Giuseppe 
Sunday, 12th of July 2009 at 08:57:49 PM
Sunday was the big day. This was the day of my Wave Permit. I got up early at 5:30 am and arrived around 7 a.m. at the Wirepass trailhead. After registering to the visitor logbook I noticed I was the first on the trail. With the very good Trail description from the BLM it was easy to find my way through the wash to the first orientation point and then towards the twin buttes. The more I approached the Wave the more beautiful the landscapes got. I began to wonder how this unreal beauty could really be natural. I was not hurrying and spent lots of time for photographing, knowing that I was early and the Wave would anyway be best for photographing not before 10 a.m. My plan was to visit the Lace Rocks before reachinbg the Wave. Herefore I needed to leave the trail to the wave at a wash and climb a hill on my right. Right before arriving at the wash I noticed two other hikers approaching me. From the far I could recognize that I knew those two hikers:
Bianca and Matthias Rattay whos informative Travellogs I was following since a while . Indeed I had used mainly their travel reports to get inspired for my own trips. I like reading their website cause they have really tough trips and I learned from them how much can be seen in very short time. Sometimes I get the impression they manage to do in a day what I plan to do in two days. This often inspires me to toughen up my own program too. Following their online travel reports I knew their faces and I knew also that they would be at the Wave in May, like me. In was a poor lucky coincidence meeting them here right at this day. They were little bit surprised when I was greeting them in German by their names and I presented myself.
We chatted a little bit and I asked if they would go up to the Lace rocks too. They denied but Matthias showed me how to find my way along the wash. They had been around 5 times in the Coyotte Buttes North and and therefore knew the area pretty good. Unfortuantely our ways splitted here and I was sad not having had them as hiking pals for this day. Perhaps we would meet later at the Wave. I climbed up the hill to the Lace rocks and the sun was already burning hot although it was just around 9 a.m.
At the top of the hill I found those filigrane stone formations named Lace rocks and made some shots. Climbing down again towards the main trail I noticed a Coyotte running down the hill. I was surprised to see the animal so close to me ignoring my presence.
Down at the wash again I followed the instructions and trail towards the Wave, where I arrived at around 10 am. There was a pool on the main entrance and I did yet not know that the main wave known from the photos lied behind that pool. Soon other hikers arrived and we managed to pass the pool and go to the main axis of the wave. It is an unbelievable experience seeing the Wave the first time and soon I started shooting from different angles and with different settings. Around 1h later I decided to continue my hike and try to find my way to the top rock , melody arch and other sights nearby. I climbed the hill on the left side behind the main wave and followed my GPS. Soon I noticed I was reaching a point where it got to dangerous and steep to continue climbing. I gave up and returned having a nice view down to the wave and the other hikers.
Only 20 persons get a permit each day and around 9 persons were visible at the main wave from above.
Most of the hikers visit only the wave and then return back. I was beginning to believe that my high aims of visiting all these other locations I had read about in travelreports would be condemned to remain plans. Then I spotted Bianca and Matthias from above arriving down in the Wave and doing some shots. I immediately raised hope that they would visit those other spots I knew also from their travelreports and I sped up my climb down to the Wave. I reached them when they already had left the Wave and were themselves climbing up towards my location. I did not hesitate to ask them if I could join them telling them that I got lost up there and did not find the right way towards Big Mac, Melody Arch etc.
They told me that they had been at the Boneyard meanwhile and they did not mind if I would join them. This must be my lucky day! I met two Germans who had been already 5 times at the Wave and knew how to reach all those hidden secret spots. I couldn’t imagine better guides then Matthias and Bianca. they showed me everything: The Bee (Mosquito) whos nozzle had vanished meantime, the Big Mac Rock. They encouraged me to climb the steep wall to the melody arch (which I would never had adventured myself), the melody arch and the window, nice views to brain rocks and also a visit to the alcove on the top rock which is visible from down at the wave. Later of course down again the pools and the Second Wave.
I enjoyed so much hiking with Bianca and Matthias and was impressed by their pace, courage and sense of direction. The whole afternoon clouds had accumulated in the sky and arranged a nice setup for our photos. Sometimes we feared a thunderstorm but soon enough weather cleared up again.
At the second Wave the cloud presence seemed to increase again so that we understood it would note make sense to wait for the evening sun iluminating the second Wave. We retunred after many photos at around 5 pm and again I was impressed by Mathias’ and Biancas pace.
I was tired, my back was aching and I felt my heavy equipment, whereas Bianca and Matthias hiked back towards the car with quite a high pace so I was automatically dragged along with them.We arrived around 6 pm at the Wire Pass trailhead and after some drink and chat we made a souvenir photo of us three at the WP trailhead sign. We arranged to meet two hours later in Page to have dinner together in a mexican restaurant. Once again thanks to you both! I hope one day we manage to hike again together. I really enjoyed that day.
Related Posts:
Coyotte Buttes North, Wave phototour 2009 | 
Photography, The Wave 2009, Wave 2009 | 
Comments are closed