Near The Wave Entrance in the Coyote Buttes Wilderness Area in Vermillion Cliffs National Monument in Northern Arizona — Image by kenne
Known for its colorful swirls of slickrock, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is a sherbet-colored dream world filled with fantastical rock formations like The Wave, White Pockets, and Buckskin Gulch.
Coyote Buttes Panorama (April 2012) — Image by kenne
The Wave (March 2012) — Image by kenne
Coyote Buttes (March 2012) — Image by kenne
The first time I saw images of The Wave was in National Geographic some years ago and concluded if I every had a chance to go I would not pass it up. That chance came in March of 2012. The Wave and Coyote Buttes are located in the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona. The hiking conditions in Vermillion Cliffs are harsh and can be very difficult depending on the weather. The trails are poorly marked, so it’s very easy to get lost. Our guide was a hiking friend from Tucson who had hiked the area several times before, so getting lost was not an issue. Click here to see more of my images in the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument.
While hiking The Wave last month, I was not only taking photos, but also some video — from which I have created a trip video, “Hiking The Wave — Let’s Do It.” Enjoy!
When hiking in the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument a couple of weeks ago, we only saw one wildflower along the trail. It is a beautiful, but desolate area. The soft nature of this plant was a welcome site as it was spotted near the end of out day long hike in the land of sand and sedimentary rocks.
We all know the story of the guy behind the camera — he/she is never in the picture. If you have visited this blog, you know that most of the last posts have included photos taken of our trip to the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, specifically to experience and photo The Wave. There are still some I will be sharing of our return hike to the trailhead.
As we were hiking back from The Wave, there was a couple that were in The Wave while we were there, setting out to return about the same time as we. As we hiked together on the return hike, we were asked if we would like a group photo — so I abided by giving her my camera, with a few basic instructions, of course. With my camera in hand, this woman suddenly became Susan Sontag. All I can say is that I’m glad my camera is digital, not film. Here’s a short video of her photos.
I’m slowly getting through all the photos taken at the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and rather than wait to all are uploaded, I will be posting a few teasers — they are all beautiful, even if I say so myself.
For this land,
there must be
better leadership
for our tomorrows.
For this land,
there must be
protected lands
for the public.
For this land,
there must be
clean air
for the eagles to fly.
For this land,
there must be
protected heritage
for the Indians.
For this land,
there must be
sustainable development
for the desert west.
For this land,
there must be
environmental stewardship
for our children’s future.
For this land,
there must be
the union of
knowledge and wisdom.
— kenne
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