If one were to pick up crayons in vivid reds and oranges, pale yellow and rich browns before coloring layer upon layer of waves, you might end up with an accurate depiction of Arizona’s Wave. This ocean of rock and mineral is found along the border of Utah and Arizona within the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. Not a drop of water is visible at a glance within this red sandstone formation, leaving behind river washes and dunes of soft sand. Desiccated and dry, these desert conditions extend for a good 5.2 mi.

And yet hundreds apply to cross this rare geologic formation, through the sun and the heat for the stunning formations to be captured on lens. Armed with just a map and a wicked sense of direction, spot dinosaur prints blooming across the desert sand in apparent randomness and a scattered array of bleached rock resembling the knucklebones of a giant. With no label or signage, identify the peak of Canyon Buttes North. Standing there alone against the sandstone striations, the subject appears to be drowned in a sea of fire. Yet what catches most by the greatest surprise are the unexpected rain showers leave you scrambling from some cover which is scant or completely absent in most of the monument area. Reflected off the small pools of water that remain past the showers, the rock formations resemble tongues of fire reaching for the sky set aglow by the setting sun to create the perfect end to a day.