Photo Of The Day and Natural History Commentary

Geotagging

Mon, 05 May 2008 18:32:08 +0000

There won’t be much blogging or posting of new images for a while. I am currently geotagging my images, and have tagged about 12,000 of my 20,000+ photographs. When the geotagging is completed there will be some interesting new possibilities for presenting the images, including incorporating global mapping and visualization software. It should all be implemented in about two weeks….

The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Vermilion Cliffs / Paria Canyon Wilderness, Arizona

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:01:55 +0000

The Wave is such a wonderful place, I still get excited looking at the images I photographed there a few weeks ago. I was fortunate to have near-perfect conditions to make my hike and take photos. I spent the entire day out among the North Coyote Buttes and would have stayed longer if overnight camping was permitted there.

OK, this is last time I post a photo of the Wave! Well, at least until next month, when I return for a second time to try some different techniques. I was lucky to get permits two months in a row in the lottery, for the two most sought-after months (April and May), so in late May I will go back, knowing what mistakes I made the first time around and hoping to correct them while they are still fresh in my mind.

The Wave, an area of fantastic eroded sandstone featuring beautiful swirls, wild colors, countless striations, and bizarre shapes set amidst the dramatic surrounding North Coyote Buttes of Arizona and Utah. The sandstone formations of the North Coyote Buttes, including the Wave, date from the Jurassic period. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Wave is located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness and is accessible on foot by permit only. North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20608
Location: North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA

The website has lots more photos of the Wave, North Coyote Buttes

The Second Wave

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:08:50 +0000

The Second Wave is found a few hundred yards from the Wave itself. While the Second Wave is characterized by striated sandstone in the same way that the Wave is, beyond that it is quite different in appearance, having a half-hourglass shape and being somewhat lighter in color. For photography the best light on the Second Wave occurs just before the sun sets behind the hills to the west, setting the ridges and striations in strong relief:

The Second Wave at sunset. The Second Wave, a curiously-shaped sandstone swirl, takes on rich warm tones and dramatic shadowed textures at sunset. Set in the North Coyote Buttes of Arizona and Utah, the Second Wave is characterized by striations revealing layers of sedimentary deposits, a visible historical record depicting eons of submarine geology. North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20606
Location: North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA

Photos of the Second Wave, North Coyote Buttes

Brain Rocks

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:02:37 +0000

Brain Rocks are found in the vicinity around the Wave. Here are some sporting a view across the Navaho sandstone of the North Coyote Buttes:

Brain rocks, curious sandstone formations in the North Coyote Buttes. North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20611
Location: North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA

Photos of the Wave, North Coyote Buttes

The Heart of the Wave

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 08:00:00 +0000

Sitting on the rim of the main bowl of the Wave – right where the photograph below was taken – I watched a couple of hikers arriving. There reaction was natural: no sooner did they step foot through the entry passage than they looked around at the strange surroundings in awe. As one of them walked toward me, she turned around and suddenly said “Oh, its the Heart of the Wave!” She must have recognized the view (below) that is oft-repeated in photographs, and her name for this view must have been coined by someone before her. It seemed quite fitting to me. So thus it is, the Heart of the Wave:

The Wave, an area of fantastic eroded sandstone featuring beautiful swirls, wild colors, countless striations, and bizarre shapes set amidst the dramatic surrounding North Coyote Buttes of Arizona and Utah. The sandstone formations of the North Coyote Buttes, including the Wave, date from the Jurassic period. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Wave is located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness and is accessible on foot by permit only. North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20625
Location: North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA

What process produced this geologic oddity? Diagenic coloration arising from stratigraphic relationships among the sandstone layers. Navaho sandstone, almost 200 million years old, was formed from what were formerly sand dunes, compressed and hardened into their current stony form. The colorations stems from iron oxides (think rust!) such as goethite and hematite, with colors ranging from oranges and yellows to salmon, reds and purples.

Photos of the Wave, North Coyote Buttes

The Perfect Skatepark

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:00:00 +0000

Before X-Games and Tony Hawk, nay even before Bahne skateboards, Chicago trucks and Cadillac wheels, there was the Wave. Formed in the days before mankind walked erect, indeed before there was a mankind, God created the ultimate skatepark, one that has yet to be improved upon. The Wave has waited through the eons as man developed lungs, legs, self-awareness, bipedal balance and, finally, sufficient disregard for his own survival to Ride the Board. Hidden in the parched desert of northwestern Arizona, the Perfect Skatepark has been gently, slowly, delicately carved by the sands and winds of time, eroded into unsurpassed contours of verticality that beckon those Most Evolved Humans, the ones who heed the call to bend gravity through a 720° mobius. On Any Given Sunday only a fortunate 20 are chosen to visit by The Man. I have finally lain eyes upon the Perfect Skatepark and my Skate Perspective will never be the same. Ride on.

The Wave, an area of fantastic eroded sandstone featuring beautiful swirls, wild colors, countless striations, and bizarre shapes set amidst the dramatic surrounding North Coyote Buttes of Arizona and Utah. The sandstone formations of the North Coyote Buttes, including the Wave, date from the Jurassic period. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Wave is located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness and is accessible on foot by permit only. North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20614
Location: North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA

Photos of the Wave, North Coyote Buttes

Diagenetic Coloration in Sandstone

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:00:00 +0000

Not far from the Second Wave is a broad swatch of sandstone displaying exellent examples of diagenetic coloration, various iron oxides producing different colors in the Navaho sandstone strata, dating from the Jurassic era:

Striations in sandstone tell of eons of sedimentary deposits, a visible geologic record of the time when this region was under the sea. North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20612
Location: North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA

Photos of the Wave, North Coyote Buttes

Hiking the Wave in Arizona’s North Coyote Buttes

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:00:00 +0000

Walking around the area surrounding the Wave in Arizona’s Paria Canyon / Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, one is certain to find this interesting alcove. During the time of day that it lies in shade, it receives only deep red light reflected from neighboring walls. That, combined with its own coloration, results in some parts of the wall taking on nearly purple shades.

The Wave, an area of fantastic eroded sandstone featuring beautiful swirls, wild colors, countless striations, and bizarre shapes set amidst the dramatic surrounding North Coyote Buttes of Arizona and Utah. The sandstone formations of the North Coyote Buttes, including the Wave, date from the Jurassic period. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Wave is located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness and is accessible on foot by permit only. North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20609
Location: North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA

Photos of the Wave, North Coyote Buttes

A Day At The Wave, Part IV

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:47:28 +0000

Once I reached the Wave and got over my initial wonder, I began to wander around and explore the whole area. For a photographer it is hard not to start taking photos as soon as one sets foot inside the Wave. Just like everyone else, I immediately shot some pics, but then set the camera back in the bag and left the main bowl of the Wave behind for a while. While the Heart of the Wave, as the main bowl is sometimes called, is the natural focal point for first time visitors, the surrounding brain rocks, alcoves, layered and cross-hatched sandstone are all curious and mesmerizing in their own right. After a few hours exploring I found that what caught my interest the most were the details within the heart of the Wave itself. The more prominant striations seem like ribs on the inside of some great geologic abdomen, holding the skin taut. It is amazing to think of the years of Jurassic history represented by the countless layers seen so beautifully in cross-section in the Wave.

The Wave, an area of fantastic eroded sandstone featuring beautiful swirls, wild colors, countless striations, and bizarre shapes set amidst the dramatic surrounding North Coyote Buttes of Arizona and Utah. The sandstone formations of the North Coyote Buttes, including the Wave, date from the Jurassic period. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Wave is located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness and is accessible on foot by permit only. North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20607
Location: North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA

The wind did strengthen during the day, but it could hardly be felt within the heart of the Wave itself. The bowl-shaped Heart of the Wave and the surrounding cones and bluffs made it nearly dead-calm within the bowl. Hiking up and out of the bowl to explore the shoulders of the ridge and up towards the alcove and notch high above, I encountered some stiff wind that grew stronger as the day went on.

There were some other visitors at the Wave, of course. Interestingly, at least a third of the visitors the day I was there were German: three independent couples all making multi-week trips through the American Southwest (e.g., Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Bisti Badlands, Page, etc.) One German fellow, who had been to the Wave twice previously, kindly pointed me to the “Second Wave“, which I hoped to photograph at sunset. He also informed me that the Wave has become particularly popular with Germans after it was featured in a movie. Most of the other hikers arrived some time after me and left earlier in the day, so it was not hard for me to find solitude during the day. In fact, everyone else had left by about 3pm, so I had the entire Wave area to myself from that point on. It was perfectly quiet with the exception of wind gusts sounding on the ridge above and the occasional bird. I stayed until sunset and hiked out in the dark. Once I left the becalmed heart of the Wave and hit the trail, I was met head-on with a stiff, sand-filled wind. In spite of the dark I kept my sunglasses on, hitched up my jacket and jammed back to the car, trying to ignore the constant trickle of sand slipping between my neck and collar. Once in the car I blazed back through Kanab, Hurricane, St. George then on to Vegas arriving after midnight. A great day, but killer tiring.

A Day At The Wave, Part III

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:44:19 +0000

The walk to the the Wave is really not all that difficult. There are only a few hundred feet of elevation gain, and it is only about 3 miles from trailhead to the Wave proper, so one would be hard-pressed indeed to consider it anything more than a moderate hike. The terrain is wonderful and varied: striated and eroded sandstone slopes, dramatic buttes and a number of large cones are seen along the way. Some of the trail is soft sand, while the rest is sandstone slickrock. Lightweight hiking boots (the kind with grippy soles for adhering to the slickrock) or running shoes are what is called for in this area. I tried to use my walk as a workout in lieu of my daily run, travelling out to the Wave at a fairly quick clip, only stopping once for a photo. Nevertheless, in spite of the pace I was able to admire the grand surroundings that rose up around me. About 60 minutes after leaving the trailhead I reached the top of the final sandy section of the trail and had arrived at the entrance to the Wave. Turning around to view the area I had just covered gave this view. Note the bluff in the distance, in the upper left of the photo: the entire bluff is an amazing cross-hatched display of stratified sandstone, with every shade of red, yellow and orange imaginable. In the foreground is the bowl-like entrance to the Wave. More tomorrow.

The Wave, an area of fantastic eroded sandstone featuring beautiful swirls, wild colors, countless striations, and bizarre shapes set amidst the dramatic surrounding North Coyote Buttes of Arizona and Utah. The sandstone formations of the North Coyote Buttes, including the Wave, date from the Jurassic period. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Wave is located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness and is accessible on foot by permit only. North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20644
Location: North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA

In case you want some GPS coordinates, here are the ones I logged on my walk. They roughly correspond to the GPS coordinates provided by the BLM, with a couple additional ones thrown in for good measure. I found that my GPS differed from the BLM waypoints by 50-100′ or so and decided it was best to store my own series of waypoints on my walk to the Wave since I was planning to return to my car after sunset in enough darkness that I would not be able to rely on the visual cues that make the hike simple in the daytime. (As it turned out the return to the car was still pretty straightforward after sunset, in spite of the lack of light – I did not need to use the GPS.)

37.02000, 112.01589 (Wire Pass trailhead)
37.01723, 112.01313
37.01541, 112.00893
37.01311, 112.00835
37.01015, 112.00832
37.00328, 112.00689
36.99945, 112.00633
36.99597, 112.00619 (The Wave)

Photos of the Wave, North Coyote Buttes