Adventures around "The Wave"

[jdgibney]

So cool! Thanks for sharing your story and your wonderful photos. I'm getting excited, for our visit in 2 weeks!

[wes242]

I'm getting excited, for our visit in 2 weeks!

ME TOO!
Thanks for sharing!

[tanya]

Wonderful photos~ I like the kissing one best!

[jdgibney]

Wonderful photos~ I like the kissing one best!

those are sweet, I'm digging the hat and the scarf too!

[jdgibney]

ME TOO!
Thanks for sharing!

Do you guys have anything else planned the days before/after?

[teancum]

those are sweet, I'm digging the hat and the scarf too!

The best part about the panda hat/scarf is at those paws at the end of the scarf are actually mittens!

[americanhero]

great shots, thanks for sharing. Really enjoyed them all

[teancum]

Do you guys have anything else planned the days before/after?

I wanted to do one of the things that Tanya pointed out in the 2nd post, but I forgot that Stacie had a electronic convention to go to in Las Vegas on Saturday. She was at that really late on Saturday and didn't get to St George and into bed until about 2:00 am. So we where a little pressed on time to do other things. I would defiantly suggest staying in the night someplace closer.... Even though motels in St George where 1/2 the price and I am a cheap SOB.

[jdgibney]

I wanted to do one of the things that Tanya pointed out in the 2nd post, but I forgot that Stacie had a electronic convention to go to in Las Vegas on Saturday. She was at that really late on Saturday and didn't get to St George and into bed until about 2:00 am. So we where a little pressed on time to do other things. I would defiantly suggest staying in the night someplace closer.... Even though motels in St George where 1/2 the price and I am a cheap SOB.

We'll be staying in Page the night before and Kanab the night of the hike (and st george the first night we arrive), have a fun few days planned, hopefully the weather and road cooperate!

[teancum]

We'll be staying in Page the night before and Kanab the night of the hike (and st george the first night we arrive), have a fun few days planned, hopefully the weather and road cooperate!

Have you been to Southern Utah before? What else are you planning on doing?

[teancum]

P.S. Have you looked at taking a guided tour through Antelope Canyon?

[wes242]

Do you guys have anything else planned the days before/after?

We hard driving down Saturday and staying till Wed, staying in Huricane for 4 nights. We will hit Bryce on the way down, Zion one day might take a day drive over to Page Monday, Tuesday the Wave, Wed the drive back home. My wife has some major cabin fever right now so I am letting her decied on what she wants to do.

[jdgibney]

Have you been to Southern Utah before? What else are you planning on doing?

I have, this past fall, we did an 11 day trip and saw a lot of stuff, but didn't spend a lot of time in any one place, it was more of a scouting mission, we looped form Vegas to Page to Monument Valley, to Moab (3 days there saw some of Arches and canyonlands), down to Bryce and back to Vegas (we skipped Capitol Reef and Zion because my friend got really sick)... I'm planning on going to Moab for a week later in the year to see more of Arches and Canyonlands (as well as other places in the area)...

Basically we're arriving in Vegas on Sunday (23rd), driving up to St. George for the night. Monday we're going to check out the Rimrock Hoodoos on our way to Page where we're going to go into Lower Antelope (for a few hours surrounding noon) then to Horseshoe Bend for sunset. Tuesday we'll do Coyote Buttes North and then crash in Kanab. Wednesday we're going to check out Coral Pink Sand Dunes hopefully for sunrise, and then head to Valley of Fire, Vegas and then fly home Thursday. Super-quick trip based on the Coyote Buttes permits :)

We hard driving down Saturday and staying till Wed, staying in Huricane for 4 nights. We will hit Bryce on the way down, Zion one day might take a day drive over to Page Monday, Tuesday the Wave, Wed the drive back home. My wife has some major cabin fever right now so I am letting her decied on what she wants to do.

I'd love to check out Bryce and Zion in winter, just don't have the time to do it justice this trip. Next winter!

[jdgibney]

My two cents: give the whole day to Coyote Buttes North, especially with the short days this time of year. The Wave is just a blip compared to the other awesome things in the immediate vicinity. Sand Cove is a great place to kill some time. Just before you get to the Wave you'll get to a wash followed by a steep sand hill that leads to the wave. Instead of going up the sand hill head up the wash. It slots up nicely and leads to beautiful sand cove. Once you're done there you can sneak around the back of The Wave making it kind of a loop or do it the other direction. It's very easy navigation, here's a little map showing some basic points for navigation.

See how to embed Google Maps in your posts

Viewing on a mobile device? Click this link to open the map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=214533597045798101523.0004993496ba6ce6cff49&ll=36.991619,-112.008533&spn=0.029033,0.034418&t=h&z=15

So, is there any way to go up to Sand Cove, and from there, up to Melody Arch and back down to the Wave?

[ibenick]

So, is there any way to go up to Sand Cove, and from there, up to Melody Arch and back down to the Wave?

I don't know for sure but I would think so. It definitely is possible to get on top of the mountain at the top of Sand Cove and I would think once you were up there you could head north and make it into a loop. I added a yellow marker to the map where I think the easiest exit was. It wasn't far from where we stopped (furthest south blue marker), we even considered going up there and looping but I hadn't done enough recon and our time was short from all the wandering in Sand Cove.

[jdgibney]

It might be a bit adventurous for my first time out there (and I'm not the most experienced hiker in the world as it is)...
I've got it all plugged into my gps, and printed out, we'll see what the day brings. Thanks for marking those on the map, its a big help. I hope I get some decent images to share, and just have a good relaxing day!

[Richie]

I added a yellow marker to the map where I think the easiest exit was. It wasn't far from where we stopped (furthest south blue marker), we even considered going up there and looping but I hadn't done enough recon and our time was short from all the wandering in Sand Cove.

I didn't go up there (just like you), but I've read a German Trip Report from someone who did and he described a point at the southern end of sandcove. Exactly where you placed your yellow marker.

[Jammer]

> So, is there any way to go up to Sand Cove, and from there, up to Melody Arch and back down to the Wave?

Yes -- it's kinda steep slickrock, but not that bad. You can get down just west of the 2nd Wave and/or Hamburger Rock area. I took a few newbies down this way. They complained a little, but nobody had any real problems.

It's also nice to walk the entire way around the mesa via the east side.

View from above:


East side of formation:


Arch from the east:


- Jamal

[jdgibney]

Nice, thanks for chiming in with some pix, Jamal! Haven't seen the arch from the east at all before, definitely a cool view.
We'll wing it, with the goal of being in the main wave area for an hour or so around noon, we'll have plenty of time to explore before and after. I'm sure as heck we won't get bored :)

[Philippe]

I don't know for sure but I would think so. It definitely is possible to get on top of the mountain at the top of Sand Cove and I would think once you were up there you could head north and make it into a loop. I added a yellow marker to the map where I think the easiest exit was. It wasn't far from where we stopped (furthest south blue marker), we even considered going up there and looping but I hadn't done enough recon and our time was short from all the wandering in Sand Cove.

Hi Ibenik... and other guys interested in CBN,

During one of my 9 visits to CBN I wanted to explore some new stuff so I came from The Notch, I descended at the southern end of Sand Cove and I climbed on Top Rock exactly where you added your last yellow marker (the slickrock is nice there) and I explored that part of Top Rock heading north until the slope that descends to the east side of Top Rock, but I didn't find something really interesting between the climb at the yellow marker and the eastern slope.

My recommandation for people who want to do a quite big tour around The Wave would be to do the classic hike from Wire Pass trailhead directly to The Wave (if you arrive too early at the Wave you will have shadows). Then head to the second Wave and climb up to Top Rock from there (that's steep). Take your marks at the place where you arrive up Top Rock. On Top Rock explore at least the grotto with the sand dune (nice patterns) and Melody Arch, then head a little bit south to find the slope that descends eastward on the eastern part of Top Rock to the Big Mac Rock (on your right) and some other nice rocks. Then, retrace your steps and climb back this slope to return on the top of Top Rock and to descend the steep slope to the Second Wave via exactly the same way that you climbed up (remember your marks). After visiting Second Wave, descend in Sand Cove to the hills with nice red and white striations, then head north in Sand Cove. Just before entering the narrows you can do a detour west (way and back) to visit the Boneyard a little bit further. Continue northward the interesting narrows until you arrive to the wash where is the foot of the sand dune leading to the Wave (that you climbed in the morning). Return to Wire Pass trailhead.

I describe this tour with more details (and a better English as it is rewrited by Laurent Martres) in Photographing the Southwest Volume 2 Arizona.

Here is the Big Mac Rock (where you can see the opening of Melody Arch as on Jammers picture) :



Here are some pictures taken during this tour during my 2 last trips in CBN (for the previous tours I hadn't got a digital camera) :
http://www.phschuler.com/usa2006/COY...RTH/index.html

Philippe