USA TODAY International Edition
Vermilion Cliffs: Arizona’s lost land
Mother Nature puts the ‘wild’ in wilderness
The Vermilion Cliffs are Arizona’s Atlantis. They’re a lost land, full of legends and mysteries, hard to reach and even harder to leave. The fortunate few who have been there come stumbling out of the wilderness raving about slot canyons that never end, freakish hoodoos, formations stretched like taffy and jagged rocks protruding like the spiny fin of some ancient beast lying in wait.
The towering escarpment runs for more than 30 miles across the Arizona Strip, stretching along U.S. 89A from Lees Ferry west to House Rock Valley. The wall of rock reaches heights of 3,000 feet and forms the southern edge of Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.
Established in 2000, the monument will celebrate its 15th anniversary in November, and it remains one of the most isolated corners of the state. Hidden within its stark expanse are diverse landscapes such as the sculpted beauty of Coyote Buttes and White Pocket, and the carved defiles of Buckskin Gulch and Paria Canyon.
Exploring the Wave
The Paria River winds through a long canyon filled with amphitheaters, arches and alcoves on its way to join the Colorado River at Lees Ferry. Buckskin Gulch, the Paria’s main tributary, is the longest and deepest slot canyon in the Southwest. It stretches for 12 miles, with dark sinewy walls rarely wider than 20 feet apart and often half that.
Only recently has Coyote Buttes emerged as a bucket-list destination for adventurers worldwide. That’s because of the Wave, an exotic sandstone bowl laced with ribbons of swirling strata. The undulating curves and radiant pastels create a hypnotic scene beloved by photographers.
Visiting the Wave is complicated because of its remote location and permits are extremely difficult to obtain. To protect the delicate sandstone structure and preserve the wilderness experience, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management limits access to 20 people per day. Of those, 10 are chosen in an online lottery four months in advance and 10 are reserved for walk-ins. A daily lottery is held at the field office in Kanab, Utah, awarding permits for the following day.
John Morey, a Tempe-based photographer, has been captivated by the area since he attended a photo workshop in 2009 that used Lees Ferry Lodge at Vermilion Cliffs as a base camp. In a Jeep loaded with photography equipment, he’s made seven visits to the Wave.
“My introduction to the area was those cliffs and that lodge,” Morey said. “From that point, with only having seen a photo referenced here and there, I knew I had to come back to explore what was on top of and behind those cliffs.”
Reaching the Wave requires a threemile hike across open wilderness and through deep sand. There are no signs and no trail. Permits include a map and directions with compass points and photos. The trek challenges the navigational skills of even experienced hikers, which can have deadly consequences. In 2013, three people died in the summer heat. Another person fell to his death while trying to hike back in the dark.
“Map skills and a GPS are essential here for safety, as well as a great deal of water during the hot months. The area can be deadly and unforgiving for those who don’t plan well and don’t know their limits,” Morey said.
That goes for much of the area. There are no paved roads within the monument. House Rock Valley Road is graded dirt but often impassable in wet weather. Nearly every other road in the monument requires a four-wheel-drive, highclearance vehicle. This is wild country in every sense of the word.
“Every time I go back, it’s different,” Morey said. “Because I’ve changed, my perspective is different. But when I’m there I always think, if only I can age and weather as gracefully as this terrain.”