Havasupai

This past Labor Day weekend we set out to cross out an item on our life to-do list: visiting the Havasupai Indian nation to see its famed aquamarine waterfalls. It was an arduous task: 8 hours of driving to Arizona, followed by a 10.2 mile hike through rocky canyon trails. Supai has got to be one of the most inaccessible towns in the nation. But it was all worth it.

We left Friday night, drove 8 hours across the border to Arizona, then arrived at 7:00 a.m. Saturday to begin our hike. Since we were camping, we had to pack everything with us: food, tent, sleeping bags, clothes, and supplies. We each ended up carrying around 30 lbs. each in our packs. We started our hike at 7:42 a.m. This hike was definitely the most physically challenging task that each of us has done. We arrived at the campground nearly 8 hours later at 3:30 p.m. But, as you arrive at the campground you see why you visited in the first place: Havasu Falls. The limestone and travertine that gives the falls its unique skyblue color is just amazing. The best part is the very refreshing 70 degree ultrapure and ultraclear water. It just felt awesome swimming by the falls after such a punishing journey. We all ended up hitting the sack at 7:00 p.m. after a hot MRE (meal-ready-to-eat).

The next day we hiked another mile to Mooney Falls. The falls are amazing as well, the unique part about Mooney is the treacherous hike to get there. The last tenth of a mile requires hikers to essentially climb down the face of the cliff with nothing more than chains and ladders to help. It is a long way down.

The third waterfall is Navajo Falls, and this one was our favorite. It's approachable unlike the other two because it's not as tall, and it's also like being in a constant deluge of mountain showers.

On the way out we hired a mule to take our packs back to the top, but because we were all still tired we took almost 8 hours to hike back. But again, it was all worth it. More pictures here.