The North Coyote Buttes are most famous for a rock formation known as the Wave.  It is a scene on every landscape photographer’s bucket list.  Today my dream to visit this breathtakingly beautiful location came true.  Snow overnight only enhanced the splendor. I partner hiked with a young woman named Jordan, the only other solo hiker winning yesterday’s lottery.  The icy “trail” conditions, sub-zero temperatures, and challenging route finding on the 9.5-mile hike made the pairing a smart idea. Of the twenty lottery winners we were the first to arrive at the Wave and were rewarded with virgin snow. Jordan shares my interest in photography and the outdoors and was kind enough to take several pictures of me.

Although the Wave is arguably the jewel in the North Coyote Buttes, it is by no means the only spectacular geographic feature.  We spent close to 7 hours exploring the area and would have remained for longer if not for the small matter of getting back before dark.

When we arrived this morning the temperature was 18F and the dirt road to the trailhead was frozen facilitating a relatively easy traverse.  Not so as we were departing. With temperature just a tad above freezing the road had degraded into a muddy mess. The 8-mile exit journey was easily the most dangerous part of our day and that is saying something considering we “tobogganed” down a steep slope when we ran out of all other viable options for descent. The Jeep Renegade 4×4 I rented certainly earned its keep today.