Canyon De Chelly

Hello All!

I am taking a trip late December to Canyon de Chelly in Chinle, AZ. I
should be at Canyon de Chelly for 3 days, December 28-30. Since I
live in Tucson, I will be driving up to Chinle in my Jeep Liberty
4X4. That is important because I am hoping to hire a guide and use
my Jeep to go into the canyons of the national monument at Canyon de
Chelly. Questions:

1. Does anyone have any advice about the best places and times for
pictures at Canyon de Chelly, or one of the connecting canyons?
2. Does anyone have any experience about hiring a guide at Canyon de
Chelly and using your own 4X4, instead of taking a "Jeep tour", and
what are those experiences?
3. Does the Jeep Liberty have high enough clearance to go through
the canyons?

I have already consulted the Photo Travelers Guide to Arizona and
Photographing the Southwest (Vol. 2 on AZ and UT), so I am mainly
looking for personal experiences with regard to photographing Canyon
de Chelly.

I will also be staying in Pinetop, AZ for the week of New Years. Are
there any good spots for some good scenic photos in the Pinetop
area? Scenic drives? Mogollon Rim?

Thanks in advance,

as I understand it, going there is best hiring a guide. some areas are not
accessible without one.

You probably want to get there well before the crowds so you walk around and
compose.

Check out AZ Highways magazine online or at a local Barnes & Nobles to read
about the area in advance.

Also, I live in Tucson and would recommend that you get with the local
cameral clubs here in Tucson.

The largest one meets tonight, 11/13 at the Jewish Community Center on River
starting at 7:00 PM.

Would be a good opportunity to meet some folks familiar with the area.

Steve Dell
Tucson AZ
"Tony Graber" wrote in message
...
Hello All!

I am taking a trip late December to Canyon de Chelly in Chinle, AZ. I
should be at Canyon de Chelly for 3 days, December 28-30. Since I
live in Tucson, I will be driving up to Chinle in my Jeep Liberty
4X4. That is important because I am hoping to hire a guide and use
my Jeep to go into the canyons of the national monument at Canyon de
Chelly. Questions:

1. Does anyone have any advice about the best places and times for
pictures at Canyon de Chelly, or one of the connecting canyons?
2. Does anyone have any experience about hiring a guide at Canyon de
Chelly and using your own 4X4, instead of taking a "Jeep tour", and
what are those experiences?
3. Does the Jeep Liberty have high enough clearance to go through
the canyons?

I have already consulted the Photo Travelers Guide to Arizona and
Photographing the Southwest (Vol. 2 on AZ and UT), so I am mainly
looking for personal experiences with regard to photographing Canyon
de Chelly.

I will also be staying in Pinetop, AZ for the week of New Years. Are
there any good spots for some good scenic photos in the Pinetop
area? Scenic drives? Mogollon Rim?

Thanks in advance,

"Tony Graber" wrote in message
...
Hello All!

I am taking a trip late December to Canyon de Chelly in Chinle, AZ. I
should be at Canyon de Chelly for 3 days, December 28-30. Since I
live in Tucson, I will be driving up to Chinle in my Jeep Liberty
4X4. That is important because I am hoping to hire a guide and use
my Jeep to go into the canyons of the national monument at Canyon de
Chelly. Questions:

1. Does anyone have any advice about the best places and times for
pictures at Canyon de Chelly, or one of the connecting canyons?
2. Does anyone have any experience about hiring a guide at Canyon de
Chelly and using your own 4X4, instead of taking a "Jeep tour", and
what are those experiences?
3. Does the Jeep Liberty have high enough clearance to go through
the canyons?

I have already consulted the Photo Travelers Guide to Arizona and
Photographing the Southwest (Vol. 2 on AZ and UT), so I am mainly
looking for personal experiences with regard to photographing Canyon
de Chelly.

I will also be staying in Pinetop, AZ for the week of New Years. Are
there any good spots for some good scenic photos in the Pinetop
area? Scenic drives? Mogollon Rim?

Thanks in advance,

I took a trip to Canyon de Chelly earlier this year from Phoenix. I've got
a couple of recommendations for the trip there.

First consider driving the From Desert to Tall Pines Scenic Byway, also
known as State Route 288/Forest Service Road 512. This road departs from
State Route 188, just north of Globe, and runs along the east side of
Roosevelt Lake, winding its way up the Mogollon Rim. An excellent short
side trip along the road is to Workman Creek Falls. The road runs through
the town of Young, and then drops you on State Route 260, west of Heber.
The road is mostly dirt, but is a fast dirt road that would present no
problems for your Jeep. It's the first time I've ever driven the road, and
it was definitely worth the trip. I learned about the road from "The
Insider's Arizona Guidebook", published by Arizona Highways.
http://tinyurl.com/29mdpz. This book would be an excellent companion to
Laurent Martrès' outstanding book that you mentioned earlier.

Second, consider spending a half day at Petrified Forest/Painted Desert on
the way to or from Canyon de Chelly. It's right along your way. I spent my
first night in Hoblrook, entering Petrified Forest when they opened in the
morning. I spent a half day shooting the park, and then drove to Canyon de
Chelly, which left plenty of time for late afternoon/sunset shots from the
rim of the canyon.

In shooting Canyon De Chelly, I took many photos from all the lookout points
along Canyon de Chelly and Canyon del Muerto. I also took a guided tour
into the canyon. I took one of the group tours that departs from
Thunderbird Lodge. The group tour into the canyon was more than worth the
time and cost, and a privately guided tour in your own vehicle would only
add to the experience.

Canyon de Chelly as well as Petrifed Forest and the Desert to Tall Pines
Scenic Byway are all a photographer's paradise. Take a tripod and a
graduated neutral density filter, as well as a good circular polarizer, and
enjoy the trip. I've got many wonderful shots from my trip there this
spring.

Tony Graber wrote:

I am taking a trip late December to Canyon de Chelly in Chinle, AZ. I
should be at Canyon de Chelly for 3 days, December 28-30...

1. Does anyone have any advice about the best places and times for
pictures at Canyon de Chelly, or one of the connecting canyons?

I was doing research for a trip out there myself. One of the things
that I came across was a statement that visiting in the winter months
could be problemmatic due to the lower sun angle that reduces/prevents
the signature 'light shafts'.

Not much you can do about it now except to be aware of if, ask the
right questions and probably aim for times closer to solar noon for
being down inside the canyon.


-hh

In article . com, -hh
wrote:

visiting in the winter months
could be problemmatic due to the lower sun angle that reduces/prevents
the signature 'light shafts'.

I'm not sure that applies to Canyon de Chelly. It would be a concern in
the Antelope Slot Canyons which are near Page. Am I confused? Are there
slot canyons in de Chelly?

--
Phil Stripling | email to the replyto address is presumed
The Civilized Explorer | spam and read later. email from this URL
http://www.cieux.com/ | http://www.civex.com/ is read daily.

Phil Stripling wrote:
-hh wrote:
visiting in the winter months could be problemmatic
due to the lower sun angle that reduces/prevents
the signature 'light shafts'.

I'm not sure that applies to Canyon de Chelly. It would be a concern in
the Antelope Slot Canyons which are near Page. Am I confused? Are there
slot canyons in de Chelly?

No, you're right and I'm wrong: I got Canyon de Chelly confused with
the narrow slot canyons such as Antelope.

I had been researching a trip out into the same basic region a few
months ago, for a Nov/Dec visit (roughly the same time as OP Tony was
asking about); I was looking at a whole bunch of different options,
even including Zion and Bryce, and I simply got location names crossed
up.

While its a bit OT, for future reference, here's some URL's that I had
found that specifically mention the differences in expected lighting
for different times of the year for Antelope:

http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=003WTf
http://www.arizona-leisure.com/antelope-canyon.html
http://www.outdoorexposurephoto.com/.../date/2006/12/


-hh

On Nov 14, 7:20 pm, -hh wrote:
Phil Stripling wrote:
-hh wrote:
visiting in the winter months could be problemmatic
due to the lower sun angle that reduces/prevents
the signature 'light shafts'.

I'm not sure that applies to Canyon de Chelly. It would be a concern in
the Antelope Slot Canyons which are near Page. Am I confused? Are there
slot canyons in de Chelly?

No, you're right and I'm wrong: I got Canyon de Chelly confused with
the narrow slot canyons such as Antelope.

I had been researching a trip out into the same basic region a few
months ago, for a Nov/Dec visit (roughly the same time as OP Tony was
asking about); I was looking at a whole bunch of different options,
even including Zion and Bryce, and I simply got location names crossed
up.

While its a bit OT, for future reference, here's some URL's that I had
found that specifically mention the differences in expected lighting
for different times of the year for Antelope:

http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetc.../date/2006/12/

-hh

A slightly off topic warning, I went to Canyon de Chelly about 10
years ago (in September) and the car parks were covered with broken
glass from car windows. My conclusion then, and I don't think I was
wrong, was that cars were being broken into. Take care - we didn't
actually leave our car. I hope ten years on this car theft has been
stopped.

I love the early morning and evening light best against the rocks so
plan breakfast not around sunrise.

Enjoy the trip

Michael

SNIP
A slightly off topic warning, I went to Canyon de Chelly about 10
years ago (in September) and the car parks were covered with broken
glass from car windows. My conclusion then, and I don't think I was
wrong, was that cars were being broken into. Take care - we didn't
actually leave our car. I hope ten years on this car theft has been
stopped.

Hi

We were there in Sept 2005. Certainly no problem leaving the car in
car parks - and no signs of any broken glass.

Regards
KGB

On Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:36:13 +0000, Tony Graber wrote:

Hello All!

I am taking a trip late December to Canyon de Chelly in Chinle, AZ. I
should be at Canyon de Chelly for 3 days, December 28-30. Since I
live in Tucson, I will be driving up to Chinle in my Jeep Liberty
4X4. That is important because I am hoping to hire a guide and use
my Jeep to go into the canyons of the national monument at Canyon de
Chelly. Questions:

1. Does anyone have any advice about the best places and times for
pictures at Canyon de Chelly, or one of the connecting canyons?
2. Does anyone have any experience about hiring a guide at Canyon de
Chelly and using your own 4X4, instead of taking a "Jeep tour", and
what are those experiences?
3. Does the Jeep Liberty have high enough clearance to go through
the canyons?

I have already consulted the Photo Travelers Guide to Arizona and
Photographing the Southwest (Vol. 2 on AZ and UT), so I am mainly
looking for personal experiences with regard to photographing Canyon
de Chelly.

I will also be staying in Pinetop, AZ for the week of New Years. Are
there any good spots for some good scenic photos in the Pinetop
area? Scenic drives? Mogollon Rim?

Thanks in advance,

I've not been to Canyon De Chelly, but from my experience in other
national parks, you are not generally allowed free reign - I'd be
surprised to learn that they have any roads open for free travel that
would require four wheel drive.

On Wed, 14 Nov 2007 13:08:09 -0800
" wrote:

On Nov 14, 7:20 pm, -hh wrote:

A slightly off topic warning, I went to Canyon de Chelly about 10
years ago (in September) and the car parks were covered with broken
glass from car windows. My conclusion then, and I don't think I was
wrong, was that cars were being broken into. Take care - we didn't
actually leave our car. I hope ten years on this car theft has been
stopped.

Apparently, it has. We were there this past September. What we saw
were people enjoying the spectacular place and the occasional Navajo
trying to sell artwork. No broken car windows.

I love the early morning and evening light best against the rocks so
plan breakfast not around sunrise.

Similar advice goes for the nearby Painted Desert and Petrified
Forest. Easier said than done, in my experience. :-)

Paul Allen