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Coyote Buttes are a striking geological formation of the Colorado plateau.
More specifically, they are scattered in the Paria Wilderness Area, straddling Utah and Arizona,
north of the Grand Canyon. I visited in April 2003. Coyote Buttes can be accessed from the North
or the South.
Relatively accessible is North Coyote Buttes where one can hike a
2-hr unmarked trail to The Wave, The Swirl and Hamburger Hill through a wilderness area. Far,
far from the roads, the crowds, in the still air of the desert, we found a silence so complete that we could
hear each other breathe several feet away. Birds were singing in the distance; but how far their
songs carried, I cannot tell, but it did seem like a fair distance. The previous night had been windless,
leaving mouse, lizard and even centipede and beetle tracks intact, a reminder of the feverish activity that
occurs in the cool and the dark.
Far, far less accessible (a long, arduous unmarked 4-wheel drive on sandy track) are
South Coyote Buttes . The lack of accessibility is a blessing, for the site is as
fragile as it is magnificent. It receives few visitors. One mortified member of our party,
barely weighing over 100 lbs, slipped and crushed a fragile fin despite walking slowly and respectfully.
So fragile that the hiker is justified to fear that it would all crumble at the touch - we visited,
hands off, light-footed. South Coyote Buttes features a variety of rock formations that defy both
escription and imagination, found nowhere else in the world. This eroded bed of weirdly contorted
sand dunes, with thin, alternating very soft and barely harder layers, is quite surreal.
On the day of our visit, we experienced variable, unpredictable weather. The morning gave us a hail storm,
snow, and rain. Having reached South Coyote Butttes in the afternoon, conflicting air masses, unimpeded
by hills or vegetation, created suddent alternations of violent driving gusts of wind (like a sandstorm) and
perfectly still air. The clouds were moving rapidly overhead, and snow or rain could be seen falling
in the distance.
Hiking permits are few (10 per day) and must be obtained months in advance from the
Bureau of Land Management, on a first-come, first-served basis.
They are rumoured to be snatched within minutes of being offered.
Because the trails are not marked, they are not suitable for inexperienced hikers. The desert
environment is unforgiving and there are not sources of water on the trail. Many lucky
permit-holders, sadly, fail to even reach the relatively easy Wave. If your visit to the
Paria wilderness is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I recommend you spend money and hire a guide.
Our hired guide, Kate, was agreeable, knowledgeable,
and showed us the very best spots and photo angles. The photogenic areas are minuscule, unmarked,
hidden, and the Paria Wilderness is vast, daunting, and you may not meet a single soul on your way - don't
count on being able to ask someone for directions once there.
And fellow photographers, let us remember to respect our natural heritage, unlike shamed photographer
Michael Fatali.
For more Arizona hikes, visit Arizona Paths.
Don't hesitate to e-mail me with questions or comments.
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