May 7, 2017

May 7, 2017

With cool nights, I chose to sleep outdoors on a cot with Aimee in the tent next to me.  Right above me shined the Big Dipper.  When I awoke in the middle of the night, I was amused to find the constellation had revolved 90°. Without consulting a watch, I knew I had been asleep exactly six hours or one quarter of a day.

Despite being in paradise, three days of camping is our limit.  We are ready for showers and a nice bed.  We begin the long process of returning.  We are up at the twilight of dawn to pack up.  After dropping our bags at the corral, we start the 10-mile hike.  In Supai, we see a long line of people hoping to get the few helicopter rides out of the canyon.  It is not expensive but apparently it is first come-first serve.  By luck, today is cloudy and unseasonably cool making the uphill grueling hike a piece of cake.  We complete it in 4.5-hours.  Surprisingly our bags arrive by horse shortly after.  Despite what I had read on the Internet, the Havasupai turned out to be very friendly and good at keeping their tourist operation running efficiently.

The hardest part is now the 6.5-hour drive home.  We have stop for cokes and coffee to stay awake.

May 6, 2017

May 6, 2017

Today we are relaxing and enjoying this water wonderland of the Havasupai (Turquoise Water People). Aimee and I are both astonished at the scenery.  It is like a hidden Garden of Eden (but for the hordes of other tourists).  We visit Upper and Lower Navajo Falls but spend most of our time in the sheltered cove of the iconic 100-foot Havasu Falls. The spray of the 70° water is in sharp contrast to the dry 100° air temperature outside.  We watch dozens of teenagers jumping off cliffs while filming themselves with Go-Pros and Selfie sticks.

In the evening, we attend a church service led by the pastor that organized this trip.  Visiting Havasu is difficult and not only because of the remote location.  Getting a reservation at the campground is virtually impossible.  The Indians never answer the telephone.  Apparently they prefer to deal with groups. Several commercial groups that charge hefty fees were camped around us.  We got lucky and learned the name of this minister last fall by sheer accident.  He has lead 53 church trips here.  He is now 85!  He announced at the service that this would be his last large trip to Havasu!  Aimee and I give thanks for being able to accompany him on this trip.

May 5, 2017

May 5, 2017

Today our goal is to explore Havasu Creek downstream.  After hiking the mile to the other end of the campground we arrive at the top of 210-foot Mooney Falls.  Unfortunately, the only way to reach the base is a wet, muddy, scary climb down the cliff wall.  It has been made safer with the addition of cables and ladders but Aimee is not impressed.  I scamper down the wall, and take some photos for her.  On my way back up, I find Aimee coming down with some hunky guy who says he does Search and Rescue work.  I should be jealous but at least he was able to cajole her down the cliff.

From Mooney we continue several miles downstream.  On three occasions we had to shift to ‘water shoes’ and cross the swollen creek. The trail seems to never end. We persevere and are rewarded with Beaver Falls, a spectacular series of cascades.  The spring-fed water of Havasu Creek gushes from the bottom of a cliff wall after filtering for generations through limestone strata. On the journey it picks up a high mineral content. On exposure to the air, the limestone drops out of solution, giving the water a turquoise color.  The minerals also build up on every surface.  Over time river rocks become encased in white Travertine bridging gaps, building a descending staircase of water-filled terraces.

It is a long hot trek back to camp. We relish every time we have to cross the cooling creek.  By the time we return we are exhausted and need a few hours rest.

Not having camped for many years, I found out my skills and equipment leave much to be desired.  Our dinner last night was a dehydrated meal I bought many years ago.  It was not good.  Fortunately, we had enough snacks to hold us over. Also the air mattress Aimee used developed a leak making her bed not so comfortable. I also neglected to tell her not to store our food garbage in the tent. After returning from this hike, we found a mouse had chewed through the tent and into her peanut sauce remnants. I did get a small reprieve tonight. Despite being almost 20 years old, our lasagna and blueberry cheesecake was delicious!

May 4, 2017

May 4, 2017

We are up at dawn continuing our journey.  We follow old Route 66 west till we hit the Hualapai Indian Reservation where we turn north and drive two hours across empty expanses of pine forest and scrub ranch until the road ends at Hualapai Hilltop.   Hilltop is a little bit of a stretch, as it should really be called “Cliffside”.  Cars are parked along both sides of the road for the last mile where it hugs the narrow rim of a canyon.  We luck out and find the only open parking spot at the very end near the trailhead.

We are here to join a few hundred people wanting to visit the Havasupai Indian Reservation.  There is no road access, only a long dusty trail.  Since my backpacking days are long gone, we drop our packs off at the top.  The Indians will load them onto horses for transport to their campground.

 

With only a daypack, Aimee and I set out ahead of the horses.  The trail starts with a steep 2000-foot descent of the canyon wall along a dozen switchbacks.  Then we follow Hualapai Canyon for many miles, with the walls growing taller and taller. After 6.5 miles, we merge with Havasu Canyon.  It is dramatically different.  A large spring disgorges water turning the desert environment into a narrow green riparian oasis filled with cottonwood trees.

We turn left and follow Havasu Creek 1.5 miles to a wide spot in the canyon and the Indian village of Supai, where 200 Havasupai live. The USA considers it the most remote community in the lower 48.  There is a small grocery, elementary school, and post office. The tourist office issues us a wristband showing we paid our entrance fee.

Downstream of Supai, the creek drops in elevation precipitously, forming thousands of waterfalls.  Most are small cascades but the largest have 100 and 210-foot drops.  Two miles farther down a very hot sandy trail, we enter the campground.  The campground hugs the next mile of creek-side land.  It is free-form.  Just drop your tent on any open area.  After a few minutes sweating in the sun, we decide a spot near the shady cliff is our new home.  We drag an unused picnic table close.  Our temporary home is crowded but reasonably close to the entrance, the outhouse, and a natural spring.

Aimee took up the challenge of being a camping gourmet and found an Internet recipe.  She made us a delicious chicken in peanut sauce wrap. While she is “cooking” I walk to the corral and grab our duffel bags.  After lunch, we setup camp, and then relax.  In the late afternoon, we enjoy the refreshingly cool waters of Havasu Falls.

May 3, 2017

May 3, 2017

Just after lunch we loaded up the car and drove to Northern Arizona, spending the night in a small hotel in Seligman, AZ.  This town halfway between Flagstaff and Las Vegas used to be a stop along old Route 66.  My family passed through here in 1965 on the way to California.  Not much has changed since.  It now calls itself the Birthplace of Historic Route 66 because some residents led its preservation efforts.  Before dinner Aimee and I walk along some of the old roadside businesses that are now littered with old-time American memorabilia.