May 6, 2017 The Wave, Arizona

After 9 years and the 13th try at the lottery we finally got a permit for the Coyote Buttes North, which includes The Wave.  The Wave is one of the most photographed places in the world. Coyote Buttes North is pretty incredible too. We were lucky to get the permit and very lucky that is was a partly cloudy, cooler - 80+ day. It is a long hot hike.

John hiking toward the two North Coyote Buttes. There is no trail and the route is across slickrock. They give you a map with photos of landmarks along the hike with GPS coordinates.  I immediately lost the map, but John had the coordinates in his GPS. Peaks along the way, looking wave like.

 Pink flowering bush, white flowering bush, cliff roses, sego lily, evening primrose and yellow blooming prickly pear cactus.More cliffs with nice lines. You have to have the permit to get in, only 20 people a day get in, these signs are to remind people, Spider lily, pink prickly pear cactus bloom, cool lines on the rocks. We did not even see all of the 20 people, true wilderness.

John entering the wave area and by a pool of rainwater.

Sue and John near the wave. More lines and colors. The sun was in and out, the light and colors were constantly  changing. None of these photos do the place justice.

Looking east, the way we came to get here. We used to say when we could not get a permit that the Wave was over rated. but it is not overrated, it is an unbelievably beautiful place.

Rainwater pool. John in what they call the Wave, this is the classic shot. The Wave is only a tiny part 

of show here.

John took this of me photographing from the side of the Wave. Lines and colors. 

Lines, colors and shapes. I love this view of another small lake .

There were more shapes than you could imagine. The second Wave.

John surfing the Second Wave. Rocks like rising biscuits and lines. 

Looking down into the Wave from above. You can see the way we came behind it. Sorry, but here are more lines and colors.

John surfing The Wave and walking a line.

This swirl is to the east of the Wave.  We hiked a different way back, up the narrows of Sand Creek to the other side of the valley, then back.

 More of the same whirling and curling lines on this side too.

Stunning sculpted rocks, peaks and pinnacles. Fractured slickrock in front of pointy hills.

A flowering bush, green growth where water seeps through the rock, a collared lizard who is missing most of his tail, colors, lines, and a white flower. Rock lines, a sign warning not to go into narrow canyons when it rains, flash floods can kill you, seed heads, a huge cliff rose bush, it perfumes the air, and a sign coming into Kanab - Abra Kanabra!