A Hike into Havasupai, South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona
One of the most spectacular regions of the State of Arizona just so happens to be on the list of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. This is of course, the Grand Canyon. One summer a group of my friends and I decided to take a trip. We wanted to hike down into Havasupai. Reservations for the campgrounds are necessary always, and as were going over the three days surrounding the 4th of July, we booked far in advance.
We drove up a day early, and stayed in one of the luxury hotels Arizona offers close to the South Rim of the Canyon. We wanted a night to rest up before hitting the trail. And it was a good thing we did, because I really had no idea what we were in for. I’m not sure how much my back pack weighed, but it was heavy and it was old fashioned. I have no idea how old it was, but it was an Army pack, with an external metal frame that rested on the back of my hip bones.
We drove to the start of the trail, which is located at Hualapai Hilltop, parked in the lot and headed out. The switch backs at the beginning continued for about a quarter of a mile, and proved to be the most difficult part, on the way down as well as a few days later on the way back up. The heavy pack totally threw me off balance. The hike is ten miles total, eight miles to get to the Reservation, and then two more to go to get to the campsite.
Most of the hike is through the Arizona desert, beautiful in its way, but not really green and lush, especially in the middle of the summer. So when we finally made it to the campsite, it was such a shock. It was as though we turned a corner and were in another country. Green vines climbed up the walls of the canyon, and the water falls, Havasu and Mooney (2 of the 5 falls on the Reservation) were bright blue and green.
It kind of felt like a ride at Disneyland. The colors were just too enhanced, too saturated to seem real. The three days wore me out, but the feeling I left with remained with me for weeks. The descent down the side of Mooney falls was one of the most terrifying things I have ever experienced (a 200 foot descent that is slippery), and the hike back out was one of the most physically demanding things I had ever accomplished. I highly recommend a visit to Havasupai to anyone who lives in the state of Arizona, and to anyone traveling through.
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