The Wave is one of those places where you see photos and wonder if it’s AI or so Photoshopped, it can’t possibly look like that in real life. It looks like a different planet.
It’s also one of the hardest places to hike to… and I’m not talking about the hike itself. You need a permit to hike there, and the Bureau of Land Management limits permits to 64 people each day. That’s it. Permits are distributed through an online lottery with some being chosen four months in advance and the rest the day before. Also, you pay a fee to enter the lottery, even if you don’t get a permit.
It’s the only legal lottery in Utah!!
My friend Sumitra (whom I met on this backpacking trip) had been applying for permits off-and-on for about ten years when she finally scored one a few months ago.
I was so honored that she thought of me when she scored this elusive permit. Even though my kids are busy with comp soccer and track and field right now, my husband made it work so I could sneak away for two nights down to Kanab for this likely once-in-a-lifetime hike.
I drove down to Kanab on a Monday morning and took my time. I listened to podcasts and bought car snacks that I didn’t have to share. I met up with Sumitra, Nancy, and Sue. They flew in from Indianapolis and had spent the weekend in Las Vegas. We explored Moqui Cave. The cave has a fascinating history, but it was very touristy and gimmicky. Thankfully, it was only $7. Any more and I don’t think it would have been worth it.
We ate dinner at Wild Thyme Grill where the food was pricey but delicious. I had three shrimp tacos with a nice slaw. We called it a night early because we planned to head out to the trailhead before 5am.
I barely got any sleep that night. I struggle to fall asleep when I know I have to be up early, so it wasn’t a huge surprise. Whatever.
It was about an hour’s drive to the Wire Pass Trailhead. The road getting there is dirt and clay and apparently almost impassable when it’s wet and your vehicle doesn’t have 4WD. Thankfully, it was dry.
We hit the trail just as the sun was peeking above the horizon and enjoyed a lovely 3-ish miles through sand and slick rock to The Wave. The trail is marked only in a few spots, so having a map with GPS is really important on this hike. Apparently, some people end up not finding The Wave at all. Thankfully, all of us had maps downloaded on our phones and Sumitra had a printed map that included photos of some rock formations that helped us know that we were going the right way.
The views along the way were expansive and epic.
Oooh! A puddle! <—- literally what I said.
We got to The Wave by about 7am and wow.
This puddle made for some awesome reflections.
You can see Top Rock Arch at the top of this photo.
We wandered around a bit taking photos and checking out the area from different angles.
Sue, Nancy, and Sumitra continued hiking up to find a few other landmarks like Top Rock Arch, Melody Arch, and The Alcove. I wasn’t feeling great, so I opted to hang out in the shade and take photos. I wasn’t sure if I hadn’t had enough to eat or if I was just feeling off because of lack of sleep. I made sure to eat (Uncrustables FTW) and included something salty and sweet.
We hung around the area for a few hours and then went back to check out The Wave around noon with minimal shadows. It REALLY made a difference!
We saw less than a dozen people the whole day.
After enjoying a snack break we started heading back to the trailhead. It took a few miles before I figured out why I wasn’t feeling well, it was my electrolytes! I was eating and drinking plenty, and one of my bottles had Liquid IV in it, but it wasn’t enough salt. I had to stop a few times because I was starting to feel woozy. Of course there was no shade and it was about 90°F. I knew it wasn’t dehydration because I was still sweating and my nose was even running. But any uphill sections killed me and I had to stop. Nancy offered me some electrolyte gels and I felt better within 10 minutes. I’m definitely adding those to my hiking pack now.
We got back to our hotels, showered, and met up for dinner at Peekaboo Canyon Wood Fired Kitchen in Kanab. The food was all vegetarian and delicious. I had a wonderful margarita that further replaced my electrolytes along with a pizza that had pears, gorgonzola, arugula, sage, and roasted pepitas. We ate outside, under their awnings, and it rained on us for about five minutes. It was kind of awesome.
I explored a little bit of Kanab the next day, looking for souvenirs. I wanted a Christmas ornament for The Wave and I picked up some postcards. We often send postcards to family members when we travel. This time, I sent them from my kids and wrote, “Mom went on this awesome hike and left us at home!”
Gear:
Deuter 24L Backpack (discontinued, but link is the new version)
Nalgene Water Bottle (I froze it the night before so the water stayed cold most of the day)
Owala Water Bottle (I kept Liquid IV in it with ice)
Hoka Stinson Trail Running Shoes (my fav for my wide, pronating feet)
P-Style & Kula Cloth (for nature’s calls)
Adidas Bucket Hat from Costco ;-)
Adding Clif Bloks Hydration Chews to my pack! The margarita or watermelon flavors have extra sodium.
All in all, it was a really fantastic trip. I got to do a short road trip all by myself and sleep in a hotel room for two whole nights by myself (well, I slept 1 of those nights). The area around Kanab is spectacular and I would love to come back with my family and explore some more with Kanab as a basecamp. Even my kids were jealous and they never want to hike with me anymore.
Things to see around Kanab:
The Wave (duh!), Buckskin Gulch, Peekaboo Slot Canyon, The Belly of the Dragon, Moqui Sand Caves, Toadstool Hoodoos, Willis Creek Trail, Mansard Great Diverse. Plus, it’s a 30 min drive to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, 35 min to Zion National Park, and about 80 min to Bryce Canyon National Park. Lake Powell is less than an hour away and The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is only 1 hour and 45 min away.