Havasupai
From the hip but after a bit to process.
The trip in was timely - SW asked me to repack my backpack as it was carry-on a total of 3 times.
At no point did the overall volume or shape of my baggage change - just reconfigured. In the line. Holding up other passengers. Until the SW employee just sighed and said “go on.”
Met with K at PHX, we walked around for most of 90 mins before stopping to snack while we waited on R’s tardy flight. Good to catch up and K and D live a nomadic RV lifestyle that is at least enviable and at most a goal.
R and baggage in hand we went for vegan Mexican food, meeting D there as his work was nearby - no complaints on the grub! - met with A & A in the adjacent lot and checked our bags in the Tacoma’s bed.
Note that we each indulged in sweet treats - I had a raspberry pistachio donut that was easily 7000 calories and out of this world.
Off to the Grand Canyon Caverns Inn - we didn’t get there til late and only took time to repack our bags, shower and eat another round of snacks.
Note. Around 2 am I got up to pee for maybe the 18th time and when I got back into bed, I impaled my knee on the table beside the bed- much to the chagrin of the three folks who heard me, then listened to me rock in pain while whimpering and maybe praying not to bleed out there in the dark. We discussed this after the fact and agreed that the situation was resolved in a ‘Best Practice’ sense.
Following morning we were off. We grabbed the free breakfast and checked our bags - which had a max weight of 32lbs per - and this was for the mule who shall remain nameless as is their way - I really can’t say enough about the mules in all honesty. True heroes each and every one. Was about 90 mins drive to the rim.
The hike down was a lot - even with just day sacks and water, it was 8 miles or so to the Havasupai Res as far as the actual village - no photos allowed for respect for the people who live here. I heard K tell of meeting folks in the village who had never been outside of the Grand Canyon - and we talked about how an existence hemmed in by the rusty rock walls might offer a distinct advantage to the one we shared with social media, digital bombardment from myriad angles, and the weight of all the worlds’ know civilizations resting on our minds…
There were tons of mules, horses and res dogs - these guys were all scruffy but friendly, the aggression having been bred out generations ago - I had an off the wall conversation with a local who was clearly playing UNO while the rest of us were playing Monopoly - so at least mental illness is ubiquitous.
We hit the res grocery for cold drinks, passed a hut/cabin/house that advertised ice cream, sundaes, and other treats but didn’t stop - and another similar structure with a sign for fry bread (fried dough to you fellow New Englanders) but again kept on
trucking.
Less than 2 miles from the village, and close to 10 miles in, we came upon Havasu Falls.
From here we made our way into the campground - we were late in the day and intended on taking whatever was sufficient for our needs and the night, planning on relocating the following morning when folks vacated more desirable sites.
We set up camp and revisited Havasu Falls for a quick dip between the tourists and influencers taking selfies.
Here we also met with K who had like the tank he is trucked down with his full gear - so maybe 50lbs on his back. But he came solo and we adopted him because he was cool AF and needed a home.
Following morning we opted for Beaver Falls as a destination. This was past Mooney Falls and about 3 miles each way from our campsite.
I was overruled for relocation so I compromised by repitching my 6Moons tent on the stream bank - best quality of white noise to sleep to one can imagine.
A note or two about Mooney Falls: TYPE 2 FUN.
Here we made our first real water crossings - and I experimented by trying my Speedgoats v Tevas and socks to see which would be best for the next adventure.
Back to camp - and we ended up tacking on like 8 miles so not sure on the actual distance here - I neglected to track it on Strava or AllTrails. Great times, great conversation, slept like a log.
Following morning I headed out for the Confluence which promised to be 10 miles - nobody else was terribly interested which was okay by me. I opted for Tevas and Injinji toe-socks for water crossings as changing footwear is a serious pain in the ass.
The tevas didn’t give me the traction I’d get out of the Speedgoats but they also didn’t hold any water. I also had to compromise in speed and stuff like how far I could jump…
Ended up being a BIG hike. Between AllTrails and Strava I tracked 10.4 miles but somewhere between 8300-9000’ of elevation.
9k is a fucking TON of vert. About the same as a presidential traverse and tbh I thought the numbers were off til I looked at the Strava track on it and saw myself just like frikkin Sisyphus up and down the canyon walls for most of 5 miles. Comical really.
K had left while I was on the hike so we had new neighbors - making friends all around - when the crew returned we had a second supper together.
Following morning was sad good-byes.
We got up by headlamp illumination and were packed and ready to go long before the mules arrived.
My left Achilles was all lit up and the top of my left foot was also swollen from the previous day’s affair, and I had 10.5 miles or so and ALL the slow slog elevation out which looks a lot more timid than it feels when the sun is out in Arizona…
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