Mar 18, 20203 min read

THE WAVE - Arizona

Tuesday, March 17, 2020 -

Day 30

We get up with many questions about the continuation of the course. We learn that the restaurants are closing.

In the meantime, we take the car to go to the Visitor Center of KANAB for the draw of the lottery "THE WAVE".

We get lost a little in the search of the place indicated by the Ranger. In fact, the drawing takes place in the same place as the day before but we are much less numerous: only 22 teams of which many people in individual. Vincent takes care of the formalities.

Today only 1 leader per team is accepted in the room for the registrations and for the draw in order to allow the respect of the social distances recommended in the fight against Corona.

In the meantime we go back to the garage to have the alignment bill rectified.

On our return we are happy to discover that we have won our visit to THE WAVE.

We stay in the room to listen to the instructions for the hike which seems extraordinary but also difficult. Advice of prudence, precautions...

With this project for the next day we decide to recover the RV and to get closer to the site of the next day.

We find ourselves at the BLM of PARIA at the limit of UTAH and ARIZONA. A short visit to the Ranger to make sure of the camp site and the opportunity to meet another winning group (for them it's the Internet draw). A family of Canadians who did not have the information of the morning and who remains a little blocked with its Van.

We exchange with them and we meet again a few moments later on the same spot above the BLM.

Gigantic view on the surroundings.

Evening with Bob and Michèle and their two teen/adult children Benjamin and Jody. Canadians on a trip in the USA under tent.

We gave up the wood fire because of the wind but spent a nice evening together.

Quick bedtime, the day of Wednesday will be long.

Wednesday, March 18th, 2020 -

Day 31

We have an appointment at 7:30 am with our Canadian neighbors.

We invited them to have a hot coffee before our big departure to THE WAVE.

Finally we will drive together in the same 4x4 cab reserved for the occasion.

Doubting the difficulty of the hike, Vincent will not join us for our greatest regret.

The sunrise is splendid.

We are a little bit lost between the 2 time zones UTAH at winter time and ARIZONA at summer time unless it is the opposite.

The appointment with our driver is fixed at 8 o'clock AZ time just below the camp... well as the crow flies. It will take us a good 1/4 of an hour to get there.

We take Bob and Michele's van and meet the Jeep Cherokee which will take us half an hour across the rough track to get to the starting point of our hike.

We don't regret our choice not to take our vehicle.

At our arrival point or rather departure point, we meet other lucky people who won the lottery of the day.

10 by Internet draw

+10 by lottery at KANAB-Visitor Center.

The hike is very beautiful.

We understand the will to preserve the place of a great fragility.

THE WAVE is in fact compressed sand whose surface has hardened but whose erosion is very easy.

It's raining, it's snowing but it's not cold unlike our previous hike in BRYCE CANYON.

We go almost at random, very well guided by Benjamin at the head of our small group.

We arrive at 11:30 am at the top of the summits where we have a picnic under the sun.

The company of our Canadian friends allows us to continue the ascent and the discovery of the place. We venture far into the rocks under snow and hail.

Some places are very steep, we must beware of the quicksand in which we land.