The take away from this post is to let you know how much the tour companies have advanced in their organization by developing a system more suitable for the enjoyment in the experience of the canyon. Navajo Nation Parks Administration toured the canyon and decided the groups touring were too large and could possibly cause damage to the natural sandstone wall.  It was decided to send in groups of ten visitors rotating companies Ken’s and Dixie every fifteen minutes. What an incredible change.

    As we descended into the canyon, we took many photos. I have an iPhoneX so I just assumed it would auto adjust to the lighting. Once we were half way through the tour the guide mentioned I should be using the “VIVID” setting. I had no idea where the adjustments to lighting were on the phone. As we moved forward, I played with the adjustments finding “COOL VIVID” worked just as well. The one camera setting I had not even thought to use was a vertical PANORAMIC. This setting takes in the extent of how tall the walls are in Lower Antelope Canyon. We even used a normal horizontal panoramic walking behind the shooter to position ourselves in the frame a few different spots. Oh boy… Technology is amazing.

    TWICE IN ONE WEEKEND –

    The next day we took advantage once again of the free tour for locals, and went through Lower Antelope a second time. This time we knew what to expect, how to use our time wisely and to ask the guide for more information. The second guide had so much information it was almost a bit overwhelming. We could occasionally hear the tour guide behind us speak of other areas in the canyon we had not paid much attention to. (Ask about the crystals in the walls.)

    I am amazed how much time I could spend in this canyon. It’s well worth the money to explore. Even more if you get to visit this canyon a few times. As I have already mentioned, Ken’s Tours has a building where visitors can wait comfortably for their tour to be called to go into the canyon.

    I asked about early check ins. YES! It is welcomed. You may check in early the day of your reservation and return fifteen minutes before your tour time. Although if you miss your reservation time, it’s likely you will need to make a new reservation and possibly lose the money for the tour missed. I suggest arriving one hour prior to the reserved time, hang out, speak with other visitors, learn of their plans in the area.

    OFF SEASON TOURS –

    Visiting “off season” makes a great difference in time spent exploring the canyon. I would venture to say October, November, February and March would be less crowded, although the tour companies are booked well in advance throughout the year. February seems to be the most logical time to visit without fighting through the crowds. And… Everything is cheaper.

    If you have the time and the money, I would suggest going through the canyons with a private tour guide or multiple visits. What an incredible way to see Earth and Mother Nature come together through technology for all of us to share our experience.

    Written by,
    JeniMae Baker

  • Noisy Hotel Syndrome?

    Noisy Hotel Syndrome?

    Kids jumping on the bed. Loud televisions one room over. Couples doing loud, horizontal activities in the room above you. One of the worst things that could happen after you check into your room — noisy hotel syndrome. Why should you have to suffer that?

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    Here at Liberty Vacation Rentals, we’ve been in business since 2016, with over 1,000 guest check-ins, and we’re proud to say that we have (so far) ZERO noise complaints. One of the nice things about our small community is that we’re very quiet. You’re more likely to hear the wind rustling through the trees, than hear an inconsiderate neighbor. You won’t need earplugs or an extra pillow over your ears to enjoy a night here.

    Our building designer took this into consideration in the blueprints.  That’s why there’s extra insulation and very thick drywall separating our suites.  Because most guests go out to explore the lake and the canyons,  we don’t put televisions in our listings.  Also, unlike a hotel or condominium, no one will be sleeping above you or below you.

    That’s the difference you get with Liberty Vacation Rentals. Come try us out!

    Click on OUR LISTINGS in the menu bar, or click below to see some of our complete suite listings on the AIRBNB site.

    THE GRAND ESCALANTE SUITE 

    THE WAHWEAP BAY SUITE

    THE LONE ROCK SUITE

  • Kayak Into Antelope Canyon

    Kayak Into Antelope Canyon

    On busier days, multitudes of people come to visit Antelope Canyon, and whomever has promoted the walking tours has done an excellent job, as sometimes there are tourists turned away for lack of space. Perhaps, waiting for an hour or two for an opening, and then being squeezed in with a crowd of 25 people isn’t your idea of a great time? And perhaps you have the energy and endurance needed to get a good 2 to 3 hour paddle on a kayak? If so, do we have an idea for you…

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    Use your national parks pass to enter into Antelope Marina, just north of the walking tours on road #222, east of Page, Arizona. After you park in the lot, go down the ramp to the docks (and be early). You should be able to find single, double, and perhaps triple kayak rentals. You are able to rent them for a half- or full-day and then go west and south (left on the map, as a bird’s eye view) and then you’re entering the water-filled part of Antelope Canyon.

    After paddling for about an hour, you should be able to park your kayak to the dried area of the canyon (perhaps some mud, at first) and then walk into it for much longer than a walking tour would allow. This area of the canyon is more remote and doesn’t have restroom or drinking water, so pack snacks and stay hydrated. If renting a kayak, be sure to give yourself up to 2 hours to return to the docks.

    Rates are subject to change, but ask us for a brochure when you check in at Liberty Vacation Rentals. We still recommend this travel tip to all our guests, and they all tell us that it’s even better than just doing the walking tour.