The "Must-Sees" of the American West (page 3 of 10)

Beautiful entry into the US! A 2/2 so far. (By the way, I follow an Alsatian hiker on Insta who crossed Utah, and it’s tempting me...)

😮 The colors of the White Domes at sunrise—unbelievable. It’s so stunning I don’t think you’d ever want to look away... And—wow, I’m adding this hike in Zion to my favorites (though I’ll have to see if there’s water in July; I’ll check just before, and I need to snag a ticket...).

Can’t wait to read the rest! !

For The Subway, no need to worry about water—it’s there year-round. That said, during the peak of the rainy season, it might not be as clear as it is in September. Either way, the site is worth all the effort!

Okay, great, thanks—I’ve got it noted. I’ll trade a day in Yosemite for a second day in Zion 😎.

I’ve already seen photos of The Subway in May—way too much water. That alone makes the hike tough, but the photos are also *way* less impressive! Plus, the light doesn’t reflect the same way at the canyon entrance.

On the other hand, the summer ascent at the end must be something else ;)

Hi there!

So excited to dive back into reading travel journals! I’m gonna spend hours on this 🤪 It’s so great to see everyone coming back little by little! Feels like I’m getting younger by a few years :-) Ready for what’s next (even though I’d been following along on FB)

Vinciane

Hi Vinciane! Welcome, even if you won’t learn much that’s new 😉. I forgot to tell you I’d started writing. You’ll just see different photos since the ones on FB are Franck’s...

09/26/2022: Day 3 - Coyote Buttes North

Here we are—the big day has finally arrived. A day Franck has been waiting for over 20 years, and one I’ve been waiting for more than 7, ever since that fateful day when we turned down three spots in the Kanab lottery, even though we needed five to share this moment as a family. And Sullivan? He doesn’t even know exactly what we’re about to discover. Lucky guy—he’s in for a *massive* visual slap in the face!

This famous day is dedicated to The Wave. But "The Wave" isn’t *just* The Wave... Most visitors, obsessed with this one site and lazy in their prep, don’t even realize all the hidden gems scattered around the permit zone, called Coyote Buttes North. These folks, who didn’t bother researching, "waste" their permit by limiting themselves to two or three overhyped spots. What a shame for the passionate ones who’ve waited years for their permit, in vain...

As for us—little hardworking enthusiasts—we’ve mapped out all the points of interest around here, and there are at least ten exceptional sites that are worth the detour *each*. That’s already too much for one day, especially since we’re going to take our time savoring every spot 😉. All three of us are grinning ear to ear as we start this hike. There are already a few cars at the trailhead when we arrive around 7:30.

Before we left, Philippe, aka Sedonax, told me there was no point in arriving too early at The Wave because the best time to enjoy the spot was noon. So we know we’ve got all the time in the world to get there and make a few little detours to see other things along the way.

The first site we’re going to try to see is still a well-kept secret, and I promised not to reveal its name or location. I said *try* because a few months before the trip, I learned that the bush that made access easy had been uprooted—by Sedonax, of all people. Now, you need a telescopic ladder to descend safely. From the upper part of the site, I manage to get a few photos where you can *just* make out the spot, but that’s it. Not everyone has a telescopic ladder stored in a plastic bin at their rental place, right, Yves 😉...

So we calmly head back to the main trail, already crossing insane landscapes with all these buttes characteristic of the Coyote Buttes North and South areas. Plateau Rock



Along the way, we take a slight detour of about a hundred meters to visit The Hooters (N37.00546° W112.00933°), a beautiful amphitheater we walk around. Franck circles the whole thing, following the striations to get as close as possible to the teepees.



We continue toward the main area. To our right, a stunning yellowish massif would be worth exploring. Then we take a small detour to the Rock Fins, a palette of rocky tongues tilting downward, as if suspended. In the distance, we spot two groups of hikers who followed the official trail and must’ve walked right past without even realizing what they were missing 😕. The Rock Fins (N37.00034° W112.00553°)



Next up: the Ginger Rocks, a group of hoodoos with unique purplish hues (N36.99744° W112.00544°).

Climbing the slope of these hoodoos isn’t easy, even with the grip of our Speedcross!

After another fifteen minutes of walking and a final short climb of a few dozen meters, it’s nearly noon, and we arrive at one of the two possible entrances to The Wave. The recent rains have formed a huge pool in front of the entrance, offering super photogenic reflections. We’re over the moon, spending a good twenty minutes snapping as many photos as possible. 😇😇😇



While we’re taking photos, an older gentleman—probably close to 70—arrives, dressed like a ranger. He’s definitely not the type to chase after us if we’d come without a permit and decided to run away. We start chatting, and seeing how passionate we seemed, he asked if I knew the site Waveinfo. To that, I replied: "Are you William Belvin?!". Huge surprise 😮 😮!! Bill figured I knew his site well and wasn’t a little proud! Still, he diligently checked our permits... 😏!! Once our permits were verified, we decided to go around the butte and take a corridor leading to The Wave. Beautiful patterns decorate this passage,

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Then comes the visual orgasm as we step into the heart of the wave . We capture the most famous shot





It’s noon, the perfect time, and despite potentially 60 other people being there, we’re almost alone! Only one group is still around, and two other visible groups are already positioned higher up. Everyone must have rushed to the wave early this morning, and we’re the last ones here, savoring these precious moments! Bill still being in the area, I take the opportunity to get a photo with him... 🙂

Our stomachs growling with hunger, we have a picnic on the spot with a 5-star view. Then, we decide to climb to the top of Top Rock for a bird’s-eye view of The Wave. On the way, we linger in an area with some really cool mushroom-shaped rocks.

The climb is steep but quick, and from up there, the panoramic view is stunning! A bird’s-eye view of the heart of the wave, with Bill Belvin having fun taking photos—even though he must’ve been here at least 100 times by now !



The next stop is The Alcove. Along the way, the rocks are unique with freckle-like spots, then a new arch or window, this time much larger.

The Alcove is actually a double alcove with a sand dune in the middle. Franck and I had hesitated about including The Great Chamber in our itinerary but ultimately decided against it since I’d already been there with family last July. No regrets for Franck in the end, as the yellowish and pinkish hues of one of the alcoves are gorgeous. Another spot that’s worth the visit on its own and would be overcrowded if it weren’t for the permit requirement!!



[....]

With a good setup, you can get a great view of the alcove.

Here’s a view of the second alcove, less deep than the first, but the visual effect is excellent, with a real Great Chamber vibe!



Next, we continue toward Melody Arch (N36.99104° W112.00555°).





Besides this very unique arch located in a cave, the spot offers a window view of the North Teepees. We risk climbing onto the window ledge but don’t linger, as the wind is strong, and a fall on the wrong side would be fatal... Time’s flying today—it’s already 3:30 PM, and we need to pick up the pace to see Hamburger Rock (N36.98954° W112.00195°). Moving by feel with only the GPS point for this famous rock, we eventually reach it via a higher plateau. Unfortunately, there’s no way down from this plateau to face Hamburger Rock without taking a huge detour.



Since it’s 4 PM and we *have* to be at Second Wave for sunset, we decide to settle for this viewpoint and turn back. More unique rock formations...

Second Wave comes into view quickly, but we have to descend the entire rock formation, which means we’re "forced" to pass through the Wave again.

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definitely 1- the luck of being drawn by lot! and 2- the visual punch! Is it like that throughout the whole travel journal???? I can tell I’ll be hitting refresh every hour 😛

Damn, it's so beautiful, even if it's all rocky 🤩

Right now, The Wave is partly in the shade and a bit less photogenic...

A few original striations

Just before Second Wave, we can already see the canyon we’ll use to leave Coyote Buttes North later...

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that from The Alcove onward, we didn’t run into a single person. When we arrive at Second Wave (N36.99345° W112.00813°), we’re alone again—even though at sunset, this wave is nearly as stunning as The Wave!! Too bad for the 60 clueless folks who wasted their permit’s potential, and lucky for us—we get to soak up this incredible spot to the max!!

The succession of waves is breathtaking with the setting sun!

Just before sunset, we start heading back, stars in our eyes. To do so, we take a small slot canyon that’s completely in the shade. I’d noted other spots to visit in the area, but the late hour won’t let us do more.

The return trip is easy, and when we reach the parking lot, our Tahoe is the last vehicle left. Instead of heading north, we drive further south on House Rock Valley Road, take Pine Tree Road, and set up camp at the intersection with the track leading to Cottonwood Cove. An improvised shower with a water jug, a simple meal of pasta with chicken bits, and then a great night’s sleep to recover.

Summary: 20 km of hiking. An incredible day—by far the best we’ve ever had in the Southwest!! The density of spots per km² is just exceptional, and they’re all so varied in texture and colors. Pure bliss... 😇

Damn, it's gorgeous, even if it's all mineral 🤩

I'm looking for a bit of green and some wildlife, but so far, not much to sink my teeth into . You’ll spot a few bighorns toward the end if you make it that far 😜 !

Is it like this the whole travel journal??? I can tell I’ll be refreshing every hour :P

The hardest part is having to pick only a third of the photos from my personal travel journal, which has 1,000 photos—even though I’d already narrowed them down a lot !! I’m pretty sure the photos will keep hurting for a while !! Thankfully, there were one or two days where the schedule got totally mixed up, otherwise I’d never manage to keep the journal to just 300 photos (the imposed maximum).

It's magnificent!🤩🤩🤩

Your photos are stunning, but I imagine it's hard to take a bad photo of such a place.😄

At the Needles, there's a "hamburger" even more beautiful than the one in your photos. I’m curious to see if you spotted it.☺️

I heard that the shrub that made it easy to access had been pulled out by Sedonax

I think that’s really petty. Stopping others from discovering this place isn’t cool and is really selfish. Not sharing GPS points or explaining how to get there is fine, but actually pulling out a shrub to prevent people from going down there…😠

Carmen, I wasn’t familiar with the Needles burger... So I kinda spoiled my travel journal 😎 I must’ve explained myself poorly about accessing that secret spot. The bush wasn’t pulled out on purpose. It’s just that while trying to climb back up and grabbing onto the bush, the roots gave way. He still managed to get out of that tight spot thanks to his climbing skills. No malicious intent on his part...

I must have expressed myself poorly about access to the secret spot. The shrub wasn’t pulled out on purpose. It was while trying to climb back up, grabbing onto the shrub, that the roots gave way. He still managed to get out of that tight spot thanks to his climbing skills. No malicious intent on his part...

Thanks for the clarification—it makes all the difference!😊

I hadn’t heard of the Needles burger...

Too bad, it’s really great.

So... I was the first one to use this shrub, me 😛 (at least among the French-speaking enthusiasts who know each other). It just helps stabilize during the climb. In climbing, we call this a "bombé," a kind of rounded shoulder. Even with this shrub, you still needed some climbing basics.

On the other hand, Guillaume, I'm surprised that the three of you didn't go up, because with a group it's really, *really* easier—even if you still need a bit of climbing skill... Dreamland takes clients there without gear; they help each other out. I’d talked about it with the Boss. The second person gives the first a boost, and the first helps the second up—well, that’s how I remember it. I completely forgot to check higher up to see if there was a way to place a Friend (mechanical cam) and a bit of rope. If I’d known you were going, I would’ve asked you to take some photos at the top. You need a crack between 10 and 40mm, and you use the Friend that fits.

The telescopic ladder is for accessing it from the bottom, not from the top. I’m also surprised you didn’t have the Burger Rock point (it’s on Thewave.info, and I think the GPX track to get there is too), and I have no idea how you ended up above it...

It’s simply stunning, Guillaume... it’s totally worth going back to get your license... all the beautiful things know how to make you wait 😉 It’s clear you made the most of your day 😎, but 20 km in a day isn’t doable for everyone 😕 In the meantime, your photos are absolutely dreamy—thanks so much!