The Wave

Joe and I left Avery with my sister Jenn for a couple of days and went hiking/camping with friends Derek and Michelle. Despite the stress of leaving my baby for the first time, the trip was extremely fun.

The first night away we camped on the sandy shores of Lake Powell. I would like to note that I wanted very much to swim but no one in my party was interested. The next morning we headed out for a hike called "the Wave." It is in southern Utah just outside of Page. I think that our expectations were really high since it is really hard to get a permit to hike here. There is a lottery and only 20 hikers a day are allowed to hike in to see the wave. This being the case, Joe and I were a little let down by the hike. Okay, more Joe than me. I thought the hike was beautiful just as a hike and the destination was a bonus. Joe, being tired and HOT, felt that the destination did not really make up for the hiking conditions, i.e.: NO SHADE!

Note all of the bare rock we had to cover. What you can't see is the amount of deep sand we also had to traverse. In some places I am pretty sure that it was a soft 10 inches deep. We could have used snow shoes at some points. But, like I said, I thought it was beautiful even if it was hot and sandy. And "the Wave" itself:

AWESOME! It blows my mind all of the different types of rock and formations that form in one fairly small location. You know that it is changed by wind and water, but why can rocks separated by a few feet turn out so different? It was amazing.

The only thing that was not amazing was the state of my feet at the end of the hike. I've never had so many blisters. Apparently there is a reason someone invented socks specifically for hiking. I really need to invest in a pair. I don't think I'll be able to wear a real shoe for a week.