The Wave

In April 2011, we did a day hike to an iconic feature—The Wave—in North Coyote Buttes, Arizona. John was 58 and I was 57.

This is an incredibly popular destination. Back then, only 20 people were allowed in the area per day. Ten of these permits were made available the day before to people who showed up in person at the Paria Contact Station. Everything about this process has since changed.

Far more than ten people were vying for these permits when we were there. We decided we could afford to spend four days trying to win two of the coveted permits before heading to Grand Canyon National Park for a planned backpack trip. So, for four mornings, we entered the lottery and hoped for the best.

The first three mornings, we were disappointed. But we had one more chance, and we tried to be optimistic on the fourth morning. We signed in and received our number. Then we impatiently waited for the lottery to begin. Finally, the woman behind the desk reached in and pulled out the first number. It was ours! It happened to be my birthday, and this was a wonderful present.

The next day, we got an early start.

We encountered features that were a hint of what was yet to come.

John found plenty of photo opportunities on the way.

The rock shapes varied wildly.

We’d heard that most people hike straight to The Wave, take pictures and hang out just a little while before leaving. But we planned to be in the area all day, so once we reached The Wave, we quickly passed through it. It was mid-morning, and we were not surprised to see nearly all the other 18 permit holders hanging around and getting in the way of each other’s photographs. We would return later.

John enjoyed being able to take the time to experiment with his photography …

… and trying different angles to capture the essence of the unusual rock formations.

Once away from the congested Wave, we felt like we had the entire area to ourselves.

We thought enough time had passed that most people would have left, so we headed back to The Wave. We were gratified to see that we had it all to ourselves.

… where John was able to capture this lovely reflection.

This is the iconic view.

It was hard for me to imagine the geologic forces it took to form this unusual feature.

Delicate sandstone ridges, known as fins, line the formation.

The wind really picked up, so much so that John had to be careful not to lose his camera.

We continued exploring the area and looked for a spot known as Sand Cove. We were never sure if we found it, but it was fun looking for it.

There was one more feature in the area that we wanted to see—The Second Wave. John had read that the best time to photograph it was late in the afternoon, so before long, we headed there.

This feature has a completely different character. While I love The Wave, I don’t think that the Second Wave gets its fair share of attention.

Then it was time to head back to the trailhead. We were well content with our time there. We felt lucky to have gotten two of the elusive permits, and it was a memorable birthday.

All photos from this trip are on Flickr.