| |
|
Nothing Like it in the World
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Wave
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
Once historian Stephen Ambrose used the phrase "nothing like it in
the world" to describe the magnitude of the American
transcontinental railroad. This phrase can also be well-applied to the
Wave. Even European hikers came to Arizona to view this unique
geological formation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You will never be over-prepared for visiting this area. From the
appearance of the rocks you can tell that this sandstone-based
landscape is formed by erosion. Around noon it was very windy, and
as a consequence, our hair, mouth, ear, and virtually anywhere
exposure to the wind are full of sand.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
I planned the trip about a year ago. A photographer told me that I
should start driving before sunrise. By the time I reach the Wave,
the sun will be over my head. He is right. I stayed in Page, the
closest town to the Wave, a night prior to the trip. At 5:30 am we
left the motel and arrived at the parking at 7:00 am.
|
|
|
|
Besides getting the best view, safety is another good reason to
start early. We left the Wave around 1:00 pm. As mentioned before,
we were lost and it took a while to find the way back. It is not a
big deal when you have a lot of time. But imagine that you are
disoriented at 5:00 pm and the sky is getting dark! This was what
happened when I hiked in Coyote Buttes South.
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
If you are lost, don't think about asking a park ranger or anyone
for direction. As mentioned before, BLM allows only 20 hikers per
day to enter this wide area. The best way is to go with a
hand-held GPS. But if you don't have a GPS, the second best is to
recognize markers made by other hikers along the trail. A common
type of marker is a stack of stones.
|
|
|
|
Alex Yu 2009 |
