The Note For Our Wave Trip (June 19, 2005) - how to make your trip to the Wave

The official name for the Wave is the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness (also know as the Coyote Buttes North) located across the Utah-Arizona state line .

To preserve the fragile environment, a daily quote system is put in place, which only allows only a total 20 people to enter each day. The permit is hard to come by. Previously, at NOON (Mountain Standard Time, Denver) on the first day of each month, 10 permits per day permits may be purchased seven months in advance for $5 on a first come basis on line at Arizona On-Line Recreation Permits - Coyote Buttes Permits. Last time when I was getting the permits for this June trip on line, the web site crashed within 2 min after 12 pm as hundreds of people were trying to link.  I was unable to finish typing my credit card number in time.  Only after I set up auto fill-in in my browser and had kept trying for 2 hours, the web site was back on and I was able to get 4 permits.  Shortly after, all the June permits were gone.

Now a new lottery system was put in place:

• You can apply up to four months in advance.
• You have an entire month to apply.
• You can apply for up to three entry dates for any given month. If you are a successful applicant you will only be authorized one trip.
• There is a non-refundable $5 administrative fee to apply.
• You will be notified a minimum of seven weeks prior to your trip taking place.

As an alternative, you could try your luck to get the additional 10 permits by drawing the day before your intended hiking date. 

Based on my experience, it is easier to get permits for the winter months.  For our first trip to the Wave, I managed to get permits for both January 2nd and 3rd, 2004.  The first day was cold and snowing.  We managed to drive to the trail head via 9 mile dirty road (a 4WD SUV is a must if the road is wet) but decided not to hike in the mud.  We finally went in the next day and only joined by Andy from Arizona. But later it started to snow lightly, we had no chance to explore further after visiting the first Wave.  However, there are a couple of bright sides for hiking in winter. The Sun stays low, light is less contrasty; and the day is not long so that you may be lucky to get both nice sunrise and sunset.  More importantly, you don't have to carry much water. 

Preparation:

Safety first, everything else comes second.

No trail or signs once you enter the area.  You will receive a Topo Map but it is hardly enough. So knowing how to use a GPS is a Must. A few good web sites give nice directions.

North Coyote Buttes "The Wave"

ADVENTURE HIKES AND CANYONEERING IN THE SOUTHWEST

Photographs of North and South Coyote Buttes

Coyote Buttes North Portfolio

After seeing a lot of the Wave photos, I feel a detour can be more rewarding.

It was hot in June (Indeed more than 100F). No streams. Travel light. Balance necessities and photo equipments.

1. Carry mixture of icing water and Gatorade to at least a gallon as required for desert hiking per day for one person. Drink as much as possibly you could the night before and the morning do the same. Thirst is not a reliable guide for your need for water. To prevent the dehydration, use the following guide: At temperatures below 38C, drink 0.5 liter of water every hour. At temperatures above 38C, drink 1 liter of water every hour. I used a CamelPak Peak Bagger carrying 3 liters plus 1 liter bottle (Extremely critical in hot weather).

2. Carry light and high-energy food, such as Energy bar, beef jerky, nuts, and trail mix (Critical).

3. Go early in the morning. To the Wave itself is about 1 h30 min walk with a little hiking. There are a lot of things to shoot besides the Wave. In the late afternoon, the mountain range at the West will put the Wave in the shadow, and then it is the time to hike back. Bring headlight or flashlight and battery.

4. Wear good hiking shoes and socks. No man needs to be carried out (Critical). 

5. There is little shade along the way. Conserve your sweat. Wear your long sleeve light colored clothes. Cover your head, and protect your neck with a scarf or similar item. These steps will protect your body from hot-blowing winds and the direct rays of the sun. Bring sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat. Convertible pants are nice option (Critical). 

6. All trash, including toilet paper and human waste bags, must be carried out of the wilderness! Bring toilet paper, special sanitary kit (Got from REI).

7. Bring a compass and a GPS device. (The so called first Wave location:36°59'47''N, 112°00'22''W (WGS84/NAD83), the Second Wave (The Swirls): 36°59'37''N 112°00'30''W, (WGS84/NAD83)

8. Bring a First Aid kit and matches/fire starter for emergencies.

9. Bring Extra batteries for camera, flashlight, GPS etc (Critical).

10. A lot of films and multiple memory cards (Critical).

11. A tripod.

12. Lip balm (Critical).

13. A used CD as a signal mirror and whistle.

Trip Report and Afterthoughts:

We started earlier around 6:50AM.  The morning hike was very pleasant, even I started with a more than 25 lb backpack.  We went for some detour and took some interesting and less traveled route. We reached the Wave around 11AM.  The temperature may reach as high as 100F.  Between shooting photos and admiring nature beauty, we sought shade, had lunch and dodged flying sand (later I spent hours cleaning sand out of my tripod).  Around 4 pm, instead of waiting for the sunset, we decided to hike back to watch the 5th game of the 2005 NBA final, which turned out to be very dramatic. We arrived at the trail head around 5:40 pm.  During the hike, we challenged ourselves physically (each of us consumed around 4 liters of water:Gatorade), but in the end we were rewarded in many ways.  

As an interesting note, the other 16 visitors, who had the privilege to visit the Wave, all came from Germany thousand miles away.

Enter the 2005 Wave Trip Photo Gallery.