A slot canyon is a narrow crevice sliced through a mesa by rushing water. Some canyons measure less than a yard across at the top but drop a hundred feet or more from the rim to the natural floor. Slots are cut and scoured by water and wind with the striations of the sandstone becoming almost incandescent. Seen from the surface, a slot canyon appears as a slash. From within, a palette of colors transmuted by light filters down from above, bouncing from wall to wall.
In 1931, twelve-year-old Sue Tsosie was herding sheep from Manson Mesa toward Kaibeto when she discovered a slot canyon that is known today as Antelope Canyon. It has also been referred to as the Corkscrew, Upper Antelope, Wind Cave, or the Crack. This fragile canyon is one-quarter mile in length and has become a favorite destination for tourists, professional photographers, and movie makers. John Isaac met Sue Tsosie’s daughter, who served as his guide in the canyon.For more information on slot canyons, click here.