Hiking the Wave in Arizona (One of America's Best Hikes) 

Me, too.

... truly a life time experience 😁

Sand blown by the wind over time carved and smoothed it out

@@johng5710 thanks for explanation.

I went a few years ago so maybe it's changed, but no limit within your permitted day. 12am-1159pm. They used to limit it but that forced people to hike in the heat of the sun, so they opened it up to all day.

@@andrewcotton4382 that’s good to hear, thank you Andrew! The heat is nothing to play with

It certainly isn't. (Prepare for possibly to much context). You'll notice there's pretty much no opportunity for shade and next to no water, especially if you don't know where to look for it. The only reason they even have the limited signs is because 4 people died in a single week and there was public outcry. So they put up 4 signs that are not permanently affixed because, as the ranger who prepped us said, "we're not Moab, we don't just pound stuff into the rocks. The signs could be blown over, covered by fog, or in the back of some guys truck because he thought it would be a good souvenir. Really, I found that". The problem lies in the big saddle. People remember they went over it and need to go back, but there's a reason they use that one. There's often not a safe way down the other side. And if you've just expended a lot of energy getting to the top in 110 degree heat, you could be in trouble. Then of course flash floods that could wash through the trail or wipe out the road to it. They do a good job of scaring you - I mean making sure you know what you're getting into. I went in late fall so heat wasn't an issue, but part of the reason I won the permit first time was because there was 100% chance of rain the next day and the initial speech scared off most of the applicants as "if you win the permit and choose to not go due to weather, you still may not apply again for another 2 weeks". This left is with a 4 in 13 chance of winning and our number was chosen first. We hired one of the approved tour guides, which was a great decision. They drove us to and from the hike, and of course led us along the way. It was great not to have to worry about getting lost or stuck, and they showed us many of the other features of the area including dinosaur tracks, hamburger rock and the boneyard. They also took us on a route where the reveal of the Wave was from the iconic picture spot, which was a nice touch. Get out there if you can! Thanks for coming to my Ted talk!

@@andrewcotton4382 wow, this is all great background. It did seem like the signs posted were put there because they had to, not that they wanted to. I think “scaring” people with the truth even if slightly exaggerated is warranted. They need to know that place isn’t like others and needs to be viewed differently. The tour guide sounds like a great option. Thank you for sharing.