sad news from the Wave.

[Carlos]

IMO, good routefinding/decision making skills are more important than tech. That being said, a GPS receiver and paper map are important safety gear on any trip into the backcountry.

Agree, good route finding skills are essential. In my case, I get lost very easily admiring the views.
Part of my GPS preparation is not to create a simple route: is getting kml files from the web, putting them in Google Earth and creating my own route with a bunch of placemarks that tell me "look for this", "you are at mile x", "mark this area". And by the time I am done with the GPS route, I have literally 'seen' the route on a real map, the surrounding, major features and landmarks and put markers for features that can help me with getting better orientated with the area, not just the route. That way, easily lost people like me can compensate from our lack of better skills. By the time of the hike, if I loose the GPS I have enough information in my memory and notes that I took as to not be totally dependent on the GPS (that is my backup)

I noticed the map that the BLM gives to people and thinking like a regular tourist (and not a hiker), it is not helpful for the hike back.

 

[Yvonne]

I wonder ow you can get off the course nowadays with all the signs and arrows along the trail
After I went there again after a few years I was shocked how improved the trail was.

 

[Yvonne]

IMO, good routefinding/decision making skills are more important than tech. That being said, a GPS receiver and paper map are important safety gear on any trip into the backcountry.

good point, I would never primarily rely on a GPS. Common sense and route finding skills are way more important than all the tech gear available nowadays.
That said, I'm more the old fashioned hiker with a paper map or compass. I find a GPS way more confusing than finding your way in old school way.

 

[Carlos]

I wonder ow you can get off the course nowadays with all the signs and arrows along the trail
After I went there again after a few years I was shocked how improved the trail was.

Hmm, I am confused, are you talking about the Wave ?

 

[Howells Outdoors]

the way back is pretty confusing to a tourist hiker. And The Wave is not a casual area to hike : (((

I think it gets confusing because these tourists are expecting there to be a trail. If they realized there is no trail and basic route finding skills (looking around as you go for landmarks), they'd be fine when they got "off trail"
I went with a group a few weeks ago who got off trail on the way back (I was letting them lead since I know how to get out in the dark). They realized they weren't at the 'small saddle' but they didn't panic. They simply said, "See that wash down there, we just have to get there and follow it west."
Tourists that get lost at the Wave forgot to look around as they hiked to the Wave (and it's so sad because there is such amazing stuff on the way there). The route to and from the Wave is easy. Tourists just panic when they're "off trail" and bad things happen when you panic.

 

[Carlos]

agree, tourist are expecting an actual trail (like most general public hikes they are accustomed to hike in Grand Canyon, Glacier, etc.) and when they do not see one, they panic.

And for me, 50% of the fun at The Wave was hiking to the other places, Fatalli's boneyard (probably I am typing it wrong), the Alcove, the Grotto, etc. 75% of the photos that I took were not of the Wave itself.

 

[Yvonne]

Hmm, I am confused, are you talking about the Wave ?

I was super shocked last August when I hiked in at night and all of a sudden there were arrows where you had to turn.
Never expected to see anything like that on the trail to the Wave were somehow dozens of tourists still get lost each year.

But I agree with @MTN_DUDE , tourist start to panic when they get off the trail. Instead of looking around for some landmark they completely forget how to think.

 

[Carlos]

I was super shocked last August when I hiked in at night and all of a sudden there were arrows where you had to turn.
Never expected to see anything like that on the trail to the Wave were somehow dozens of tourists still get lost each year.

But I agree with @MTN_DUDE , tourist start to panic when they get off the trail. Instead of looking around for some landmark they completely forget how to think.

now I am the one that is shocked, ha ha ha. I hiked The Wave in February of this year and there was zero signs. It was like I expected it, no trail, no signs, nothing. I was the first person that day, so no trail of footsteps either to follow in the sandy areas. Later, I saw 4 older Japanese tourist with a small bottle of water, granted it was 65 degrees that day, but I doubt they would have done differently if it was 100F.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

now I am the one that is shocked, ha ha ha. I hiked The Wave in February of this year and there was zero signs. It was like I expected it, no trail, no signs, nothing.

There have been a few signs along the way since I first hiked to The Wave in 2011.

 

[Carlos]

There have been a few signs along the way since I first hiked to The Wave in 2011.

now I am curious. You mean BLM signs or rock cairns ? (I think I am mistyping the "cairn" word). The only BLM sign that I remember seeing was at the place where the trail leaves the Wire Pass wash.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

now I am curious. You mean BLM signs or rock cairns ? (I think I am mistyping the "cairn" word). The only BLM sign that I remember seeing was at the place where the trail leaves the Wire Pass wash.

There are at least 2 other BLM signs. One is on top of a sand dune before you start to climb the slickrock pass and then there is another sign on the other side of that pass pointing you to the right.

Those signs have been there since at least 2011.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

I'm not 100% positive, but I recall there being a sign pointing across the final wash before you climb the sand dune up to The Wave, too.

 

[Yvonne]

There are at least 2 other BLM signs. One is on top of a sand dune before you start to climb the slickrock pass and then there is another sign on the other side of that pass pointing you to the right.

Those signs have been there since at least 2011.

I can remember these two. I think there was a third one, too.

 

[Red Davis]

It's great you guys mentioned "oriental couple" and "5 Japanese woman". Because your story would never work if you just said "couple" or "5 woman" or "group of 5". It seems these posters have a bias against The Far East. As if they have no business being out there. Let it be noted that these victims where all white. Yes. The white man too can get in trouble.

 

[slc_dan]

It's great you guys mentioned "oriental couple" and "5 Japanese woman". Because your story would never work if you just said "couple" or "5 woman" or "group of 5". It seems these posters have a bias against The Far East. As if they have no business being out there. Let it be noted that these victims where all white. Yes. The white man too can get in trouble.

Bumping a 2 year old thread to call us out for being racist? It biased to mention where they were from?

Better look at the Erik Robinson found in the Uintas thread next. We mention that he's from Australia. Oh! There's also a thread about a local falling off Mt. Olympus. We mention she's LOCAL!

 

[Jeffrey Chandler]

@slc_dan You basically took the words right out of my mouth. When you go back and read what he is referring to, they original authors of the posts had no intention of calling them out as racist, they used their ethnicity to just give more details. There is nothing wrong with giving more details.

 

[Nick]

I had to go back and find the posts that are supposedly racist (NOT AT ALL RACIST, BTW). I think you're really taking that the wrong way @Red Davis. When 99.9% of the people you see on trails in the southwest are not Asian or Japanese, it certainly can be relevant to the story without it being something racist. I ran into a group of people who happened to be Asian on the trail to The Wave once. They were a little lost and were not at all prepared for that hike. I could see this because of the clothes they were wearing, the gear they were carrying (or rather weren't carrying) and by my short interaction with them. It had nothing to do with where they were born, what language they spoke, or the color of their skin.

 

[Jackson]

It's great you guys mentioned "oriental couple" and "5 Japanese woman". Because your story would never work if you just said "couple" or "5 woman" or "group of 5". It seems these posters have a bias against The Far East. As if they have no business being out there. Let it be noted that these victims where all white. Yes. The white man too can get in trouble.

A huge part of why I like BCP is because the people here are pretty much the friendliest, most tolerant, respectful people you'll find on the Internet. You'll see that once you spend a bit more time on here.

God forbid they describe people beyond the fact that they're people.

 

[Vegan.Hiker]

It's great you guys mentioned "oriental couple" and "5 Japanese woman". Because your story would never work if you just said "couple" or "5 woman" or "group of 5". It seems these posters have a bias against The Far East. As if they have no business being out there. Let it be noted that these victims where all white. Yes. The white man too can get in trouble.

I'm half Asian and this community has done nothing but bend over backwards to help me plan my trips from day one. I have gone on backpacking trips with several members and have been invited on trips by many more. I have been extended invitations into members homes to sleep, eat, and shower when they knew I would be in their area and I have been picked up/dropped off at the airport and received shuttle transport from forum members. Most importantly, I have formed many lasting friendships through this site.

You're totally barking up the wrong tree with your snap judgement. You will not find a better collection of good, decent people anywhere on the internet.

 

[andyjaggy]

People just want to be offended by everything these days, it's absolutely gotten out of hand. I probably just offended someone.