High on the Colorado Plateau and surrounding areas , Arizona, Utah and Nevada we have a geological feature known as Slot canyons. Their beauty is almost unreal and equally matched by the spirituality they harbor. Easily awed by those two factors, they can be even more treacherous.
The arid desert where they were formed is very susceptible to flash flooding. Anyone or anything caught inside one of these canyons in a flash flood is instantly thrust into a life or death situation. These photos were taken in Antelope Canyon and several years ago a group of 8 hikers/ tourists and their guide were swept away in a flash flood. Only the guide survived, the other 8 were swept through the canyon and flushed out into Lake Powell. Only a few of the bodies were ever found. At that time the lake was over 700 ft deep and they were probably buried in the silt from the flood.
It is an amazing experience to hike through these canyons. The sandstone walls rising 100's of feet above along twisting and turning passages carved into the stone from 100's of thousands of years of wind and rain. At many places the walls get so narrow that they are barely a shoulder widths apart and a few places you need to walk sideways to proceed . Brushing an elbow or any exposed skin against the walls removes flesh unforgivingly, and instantly.
The real draw is the array of colors and hues of the sandstone walls as light passes over. They go from yellows and oranges to browns, blacks and blues. They are so narrow and twisted that sunlight only reaches into the canyon for a few minutes each day. They change color almost before your eyes as the light bounces from the sides dispersing in broken rays.
If you ever get the opportunity to visit any of them they are well worth it. And doubt you would be disappointed. Few places I have ever experienced have such beauty with such a powerful spiritual presence and such a serious threat for the unprepared.
I have backpacked and hiked through slot canyons in Utah. They are always amazing and worthwhile. In summer they are cool when the surrounded arid area is hot and dry. As you noted, you have to be cognizant of weather conditions so you don't get trapped in one during a flash flood.
