“Capturing the Wave”
Coyote Buttes North, Utah/Arizona, USA
0212-1-3364

Captured a few hours after a winter storm passed through “The Wave,” in northern Arizona. The melted snow left a moist, saturated look to the area. The overcast sky permitted a more consistent look through most of the maze, rather than having harsh shadows at every turn. The day was cold, wet, and super windy, and I’m left with wind burn across the face…. but well worth it!!

The Wave is located in Coyote Buttes North, a section of BLM land in Utah and Arizona. The Wave itself is located in Arizona, although the hike begins in Utah at Wirepass Trailhead. Once underway, the hike is about three miles and is considered moderate difficulty. The 40-pound pack I chose to carry made it that much more challenging — lenses, tripod, extra water — you know the drill.

Once on location, the Wave was fabulous — there were so many photo opportunities! Before you pack your bags and plan a trip to the area, you might want to consider the slim chance of actually seeing the site. The BLM limits access to 20 people per day, and 10 of those are decided via online lottery three months beforehand. That means if you just show up at the BLM requesting a permit, there are only 10 permits granted. On our particular cold, winter day there were 33 individuals making the attempt. My group of 3 was fortunate.