When planning our trip to the canyons of the Southwest, we had planned to hit Bryce, Zion, Monument Valley, Arches, Antelope Canyon but I hadn't really heard much about the Vermillion Cliffs. Once I started doing some looking, I found there was a VERY popular place called "The WAVE". The Wave resides in Coyote Buttes NORTH permit area. Only 10 permits per day are issued ahead of time on the Internet and 10 are issued the day before at the BLM office in Kanab. VERY tough to get into due to the popularity (I think the Internet bookings were solid until October when we looked in Early Feb). Someone on Flickr mentioned that the Coyote Buttes SOUTH may not have "The WAVE" but still had some really cool and probably more varied scenery than the North. Plus, less people try to get in, so the 20 permits that are available daily via the Internet can be easier to get. We checked online and 2 permits were available for ONE of the days of our time in the area... At $5/person we snatched them up!
We learned next that the roads into the area are "dubious" in good weather and downright "scary" when the weather is wet and that we'd be wise to hire a guide. $175/person later we were hooked up with one of the oldest outfits in the area, Paria Outpost and Outfitters.. a decision that I am super glad we took. Well, without much more babbling... here are some pictures from the FIRST half of the day spent at Coyote Buttes South. Another post will have the second half of the day, which we spent at "White Pocket"
1. Southern "Wave"
Coyote Buttes South by DragonSpeed, on Flickr2. Precarious Balance of the "Control Tower" or "Dali's Tower"
Coyote Buttes South by DragonSpeed, on Flickr3. Welcome to another world
Coyote Buttes South by DragonSpeed, on Flickr4. Line painters stop for nothing
Coyote Buttes South by DragonSpeed, on Flickr5. Fragile Beauty - Millimetre thick fins of rock in the falling snow
Coyote Buttes South by DragonSpeed, on Flickr6. Amazing patterns
Coyote Buttes South by DragonSpeed, on FlickrThere are so many amazing structures and patterns... More at the Flickr set: https://flic.kr/s/aHsk8BfW8X
Comments and Critique always welcome!
