I'm following this thread with keen interest, as the fabled canyons and twisted landscapes (e.g. Antelope Canyon and Wave Rock?) are on my bucket list for a USA trip. It sounds to me that the laborious nature of setting up a 4x5 (I am a slightly speedier 6x7!) with tripod could well be a serious impediment to the enjoyment of the area by others who are blocked/obstructed or hindered in progress. The description of the canyons as being so narrow as to in cases not being of body width... well, we have a few of those in outback Australia where photographers have become stuck or brought down parts of the walls (soft) by forcibly banging tripod legs in, which then also brings down a mountain of dust. I was not aware large areas around the canyons were sacred; helpful to take that on board and probably worth checking if such places should be photographed at all (that is to say, do traditional owners impose restrictions on access, what can and should not be photographed etc.? like they do in Australia).
