In this panorama, as we climb upstream, we are just exiting the narrowest part of the slot and entering the lower end of what I call the Plaza. You can look downstream and see the narrows of the slot canyon, but you can also look upstream and see where the slot levels off to make the plaza. The plaza is still contained within the deep and large Matkatamiba Canyon but the slot effect is much less defined.
There is a series of small waterfalls dropping from the plaza as the stream erodes down through the Muav Limestone to cut the narrow slot below. The water is clear and refreshing which diminishes the thought that this canyon, like all the others in the area, can flow wildly with red-brown muddy torrents during unpredictable flash floods.
As we turn to our right we see one of the features that make the Grand Canyon so special - the refreshing green color of the hanging gardens. This close view of one of the hanging gardens in Matkatamiba Canyon shows the variety of different plants that grow where there is plenty of year-round water. I am no botanist but in this photo you can see the bright green of different kinds of grasses, shrubs, trees, vines, ferns, and moss.
GCPano.org