Looking for advice for Southwest Trip

[Khurram]

I'm trying to finalize my plans for my trip to the Southwest in a couple of weeks.  I haven't been there for about 3 years (except for a quick trip to Sedona while attending a conference at Vegas in 2 years ago).

My plan was as follows:
Day 1 - fly in to phoneix, sunset at sedona and drive to Sedona
Day 2-4 Page - hopefully get a pass to the Wave, Horseshoe bend, rimrocks, antelope canyons and possible canyon x
Day 5-6 - sunrise at Page and then leave for Monument valley
Day 7-10 - Sunrise at MV and then off to Moab
Day 11-13 - sunrise at Moab and then spend the remainder of my time in Sedona
Day 14 - fly back home


I've got a couple of questions.  
First of all, I wanted to get information on Havasu and what it is like since the floods last year.  I'm thinking of dropping Moab in favour of Havasu and maybe adding a day to MV (thinking of Hunt's Mesa) or Page (increase chances of getitng into the wave).

Havasu:
What is Havasu like now?  What falls are still running???  does anyone have photos of the area??? I've seen a few shots here and there, but not a whole lot of what Havasu looks like since the flooding.  What is it like in Mid-October??

I've tried calling the numbers listed on the havasupai tribe website but  nobody answers, so its been hard to get any infomration ( the number listed are 1-928-448-2111 or 1-928-448-2201)

Hunt's Mesa:
Currently, I'm planning on 1 1/2 days at MV, but was thinking about adding a day for Hunts Mesa.  What is the typical cost for one person for a tour of Hunt's mesa???  How long does it take to get there??? What is the usual itenerary, where do you stay out there - do they have a campground there, or anything???  Do you have to bring your own camping gear??? Is it going to be worth the trip, given that it will probably be more expensive if there is only one person on the trip???

Page:
I'd like to do Canyon X, but apparently the best tour times would prevent me from being able to go to the Paria station for the Wave day pass lottery, unless I manage to really luck out and get a pass during my first attempt.  I'm still hoping to still have enough time to do sunset either at Lake Powell or Horseshoe Bend before heading to Paria Station.  Anyone have any idea how long it will take from Horseshoe Bend to the Paria Station???  Will I have enough time for a sunset shoot and still make it to Paria station???

Antelope Canyon:
As i'm going to be in Page from Oct 8-11, I know thate I won't be getting any beams in the Upper Antelope.  What is the best time to there, given there are no beams (during my previous trips, I think 11am-1pm was best for beams) Who is the best bet as a tour guide for the Photo trip???  Last time I was there, I think they had alloted certain times to each tour operator, and I think the best times was to go on a tour with the actual family who owns the land the canyon is on, however, I found that those groups were a lot larger then the tours with the private guides.

Lower Antelope:
How a about lower antelope,  What are the best times for Lower Antelope during the time I'm going???  Is it feasible to do both Upper and Lower Antelope on the same day and still get good lighting in both???

[Paul Sumi]

Hunt's Mesa:
Currently, I'm planning on 1 1/2 days at MV, but was thinking about adding a day for Hunts Mesa.  What is the typical cost for one person for a tour of Hunt's mesa???  How long does it take to get there??? What is the usual itenerary, where do you stay out there - do they have a campground there, or anything???  Do you have to bring your own camping gear??? Is it going to be worth the trip, given that it will probably be more expensive if there is only one person on the trip???

I've been up to Hunt's Mesa twice with Tom Phillips as part of a group, both times in May of that year.  Have never been to Monument Valley in the fall.  I don't know if Tom would guide a solo photographer up there - he may well have a minimum group size.

Hunt's Mesa is an overnight camping trip.  It takes about 3 hours of rough, high clearance 4WD travel to get there.  Tom has a campsite on the top of the Mesa with primitive "facilities."  He and his assistants provided camping gear (tents, sleeping bags, foam pads) as well as food and water.  Meals were cooked on a wood fire pit.

The itinerary was to arrive at the Mesa late afternoon, shoot until dark.  One person spent the night shooting star trails.  The next morning get up before dawn, shoot the sunrise, eat breakfast then come back down.

The one annoying thing on the second trip was that, after dark, you could see the lights of the new hotel at the visitor center from the top of the Mesa!    

Paul

[Khurram]

I've been up to Hunt's Mesa twice with Tom Phillips as part of a group, both times in May of that year.  Have never been to Monument Valley in the fall.  I don't know if Tom would guide a solo photographer up there - he may well have a minimum group size.

Hunt's Mesa is an overnight camping trip.  It takes about 3 hours of rough, high clearance 4WD travel to get there.  Tom has a campsite on the top of the Mesa with primitive "facilities."  He and his assistants provided camping gear (tents, sleeping bags, foam pads) as well as food and water.  Meals were cooked on a wood fire pit.

The itinerary was to arrive at the Mesa late afternoon, shoot until dark.  One person spent the night shooting star trails.  The next morning get up before dawn, shoot the sunrise, eat breakfast then come back down.

The one annoying thing on the second trip was that, after dark, you could see the lights of the new hotel at the visitor center from the top of the Mesa!    

Paul

Thanks for the advice on Hunt's Mesa Paul!

[Jeremy Roussak]

No Bryce Canyon? It's not too far away from where you're planning to be and FWIW I think it's one of the most beautiful places I've seen.

Jeremy

[Charles Wood]

The drive from the parking lot for the Horseshoe Bend hike to the Paria Ranger station is approximately 40 minutes. A person I spoke with last week indicated there are still far more applications for the Wave permit lottery than availabilities. This will change as the season progresses but at this point your chances still may be marginal at best.

Bryce Canyon is a great place to visit and photograph, however there is no easy direct way to get there from the Page/Monument Valley area that won't require 3-5 hours of drive time each way.

I've done the Hunt's Mesa overnight with Tom Philips and he is an excellent guide but expect a wilderness experience rather than a 'high-end' overnight camping experience. That said, Tom understand photography and photographers and has worked with some of the best known in the business. His single person fee is $550.00.  Here is a link to his website:

http://www.monumentvalley.com/Pages/english_tours.html

Sunset isn't a particularly great time for shooting Horseshoe Bend as you'll be shooting into the sun.  You're probably better off to do either of the Antelope Canyons during the day and take advantage of the additional pass that comes with the purchase of admission, to visit The Golden Wall area of Water Hole Canyon at sunset, located a mile or so past the parking area for Horseshoe Bend.

[Praki]

Ditto as far as using tom Phillips as a guide for Hunt's Mesa. He is good. We went in April 08 ....  should have taken warm clothes. It is very windy and freezing so prepare accordingly. The camping is basic ... in tents. Take a mattress pad if you can. It is quite a trip up and down but worth it. We left in the afternoon and returned the next morning.