After our2022 trip to Peru was abruptly canceled, we decided to drive to Kanab, Utah to try our luck with the daily lottery for that most elusive of permits, The Wave. And once again, Lady Luck was not with us for this one. To alleviate our disappointment and frustration stemming from our lack of success with the confounded lottery system, we took the Ranger’s advice to seek out White Pocket in the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument. This is our third Christmas in Kanab in pursuit of The Wave permits. Each of the previous years, we had contemplated driving out to White Pocket, but for one reason or another, we never made it there. This year was different. We woke up Wednesday morning with the resolve to drive those 20 miles of dirt road until we reached our destination. White Pocket or bust.
Fueled with anticipation for a full day of exploring along the Marble Canyon Loop, we left the warmth of the hotel under the blanket of darkness and drove in silence, embracing the stillness of a world still asleep. Before long, the first hint of light surfaced behind the mountain range. With each passing second the light brightened, coloring the skies in a spectrum of soft colors until the sun burst through the horizon shooting rays of light transforming the clouds into a fiery, boiling expanse of wonder. We pulled Joupe to the side of the road to appreciate the beauty of the dawning of the world.
The dirt road to White Pocket is notorious for its deep, soft sand often leaving unfortunate vehicles stranded and helpless in this remote area. In the winter, the sand is much less of a threat, however, snow and ice are the more prevalent dangers to look out for.
Turning off the paved road onto the dirt road, we noticed that the amount of snow on the ground was just perfect, enough to cover up the ruts in the road providing for a smoother ride but not too thick where the tires would lose traction easily.
Without much attention to the signposts, we followed the Maps app wherever it took us, over protruding rocks and roots, ice and sand, to its final destination, a closed road. Clearly, this was not the correct location. In the near distance, we were able to see the enormous rock projection that was obviously White Pocket. Thankfully we had the good sense to bring along the paper maps we had gathered at the Visitor Center (…but too complacent with the navigation system to double check as we went along.) After consulting the maps, we figured out our mistake and were able to find our way back to the trailhead in a round about way, which allowed us to see White Pocket from a different angle. So in the end, the alternative route, although longer was a more fun and scenic off-roading experience.
Once we crested the small sand dune and entered the recreation area, there was just so much to take in. Not knowing where to begin exploring, we headed straight forward and immediately, a colorful, swirling, upward path that curved behind a big round rock formation caught my attention. Curious about where the path lead, I followed its striated lines until it emptied into an oval pit between two taller rock formations.
So much texture! So many patterns! Too much to process all at once. What to look at? What to focus on? Sensory overload. Such a crazy, wacky, surreal world.
A dash of snow sprinkled about made the scenery even more captivating, highlighting the contrast between the pure white snow and the vermillion streaks while emphasizing the contours of the patterns at the same time.
Lyle, realizing that another visitor had started flying her drone, decided to follow suit since there were only our two groups in the area at the time. He found a natural seat upon one of the mounds and asked if I was able to climb to the top of the taller formation. No. That incline was too sharp and steep, but the smaller formation seemed approachable. And so it began. A wonderful day of climbing up, scrambling down, and skating around to discover the beauty, big and small, of this spectacular landscape. Initially, we had allocated two hours to explore White Pocket. Within 30 minutes of walking among this landscape, we scratched the rest of our plans for the day. Marble Canyon Loop would just have to wait until next time.
Lyle named this one “The Sorting Hat” from Harry Potter.
By the time we got around to the main attraction, the slanting sunlight was too low to light up the deep, windy slot. But even without direct sunlight, the array of colors and patterns were still dazzling
We spent 5 hours in this unique area, taking pictures, recording footage and filming with the drone. Those five hours flew by so fast. When it was time to leave, it really felt like we hadn’t been there for that long. There was still a good portion of the area left that we hadn’t yet explored. Now that we know how to get here, the next time we’re in the area, we’ll for sure stop by White Pocket again.