The Zen of the Havasupai

Simply put, the trip down to Havasu Falls was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I heard someone say once that anything worth seeing is difficult to get to, and no more could be true in this case. To reach the falls, one must drive 65 miles on Indian Road 18, a 2-lane access road off of Route 66 between Saligman and Peach Springs, AZ to Haulapai Hilltop, a small parking area that corrals as many mules as cars. Once there, you have three options; you can pay $125 for a helicopter ride into the village, pay $90 for a mule ride there as well, or hike the 10 miles through switchbacks, steep canyon walls and rocky desert to reach the falls. Honestly, the hike is the way to go.

Once in the village, you check in at the camping office, pay your fees, then hike another 2 miles through town and down the canyon to Havasu Falls and the campgrounds that lie downstream. At that point, the area is yours to explore and it is nothing short of paradise. An oasis in the desert, there is more lush green foliage surrounding you than red stone, and the water runs a deep turquoise blue due to the mineral deposits the flow from the springs that the creek is produced from. Together they form an exotic locale of color and saturation known no where else in the deserts of the American southwest.

The hike out is extremely strenuous. The entire 10 miles is an uphill grade, which is accentuated by the fact that you're probably carrying at least 35lbs of weight on your back (the last 1.25 miles ascends nearly 1200 feet...think about that for a moment), but there is a dramatic sense of accomplishment that you feel upon reaching the top. It's incredible.

I'll produce a few articles that will break down the trip in to a few different sections, so as not to post one long, detailed description, but there's just so much to say, it will be difficult to not ramble on. Most of the photos will have to posted up on Facebook and I took a good amount of video, which I plan to stitch together documentary-style, just so you're able to gain a small experience of what it's actually like to journey down there.

For now though, I must continue from Phoenix to Tucson to visit my Uncle Rick, Aunt Louise and cousin Matt, Tim and Adam. I'm only down there for a night before heading back up here to spend the remainder of my time with the rest of my family, so I'll be sure to post more then. With so much happening on this trip, I can be certain my description of Havasu won't be the only belated article to appear here this week.