Eyes on the Prize
The most difficult solo photo trek I’ve ever undertaken was into a restricted, permit-only area on the Arizona-Utah boundary, popularly known as “The Wave.”
A maximum of twenty people per day were allowed into this ecologically-sensitive area. Ten permits were given on a first-requested basis six months in advance. The other ten permits were distributed via an in-person lottery the day before at the Paria River Ranger Station. I was there and blessed to receive a permit for the next day, May 3, 2003.
[Please note: Regulations for entering Coyote Buttes North and methods for navigating in this area have changed significantly. What I describe here are the circumstances that existed for me more than two decades ago during pre-digital camera days when I shot film.]
This experience was in the early days of cell phones and GPS, of which I had neither. There was almost no trail to the destination. Navigation had to be done by viewing and memorizing photographs of landmarks the day before with a ranger. One of the pieces of advice from the ranger was, after about a mile, look for a certain landmark on the horizon and then constantly focus on heading for that spot.
Early on May 3rd, after an hour’s drive from Page, Arizona, I arrived at the trailhead. I added energy bars and Gatorade to my pack, strapped on my gear, and with much trepidation, began the no-shade, 3.2-mile one-way journey. A lot of my hiking was through soft sand or over steeply sloping slabs of sandstone. The wind that blew, rather than being refreshing, felt like it came out of a blast furnace. The breezes also served to coat my arms, neck, and face with fine grains of orange sand, causing me to feel (and probably look) like a walking sheet of 220-grit sandpaper.
However, I kept heading towards the ranger-directed landmark and, after about three hours, I arrived at a landscape that was almost beyond words. Undulating, gravity-defying, multi-colored bands of sandstone wove throughout a relatively small area. Now, decades later, I still count this as one of the most special sights I’ve ever seen.
Centuries before my adventure – in a much different environment – twelve exhausted men were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, attempting to row against a strong headwind. About 3:00 AM, Jesus went out to the disciples, walking on the liquid surface. Peter wanted to go out to meet Jesus. The Master gave Peter permission to do so. The disciple got out of the boat and began to make his way towards the Lord, initially keeping his focus on Jesus. But after a few steps, Peter became distracted by his surroundings – the wind and the waves. The man that Jesus would designate as “the rock” began to sink like one. Fortunately, Peter was rescued by Jesus.
Whether on land or on water, I need to keep my heart and mind focused on Jesus Christ.
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,
set your hearts on things above, where Christ is,
seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
– Colossians 3:1-2 (New International Version)