After a warm fall a cold front hit the area right before our trip. We passed through the first snowstorm of the season in Flagstaff the day before and this morning it is so cold that our car is flashing alarms that the tires are underinflated. However the day promises to be beautiful with clear skies and temperatures rising rapidly. Our goal is Wire Pass slot canyon at about 1 hour distance from Page so after a good breakfast we start driving.
We have driven through the area before but are still impressed by the nice views from the road. Finally we arrive at the dirt road going towards the canyon and ultimately Arizona.
We do not see anyone else on the dirt road but we meet a really bored deer that after checking us for some time finally decides to move on.
The trailhead has quite a large parking area and to our surprise after the deserted road it is quite packed. We pay the entrance fee – at least there are no limited permits which seems to be common in the area – and start the hike. Initially the trail leads to a large wash and it doesn’t appear to be at all spectacular.
But then as we approach the entrance of the canyon the views change and there are great views of the cliffs in the area and some interesting rock formations near the trail.
The trail goes through the rock wash for a while, even though we are not in the slot canyon yet it is quite a nice hike and makes it easier to avoid other hikers.
And then suddenly we are in the slot canyon and it is quite impressive. It is narrow and the walls are high and we are happy that there is no rain in the forecast, this is one of the canyons where there is nowhere to run if a flash flood happens.
And as we move through it it gets narrower and higher and soon enough we hit the first major obstruction as a boulder is wedged in the canyon and we have to carefully jump over it. Of course this is the place that we meet another person who at least eases our fears that further down the canyon is in worse shape by mentioning that this is the toughest place that he encountered.
A couple of times it feels that the narrow part is ending as we exit in a larger area but almost immediately we plunge again in another narrow and twisty segment.
It is quite beautiful and we enjoy the walk through the canyon even though we encounter a few more hikers along the way which are much more difficult to pass in the slot canyon.
The colors of the canyon change constantly and when the sun falls just right it looks almost like it is on fire. We stop constantly taking pictures and simply enjoying this marvel of nature.
In addition to the obvious scenic beauty the canyon also has multiple petroglyph panels especially at the confluence with Buckskin Canyon and quite a few fossils in the rocks along the way if you look carefully enough.
After arriving at the intersection with Buckskin Gulch we try to follow it downstream but are stopped relatively soon by a few waterholes that block our progress. We try also going upstream and it is again impressive but after about 1/2 mile we have to return to get back to our car in time. Returning to Wire Pass Canyon we notice lots of stones embedded in the canyon wall and rocks along the way which look quite interesting.
Going back in we think we know what to expect but the canyon still is interesting and keeps surprising and impressing us. The sun is falling and this makes certain areas darker but others are burning red and beautiful.
We continue on enjoying the beautiful canyon and the fact that the number of hikers has decreased significantly, in fact no one is going in the opposite direction anymore.
The next section is the most impressive in the afternoon sign with the canyon walls a deep red that almost looks unreal. It is a beautiful sight that we take in for some time before moving on.
Even after exiting the slot canyon the views are much better in the afternoon sun with almost everything looking different and much more vivid. We see a few wave like formations not as impressive as the major one nearby but at least they can be seen without an additional permit.
As we return to the paved road there is still time for a short side trip in a different type of canyon just off the main road. The canyon is shallower but it is wilder with more obstructions. The rock walls also look different and there are lichen on the rocks which we hadn’t seen in Wire Pass canyon.
We even find a few geodes embedded in the canyon wall and signs of rock hounds searching for geodes in the larger area. There are interesting holes in the wall creating small caves and tunnels and are interesting to investigate.
However as darkness falls it gets colder and colder so we retreat back to the car and drive back to Page and the warmth of our hotel room as tomorrow we have to return back to Phoenix unfortunately.
