Hike to The Wave, Part 4:

We are now up to seven miles into our hiking up and down buttes, through soft sand, and over large rocks, and we still have not visited The Wave. Our legs were starting to fatigue (remember we are also carrying a lot of photography gear in our packs). And as all you premium athletes know, once the legs go, then the mind quickly follows. We trudged up yet another butte to reach the Wave. How would it compare to our visit just over three years ago? Last visit was in early November with perfect conditions for photography. How different would the sun’s angle be? How would it affect the shots I wanted to take? These questions along with my tiring legs were giving me some trepidation.

At last, we arrived to find it looked a lot different than we remembered. There was a lot more dirt on the ground.  OK, it’s a desert, so there is a lot of sand everywhere. But, the place just looked a bit dirty to me. There was also quite a bit of ice on the ground. It hasn’t rained here in weeks (remember, it is a desert).  I guess the ice stays around with the consistent cold in December (yes, it gets cold in Arizona). Walking around to take photos will now be  a lot more challenging. And, add to this the position of the sun, which is definitely lower than last time. This is not so good because it creates a lot of shadowy areas.

OK, enough whining. It’s time to shoot!

Here is an overall shot. Notice all the dirt/sand on the ground. And see the creeping shadows on the left.

Poor sun angle and much dirt - not as nice as last time.

Poor sun angle and much dirt – not as nice as last time.

Here is a person who is having some trouble navigating the ice in The Wave. She finally gave up and walked all the way around to get in.

The ice made it dicey to navigate. She should have brought her ice skates!

The ice made it dicey to navigate. She should have brought her ice skates!

Here is a shot that incorporates the ice on the ground.

A lot of ice - bit it did make for an interesting photo.

A lot of ice – bit it did make for an interesting photo.

Finally, here is a shot of The Wave from up high. How many people can you count that were there at the time of this photo?

Remember, there are only 20 allowed at the Wave per day.

Remember, there are only 20 allowed at the Wave per day.

If you are interested in seeing The Wave as we saw it three years ago, check out these photos in our portfolio: Wave! and Enveloped by the Wave.

Remember, it’s all about the light, even if it is a bit uncooperative!