Four months ago, Jackie won the advanced lottery for The Wave for Tuesday, October 29th. We invited our friend Mike T. to join us this time. The weather forecast for the week is favorable, except for some wind on Tuesday.

We leave early on Sunday morning to stop at the Navajo Bridge at Marble Canyon, where California Condors usually hang out. Unfortunately, there’s only one Condor at the bridge, and it’s perched under the bridge we’re standing on. There’s only one spot from which it’s visible and basically not shootable.

In the afternoon, we show Mike the area, take him to the lake, and visit some viewpoints.

On Monday, we head to the Wahweap Hoodoos. The first few hours are cloudy, but the weather clears up later. These hoodoos are absolutely captivating, and the changing light conditions make them even more stunning.

The weather forecast for Tuesday becomes more specific, predicting winds of 8 to 22 mph with gusts of up to 43 mph. We leave the hotel at 5:30 am and embark on our hike in the dark, using our flashlights. The wind is strong, but it’s manageable so far. As we approach The Wave, the wind gusts intensify, and the sand stings against our skin, feeling like a relentless sandblasting. We can’t find a spot that’s even slightly protected from the wind. It seems that these rock formations act like funnels, intensifying the wind even more — it’s quite unpleasant. Despite the challenging conditions, Mike still takes out his camera, Marco and I leave ours in our backpacks, as it’s not worth ruining our gear for shots we already have from previous visits here. I take a few pictures with my phone. We show Mike around but don’t stay long before heading back out again.

On Wednesday, we put the off-road capabilities of our Jeep to test, first descending Crosby Canyon all the way to Warm Creek Bay and then ascending steeply up Smokey Mountain Road to reach the breath-taking Smokey Mountain Overlook. It offers a panoramic view of the awe-inspiring cliffs that adorn the backside of Lake Powell. From there, we descended on Smokey Hollow Road, immersing ourselves in the fascinating landscape.

In the afternoon, we drive out to Alstrom Point, a place that consistently captivates with its beauty, presenting a unique perspective of the lake. Marco skillfully navigates through creeks and over and around rocks, leading us to these extraordinary locations before safely returning us onto paved roads and eventually home. 

We will be back!