“Will you try to go to The Wave when you’re there,” fellow travelers kept asking us as they learned about our plans to visit the Lake Powel area in Northern Arizona. Mark and I had never heard about it, so said, “Maybe.” We rarely plan and certainly not weeks ahead of time. We knew the surroundings of the lake were pretty from Ingrid’s blog and that was it.
When a “Good luck!” followed, we wondered why luck is involved to hike to a sandstone formation. Apparently, there is a lottery involved. “Over 100 people a day apply,” a new friend told us. Hard to believe and it was still too cold to head north, so we kept The Wave in the back of our mind. As more and more people either raved about this destination or wished they could have hiked there, it was time for a quick Google search.
First, we discovered that The Wave, as its name suggests, is a unique sandstone feature in the shape of a wave. Then, we found out that there are two ways to “play the lottery” – apply online at least three months ahead of time and hope for the best (remember what I wrote about us and planning ahead…) or show up in person at the office in Kanab, Utah and apply in person. 20 permits a day are dispensed – ten online and ten in person. This could be challenging!
Kanab was not on our agenda the end of March but when we discovered that the town was only 30 miles from the area where we were camped, we changed plans. We would dedicate three days to this effort. Every morning at 8:30am, we’d put our names in for The Wave Lottery and, after not being selected, we’d volunteer at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (also in Kanab), a place we have wanted to visit and which we’ve supported for ages. If three attempts wouldn’t get us the permit, we’d repeat this procedure mid-May, when we actually expected to go to Best Friends. It was a pretty sound plan.
The first day, Sunday, we showed up at the BLM office of Kanab at exactly 8:30am to join the ranks of other people. Many people. We filled out our form (one per interested party). Up to six people can sign in per sheet. We entered the Lottery Room, sat down, received a number, and found out that 120 people were in the running that day. The numbers range between 100-200 a day. Online, they reach in the thousands. Gulp!
All the numbers (Bingo balls) disappeared in the round receptacle, hand-cranked by the park ranger. Mark and I were #10, out of 40 balls. The first ball dropped: a couple. Weak applause. Eight more spots to go. The next ball was released: a group of four people. Much weaker applause. Only four more left. The third ball represented a group of three visitors. It’s done! Only one spot remained.
As a couple, we thought it was over. The ranger said that in a situation like this – for safety reasons – whoever gets picked is allowed to bring one extra person from their party. Suspense. The last ball dropped. “It’s a couple,” the ranger pronounced. Silence. He grabbed the winning form. Number 10: Mark Kilty. The room emptied.
Talk about surprise. We hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, had a device plugged into our camper battery since this would be quick, planned errands and a visit to Best Friends today, and I was going to take photos of this process tomorrow… Huh!? Talk about luck. Real luck. Not the kind of luck we are often “blamed” of, you know, the “luck” of choosing this amazing lifestyle.
The Wave briefing by a ranger. When we won, I took a quick photo. I returned later to take the other ones in an empty room.
For the next hour, we listened to information and precautions about this strenuous hike to The Wave we would undertake the following day, stomachs growling and worried about a drained camper battery. Permit in hand ($7 per person), we rushed back to Zesty, where the amazing reality sank in. We caught up on internet tasks, ran a few errands, and rushed over to Best Friends, where we lucked out (again) to join a last-minute tour of the sanctuary. I did consider playing the real lottery that day!
On Monday, April Fool’s Day, we had an early start. We drove to House Rock Valley Road and parked at the beginning. From experience (more about that in a future post), we knew this road was in atrocious condition. We unloaded the bicycles, packed a backpack with plenty of water and food, attached our precious permit on the outside, and biked to the Wirepass Canyon Trailhead, also the departure point for The Wave.
The first half a mile was familiar, then the strenuous part started, still in Utah. Because this hike is located in the Wilderness of the Vermilion Cliffs, there are no trail markers and no paths. We received a brochure with a map at our orientation the previous day and that guided us towards our main destination, the actual wave, located in Arizona.
We huffed (or at least I did) through soft sand and over hills. After three miles, The Wave was revealed!
Yes, it is spectacular! Noon-time had been recommended for a visit, allowing for the best photography conditions. 20 people a day doesn’t seem like a lot for this excursion, but if they all show up at the same time, it does feel crowded. Especially when they brought a guide.
Mark and I took in the geological feature, climbed to the top, and ate our lunch. Then we explored the surrounding area, which was (almost) equally as impressive. We spotted features like the Brains, the Hamburger, and the Second Wave.
We noticed an arch crowning a massive rock formation – Top Rock. Since the sandstone is layered, we managed to easily ascend to the top. The view was astounding. Getting down without seeing the ledges from above was only possible thanks to Mark’s GPS function on the phone. He had been tracking our route since the start. Smart man! Afraid of heights, he was more than happy to focus on the screen.
We dabbled in this spectacular area until 2pm, at which point, we tackled the return hike and the four-mile bike ride back to the camper. Needless to say, we were quite exhausted by the end of the day. But what an experience!
Have you ever hiked to The Wave? Any luck in other situations? Do you play the lottery? Any lottery?
(This blog has been created with the new WordPress Gutenberg editor.)
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April 24, 2019 at 18:10
Hi, Liesbet – Richard and I have been two Kanab twice (for Best Friends) but never heard of The Wave. We will definitely need to go back. Absolutely stunning photos! I look forward to your further posts from this area.
April 25, 2019 at 15:37
The office to get a permit for The Wave is in Kanab, but the actual hike is 30 miles east from there, about halfway between Kanab, UT and Page, AZ. The trail starts in Utah and “ends” in Arizona, where this sandstone formation is located. It’s all a bit complicated – and I haven’t even covered the rutted roads to get there – but the Vermilion Cliffs area is stunning.
I remember your visits to Best Friends. We will return and hopefully have a few sleepovers with dogs as well. 🙂
April 24, 2019 at 20:53
Suspense, wonder, fulfillment! This post has it all. Behind the luck of the draw is a lot of hard work, I am observing here.
Your photos are simply spectacular!
Your nickname is Kilty? 🙂
April 25, 2019 at 15:38
I’m glad you liked the photos and what fate had in store for us, Marian. Kilty is Mark’s last name. It could be mine as well, but I prefer to keep my own. 🙂
April 25, 2019 at 00:30
Incredible. Glad you got a lucky break!
April 25, 2019 at 15:39
Thanks, guys! Certainly a never expected break, but oh-so-sweet! 🙂
April 25, 2019 at 03:08
Wow! Your photos are incredible, Liesbet. I’ve never heard of the Wave. I can’t imagine what it’s like to see it in person. Sometimes we play our state education lottery. You have to hit 5 numbers to win the jackpot. We’ve hit 4 two times and won some money. Great post! Thanks for sharing with us.
April 25, 2019 at 15:40
It sounds like you are both of the lucky type as well, Jill! Picking the right four out of five numbers – twice – is spectacular! I’d say you should try to get a permit for The Wave one day and chances are you’ll secure it! 🙂
April 25, 2019 at 18:01
The numbers were random picks by the computer, but who cares! 🙂
April 27, 2019 at 07:49
Luck is luck. 🙂
April 25, 2019 at 03:11
AMAZING. ..WOW incredible place. A very lucky win…perhaps you should have tried for the money lotery on that same day. Your photos are stunning. We recently felt lucky getting last minute tickets to hike the Caminito Del Rey in Spain . No lottery involved, but just getting there early enough to be in with a chance of the 50 on the day tickets. Not quite as lucky as you guys 🙂
April 25, 2019 at 15:43
That’s good news, Gilda! I didn’t realize there are limited tickets for that hike. It pays to be flexible and show up the day of. I’m looking forward to the story and the photos! 🙂
April 25, 2019 at 05:48
Congratulations with winning the lottery at your first attempt, what a prize Liesbet! ???????????? It looks absolutely stunning and I love the way you’ve presented the images with the Gutenberg editor ???? So happy you got to visit Best Friends too and I’m looking forward to seeing more ???????????????? xxx
April 25, 2019 at 15:45
Best Friends is on the agenda for mid-May, Xenia. But… volunteer positions are so popular that most of the slots were already filled in for May when we checked a couple of weeks ago. We managed to secure a couple, but if we can’t commit to an entire week or longer, we might not make the long drive back. Mark keeps an eye on the schedule every day for cancellations. Whenever there is a slot (for Dog Town), he will grab it.
Have you tried Gutenberg? I’m not too happy with their approach to photo galleries and might revert back to the classic editor.
April 25, 2019 at 23:47
Fingers crossed you’ll get an opportunity for volunteering with Best Friends that works out for you and for them too ???? I’ve been using Gutenberg for a while and find some things easier and others more fiddly than with the Classic editor, although it’s easy to use overall. Your posts normally take a long time to load with your classic galleries and the photographs are small and don’t adjust to size when you select them. I much prefer your Gutenberg presentation. Your photographs are beautiful and adjustable in size, responsive to screen size and your post is quicker to load. The Classic editor will disappear in 2020 so you’re better off experimenting with Gutenberg and checking out the gallery options that work for you and give the technical team your feedback. There are lots of useful video tutorials on Gutenberg around as well ???????? xxx
April 27, 2019 at 07:56
Thanks for the insights about Gutenberg, Xenia. It’s always interesting to know the “other end” of my blog. I had no idea that the posts I created in the classic editor took so long to load. I always resize my photos a lot, but maybe I just post too many. 🙂 And I appreciate you preferring Gutenberg. I’ll transition, but finding good gallery options will take me a while. It’ll depend on how much time I have/want to spend on the next blog, since doing the old way is so much faster. 🙂
April 25, 2019 at 06:43
Lucky you! First try and everything. What an opportunity. I imagine it’s limited so that people don’t wear down the rock? Fantastic photos.
April 25, 2019 at 15:47
You’re probably right about why the amount of hikers to The Wave is limited, Alex. It’s certainly a good idea as the area is stunning yet fragile. Plus, there would be no chance to take photos without others in it if there would be no limits. 🙂
April 25, 2019 at 07:38
That’s so cool! I really love the photo of you “surfing” the wave.
Even though your post is about this rock formation, I was drawn to the mention of the Best Friends facility … years ago, there was a stray dog nicknamed Rusty in our hometown near Chicago. He wandered for 4+ years (!) with people feeding him as well as they could in spite of his refusal to be rounded up and domesticated. Finally, the Humane Society was able to get him and because he was so used to being free, they could not in good conscience send him on to a family right away. They sent him to Best Friends where, totally coincidentally, he ended up with a woman who had recently moved to Kanab from Chicago. Last I heard, he was quite happy! For some reason, I will never forget that dog or where he went!
April 25, 2019 at 15:53
I’m glad you like the photos, Lexie. I might make the “surfing” one my Facebook profile pic one of these days. 🙂
That’s an amazing Best Friends story!
I actually never realized that they “train” and work with animals to domesticate them and make them used to noises and such until our recent visit. Adopting animals out is so much more than finding matching owners.
Mark and I look forward to digging a bit deeper into the organization once this house sit is finished. If we get a chance to volunteer for a week or longer. I might write my contact (made after she was looking for dog sitters), who is a founder of Best Friends, to get the scoop about potentially showing up at the site and seeing if volunteers don’t show up the day of… We’ll see what happens. It’s definitely an amazing place!
April 25, 2019 at 13:04
I don’t have enough internet to see all the pics so I will have to look again when we are in a better spot. Wow! Didn’t know you got permits with only one spot left two people go rule – you really are so charmed! – also considering you didn’t even know what the Wave was until recently!
We tried 4 times for the Wave (this year) – also once last year and the year before that. We didnt get a permit. I will write about it soon – but here is part of my takeaway – We spent 5 days in Kanab (it rained one day), camped 5 different places, visited Best Friends, hiked 7 different trails in and around Kanab and Grandstaircase Escalante, and saw some amazing stuff – I’m totally cool with not winning the lottery.
But I’m so glad you did and glad you have published your Wave post so I can link to it when I write mine!
April 25, 2019 at 15:56
We can always get our laptops out in ABQ and show each other our photos of the last two months. 🙂 Sometimes, when you expect things the least, they do happen! That’s how we felt after the lucky draw. We were so not ready for it. But it didn’t take us long to get ready after obtaining the permit!
You did the right thing, having fun around the area when not winning. Hey, that was our plan! Yes, I need to know where you hiked and camped near Kanab!
April 26, 2019 at 07:28
I’m so glad you were able to hike the Wave. What unique landscape and one of those once in a lifetime experiences. I can’t believe you added biking to the hike but understand why you didn’t want to shake up Zesty. I guess I’m so used to those roads that I didn’t think it was too bad. I just love that part of Utah and we’re talking about spending next April in that area and hiking Wire Pass again.
Thanks for the mention!
April 27, 2019 at 09:33
It is really nice around there, Ingrid. You’ll have a blast spending the month of April there. I always thought of it as the “Lake Powell” area, based on your blogs, but we barely even saw the lake as we hiked in the surrounding hills and sandstone formations for a week. We’d love to go back as well.
That road to Wirepass Canyon is usually not too bad, but this spring, trucks must have been driving on it when it was wet. The ruts were massive and 2WD drove cars got stuck in the washes. One guide said that it was the worst he’d ever seen this road. And I believe him as even the park service didn’t mention the atrocious condition it was in during our Wave briefing, because they had no idea. It was supposed to be grated soon, so I’m sure right now it’s back to its “normal” rough shape. 🙂
April 26, 2019 at 13:52
I had never heard of the Wave until you mentioned it. It’s incredible! Even though I have seen a lot of Utah and Arizona this tops it.
April 27, 2019 at 09:34
Hi Anabel! Once in a while we stumble across really amazing sites. 🙂 Bryce and Arches still top my list as well.
April 26, 2019 at 16:35
Hi Liesbet – Stunning photos and what great fun to win the lottery when you didn’t expect it! Thanks for sharing the Wave with us.
April 27, 2019 at 09:36
Hi Natalie! I gladly share all my experiences and photos. 🙂 This one really stood out for a few reasons, one of which the luck we experienced. I’m trying to be more selective with my photos. I still don’t know how you pick just a few out of a big collection…
April 27, 2019 at 05:22
Beautiful photos and interesting article!
April 27, 2019 at 09:37
Thanks, Nila! You’re the expert, so I really appreciate your compliment! 🙂
April 27, 2019 at 10:28
Ha, ha, I’d never call myself an expert. 🙂
April 29, 2019 at 15:50
I do. 🙂
April 27, 2019 at 07:35
So very lucky of you Liesbet and Mark to try your luck at getting into to climbing The Wave. What luck you both had out of the hundred or so people who rocked up 🙂 These are stunning photos, so many colossal sandstones and they looked wave indeed. The Hamburger rock did look like a hamburger. Mark was on the ball navigating with GPS – I suppose you could lose your wave around given that it’s such an expansive area. Or as you alluded to, you could have lost your footing 😀
April 27, 2019 at 09:40
Hi Mabel!
Thanks for swinging by and leaving a comment! I’m glad you enjoyed the photos, the scenery, and the story.
The Vermilion Cliffs are stunning and very expansive. Maybe one of the reasons they do this lottery is to not only restrict people on the sandstone formations, but also reduce the risk for too many people getting lost. The park service calls it “wilderness hiking” and assumes that visitors have some experience with that.
April 28, 2019 at 03:56
It does sound like a good idea for the lottery and restrict hoardes of tourists from visiting the cliffs. That way the cliffs don’t erode as much as result of tourism. This kind of hike is a once in a lifetime hike, so lucky of you to have done it ????
April 29, 2019 at 15:56
It sure was luck and we sure enjoyed it, Mabel. The more people who find out we managed to do this hike and “envy” us, the more I realize our good fortune! 🙂
April 27, 2019 at 08:10
Hi Liesbet, “The Wave” has been on my travel list since seeing the photos you posted on a previous blog. I now realize it’s a challenge to have the opportunity to access this area. I really enjoyed reading the lottery process. I did forget to breathe nearing the end of the post. The suspense! Then, when I read April Fool’s day, I was hoping this was not a prank.
I have not had luck with lotteries, so far. I will not give up on one, a Marathon through wineries. I am already practising for that one:) Erica
April 27, 2019 at 10:05
Hi Erica!
The Vermilion Cliffs area is much bigger than the hike to the Wave. We actually found the path to the Wave initially when doing a hike to and in a slot canyon. There are two areas for which you need a permit. The Coyote Buttes North (in which the Wave is located) and the Coyote Buttes South, for which you just get the permit at the BLM office, unless there are lots of people wanting to access and then there’s a lottery as well. Both of these permits cost $7.
For most of the area, you don’t need a permit ahead, but you just sign up in a book at the trailhead and pay your fee.
The marathon through wineries sounds fascinating! But why do you need to win a lottery for that? Are there too many running candidates? Regardless: good luck! 🙂
April 28, 2019 at 07:23
Thank you for the information, Liesbet. We will make sure to research the ins and outs of the area before travelling there.
There is a very popular marathon in the Okanagan winery region called “Half corked Marathon”. You can only enter by lottery and capped off with a very limited number (unsure the number since it changed last year). People from around the world enter. No luck so far, and I will continue to enter the lottery. I look forward to reading more of your adventures:) Erica
April 29, 2019 at 15:58
Aha, it’s an internationally acclaimed lottery! For The Wave, a lot of international visitors applied as well. I think about 50% of the entrants was from North America. Good luck to you, Erica. May the marathon spirit and fortune be with you soon. 🙂
April 27, 2019 at 12:48
What amazing scenery… and amazing luck! Maybe you should have bought a “real” lottery ticket. 😉 Then again, I guess money can’t buy “The Wave”.
April 29, 2019 at 15:52
Right? Thing is, my husband and I aren’t lottery players. Except that one time in October, where four of us used a popcorn machine at a friend’s place to spit out our numbers. Great fun, but we didn’t win. Then again, if one were to win a lot of money, what’s the life challenge in that?
April 27, 2019 at 13:08
How very bizarre is this world of ours! And what a lucky couple 🙂 🙂 Brave of Mark to take these things on if he’s afraid of heights. Amazing opportunity, Liesbet! Thanks for sharing 🙂
April 29, 2019 at 15:55
Hi Jo! Thanks for swinging by. Mark has come a long way with his fear of heights. On our first sailboat, I was the one climbing the mast to fix and check on things. On our second boat – Irie – he went up and I had to manually haul him to the top. 🙂
There are still things he refuses to do, like walking over a narrow natural arch a few weeks ago, or hiking the Angel’s Landing trail in Zion last year. Basically things that nobody with a clear mind would attempt… 🙂
April 29, 2019 at 16:03
You guys are amazing diehards, lol. So amazing you were persistent and lucked in to win a spot. I think you just topped my most favorite Arizona views (other than Sedona) with this magnificent wave! 🙂 x
April 29, 2019 at 16:44
Oh Debby! Your statement makes me happy. I guess The Wave truly is an amazing sight. Since we are not easily impressed (we are spoiled diehards), it is always interesting to find out what others think about our sights and experiences. Thanks for the compliment. 🙂
April 30, 2019 at 23:50
Wow, that is stunning! And what luck! What an incredible experience. I’m so glad you got to go.
I’d love to hear more about Best Friends too, so I hope you cover that in another post.
I’m not much of a lottery player, as my luck isn’t the best. It’s always seemed like throwing my money away, though it is fun to dream.
May 1, 2019 at 09:01
We never play the lottery, JH, because – like you – we think it’s throwing money away. We joined in once for fun, when our friends and us used a popcorn machine to spit out the numbers we submitted. 🙂
Like you, I’m never lucky. Well, I can’t use the word “never” anymore after The Wave experience.
We hope to volunteer at Best Friends later this month for 7-10 days and write a post about it. But, as of now, the slots we’ve been able to secure are extremely spread out and inconvenient. So, if no more cancellations open up, we might not return. 🙁 The place is extremely popular and the volunteer spots (especially for Dogtown) have been filled for weeks.
May 1, 2019 at 09:00
Wow, Liesbet, just wow! You were remarkably lucky, and they photos are just amazing. It is no wonder that it is such a popular place to visit. But so smart that the numbers are controlled so that it doesn’t get ruined!
May 1, 2019 at 09:05
Hi Nancy!
Yes, keeping the influx of visitors to a minimum is a good thing. I wonder how long the BLM park service will be able to maintain this “in person” lottery, though, as the interest for The Wave is still on the rise. The room was overflowing, the day we applied and it’s not uncommon to have 200 people apply in person for the 10 available spots! We have friends who’ve gone back five times without success, so we realize we were extremely lucky and feel bad for the other applicants.