If you go to the Wave in Arizona, DON'T MISS THIS! 

If you go to the Wave in Arizona, DON'T MISS THIS!
We were recently able to visit two amazing places; the Wave in Coyote Buttes North and White Pocket in Vermilion Cliffs. Which is better?
That's a trick question. They're both completely different and both entirely amazing.
Our day started at the Wave. I have a much more detailed video about the permit process:
• How to get permits for...
And another about the hike itself:
• Hiking the Wave in Ari...
If you want to go to the wave, I HIGHLY recommend you check those out. First, because the permit process to get to The Wave is extremely complicated and very difficult. Second, because there is a lot to see at The Wave, and most people don't know that. And if you go through the pain of getting a permit, you should see everything you can. (Note that a lot of those 'extras' - Top Rock Arch, the Second Wave, the Alcove & Melody Arch - are included in this video. But the details on how to get to them are not.)
Anyway, the wave is amazing. And there is always something new to discover. On this trip we visited The Wave (of course), Top Rock Arch, The Second Wave, The Alcove and Melody Arch. We also found an area just outside the wave entrance to the Wave that I didn't know existed. We decided to call it The Third Wave. And it was a highlight of the trip for me.
Even then, we didn't visit the Bone Yard, the dinosaur tracks, Big Mac or a nearby colorful slot canyon we saw on a previous trip. Take my word for it, there is more to The Wave than just The Wave.
Leave early, have your itinerary marked and enjoy. The Wave is incredible.
The Wave is also fully exposed to the sun in the Arizona desert. And this was June. So we left early. But that also meant we finished up early. Early enough to take our friend Christee over to see another nearby rock formation called White Pocket.
White Pocket requires no permits. But it is still difficult to get to. The roads to White Pocket are deep sand. And I mean DEEP SAND. We had a lifted 4Runner with off road tires, but also felt it was important to bring self rescue gear like sand boards, and air compressor and shovels. And for good reason. The roads were worse than I remember. There is a short section right at the end that was especially deep. You could see it was littered with wood where people had gotten stuck and put wood under their tires to try to get out.
On the way, we came up on a group of three in a Jeep who were stranded. (The clutch went out, among other problems.) One of them (Robin), REALLY wanted to see White Pocket, so we all piled into the 4Runner and kept going.
White Pocket is amazing. Completely different than The Wave, but no less impressive. Brain rock, red swirls....What? How is something like this out here in the middle of nowhere?
You can wander around White Pocket to where ever you want. See something you want to climb? Climb it. Want to fly a drone? Fly it. You can camp there. You can look for dinosaur tracks, because of course those are there too. And if you look hard enough and do your homework, you can see some nearby petroglyphs as well. Because I guess someone felt all the rest wasn't enough to sufficiently blow your mind.
So what is better? White Pocket or The Wave? That's like asking if I like the mountaintops better than the deep recesses of a slot canyon....It's nature. It makes you feel small. It takes your breath away. It fills your soul. I just feel privileged to be able to see these places.
Music by Epidemic Sound:
Mountain Spring High - Gabriel Lewis
Amber Pull - Trevor Kowalski
Heart of the River of the Sun - Lama House
Venetian Blinds - Mattias Tell
Beyond the Rainbow - Polar Nights
Lunar - Hallman
If you click on the links below - and especially if you buy from these links - I'll get compensation. So that would be cool. No, I'm not sponsored by them, but I love the products.
Filmed on:
GoPro Hero 9 Black:
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Canon EOS R:
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Weebil S gimbal for your DSLR:
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