T-Travel Photography
Zdenko Takac & Iveta Takacova
Landscape, Travel & Fine Art Photography
Mt St Helens & Willamette NP
You can visit the Wave at any time of day but keep in mind that it can be too hot in the afternoon, especially in the summer. Once you get to the bottom of the Wave, you need to climb up and it requires a huge amount of stamina. It is almost a complete vertical hill, some parts are covered with sand, which makes this hike even harder. When you make it to the top you are welcomed by the most spectacular geological formation you have ever seen.
We felt guilty walking over such beauty as if walking on those fragile eroded lines could break them. We were trying to make the smallest impact possible in this area to preserve it for many generations to come. We truly felt blessed witnessing this remarkable place with our own eyes.
The 5km hike to the Wave was that much harder for us as the previous day we hiked the whole day in the Coyote Buttes South in deep sand and hot temperatures. It was equally hot during this day but the hike seemed to be easier as there was not as much deep sand. You mostly walk on the rock.
We just found out that n yet another tragedy a young woman died on her way back from the Wave at the end of July 2013. It was probably due to heat exhaustion. This was the third fatality this month at The Wave. As a result, the BLM is currently considering adding additional signs marking the way to The Wave, and making changes to the permit process so that people do not feel compelled to hike in on questionable days.
There are no trailmarks (apart from a couple) but if you follow the map instructions, you should be fine. Make sure that you have plenty of water and a hat as there are no trees with shades in sight. Sunglasses are also a good idea not only as protection from the sun but winds can get quite strong in this area.
Strong winds that blow sand around can also damage your camera lenses, so make sure that you use lens covers when you are not taking photos.