We are planning several days of activities while staying in Kanab. Like yesterday we head east towards Page, AZ. We take a hike to the Toadstools which are mushroom like rock formations. The hike starts out following a sandy wash for a while until we come to the Toadstools. We encounter a few other hikers but for the most part we are alone. After a picnic lunch we return to the truck and do some scouting for tomorrow’s adventure. Back to the highway we head a few miles west to House Rock Road. It’s is a 40 mile long dirt/gravel road that connects US 89 and US 89A both of which connect Page with Kanab. Along here are trailheads for Wire Pass and The Wave.
The Toadstools
Marsha Social Distancing with Toadstools
The Wave is not a place we are going to this year. It’s a rock formation which does look like a huge wave. Over the past 15 years this destination has been overwhelmed with popularity mostly due to people posting photographs on social media such as Facebook and Instagram. The BLM (Bureau of Land Management) restricts the number of people going to The Wave to 20 on any given day. Permits are granted via two lotteries, one online and the second in person at the BLM Information Center in Kanab. The online lottery is held three months in advance with only 10 slots per day. Everyday the number of people attempting to gain one of these slots is one to two thousand. Last year we applied to the in person lottery at the BLM office where there are typically 100 to 200 people trying each day. Since the Pandemic the BLM Office is closed and they discontinued the daily lottery. Therefore, only the online lottery winners have access to The Wave. Fines for being found there without a permit are high to discourage others from trying. With the Pandemic they are still patrolling the area so we are not considering sneaking in. Besides, it is a 6 mile round trip hike and there have been deaths with people getting lost there or not carrying enough water.
At the trailhead for Wire Pass we chat with a Ranger that gives us a few ideas on where to explore. We plan adventures to Wire Pass and White Pocket for later in the week. We continue south on House Rock Road for another 20 miles until hitting pavement on US 89 A. House Rock Road can be driven with a two wheel drive car but it can be dicey. It’s best done on a high clearance 4 wheel drive. When wet the entire road becomes impassable due to mud, lots of mud! The access road to White Pocket begins on House Rock Road and is a twenty mile one lane sand road. This is not to be done without a high clearance 4 wheel drive vehicle. There are plenty of warnings to know the difference between 4 wheel drive and All Wheel Drive (AWD). AWD is not enough for the road into White Pocket.
We turn west on 89A and make it back to Kanab.
Seeing North America 