p.1 #1 · North Coyote Buttes / the Wave - First time visiting
Been visiting Utah for hiking and photography for a tad over a decade now, and have been applying to the lottery for North Coyote Buttes / the Wave since late 2017. Both the advanced lottery, and when in the Kanab area, the day before lottery. Always told myself that if I ever got that lucky, I'd want to take the whole day exploring as much as possible, rather than just going out to the Wave and back.
So, this spring, I got the email that I got a permit. After changing my pants, I started making plans. My party was boots on trail in full dark, and the first ones to arrive at the Wave that day. Took a few shots there, then when other people started showing up, headed south to the steep ramp up to Top Rock. Checked out Top Rock arch, the alcove and the smaller alcove with the window and the Melody arch, then looped back down and around to the ginger rock, over to the dinosaur tracks and the boneyard, then back over to the Second Wave and back to the Wave itself for sunset and night. By then, everyone else was gone.
Anyways, here's the shots that I think came out the best, in no particular order:
Morning, at the entrance to the Wave. The water got very deep. I took my shoes off and waded through, and the water went up to high thigh. Realized afterwards that my phone was in my cargo pocket and got soaked. 6 days later and the condensation has finally left my phone camera lenses. (Of course, right after I did this, my brother found the other way around through the 'slot canyon' on the other side.) https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54834205371_7837763d88_b.jpg
p.1 #3 · North Coyote Buttes / the Wave - First time visiting
Congrats on winning the lottery and sharing these amazing images. I like all of them but one taken after sunset #8 and last image are my favorite. Thanks for sharing these. Definitely earns my vote.
p.1 #4 · North Coyote Buttes / the Wave - First time visiting
Wow, you really worked it! Well worth it, esp. the first with the stars - a perfect blend of moon light
My wife and I lucked out with the daily draw a few years ago. Took our camper out to the nearby campground, got up and started hiking in the dark. We watched the sunrise on the hike, then had the wave to ourselves for about an hour, which was the highlight of that trip down south. I felt like a kid in a candy store exploring the nooks & crannies. Debbie wasn't up for further exploration, and it got a bit too warm later in the day, so we hiked out. I envy your whole day expedition
p.1 #5 · North Coyote Buttes / the Wave - First time visiting
Thank you all, I appreciate it!
Jim Dockery wrote:
Wow, you really worked it! Well worth it, esp. the first with the stars - a perfect blend of moon light
My wife and I lucked out with the daily draw a few years ago. Took our camper out to the nearby campground, got up and started hiking in the dark. We watched the sunrise on the hike, then had the wave to ourselves for about an hour, which was the highlight of that trip down south. I felt like a kid in a candy store exploring the nooks & crannies. Debbie wasn't up for further exploration, and it got a bit too warm later in the day, so we hiked out. I envy your whole day expedition ...Show more →
I'm honestly glad that the daily draw went to the recreation.gov app rather than the in-person bingo ball roller. The roller killed most of a morning and it was always so demoralizing! That's still a lucky day for you. Definitely feels like there's a lot of nooks and crannies to explore, and now that I've hit the big stuff, I'm hoping to explore further on future visits.
I had hoped on the moon coming up in the right place and the clouds clearing out, and when it did, I knew we had to stay out there for another hour or so. Really felt like a perfect confluence of conditions.
p.1 #10 · North Coyote Buttes / the Wave - First time visiting
Congratulations on getting in! It’s become so hard to win that lottery. You had nice conditions with the puffy clouds and the water features and you produced a very enjoyable set of images.
