Havasupai: Journey to the Land that Remembers

"

Havasu Falls

"Our truest lives are when we are in dreams awake," Henry David Thoreau.  My daughter Brittany and I have been dreaming of the land of the blue-green waters for at least ten years.  I do not know how we first learned of the Havasupai tribe, how we learned about the lush oasis of green, red, and aqua blue colors with sweeping vistas and large waterfalls and pools, but after we saw pictures of Havasu Falls and how difficult it was to visit, the carrot dangled before us.  We made plans in advance in 2007, and were extremely disappointed when the floods of 2008 destroyed the trail into the village.  Then life happened, and once again Brittany started to think about making the trip in January 2013 and we made it to Havasu Falls last week.  

Of all the hikes, of all the adventures, of all the vacations, this one left me humbled, hopeful, grateful, and stronger in spirit and body.  It was a religious experience, one that has touched me   and has made me a different person.  I left the Grand Canyon and Supai with stronger life lessons: when "quitting is not an option"  you find that you can accomplish great things with little remaining strength.    Also "true appreciation comes from something that you work hard for. "  I have never appreciated the refreshing aqua waters as much as when we hiked nine miles with forty pound packs to find our campsite next to a beautiful aqua pool..   It was truly heaven.   

Mooney Falls, named after the miner

 D.W. James Mooney, who in 1882 was 

mining the area when his companion was injured. 

Mooney tried to climb up the falls with his injured 

friend tied to his back, and subsequently fell to his 

death.  

There is a trail on the left side, looking

downstream, that leads to the

bottom of Mooney Falls.  The trail is 

dangerous  but with the aids 

of strategically placed handholds, chains, and 

ladders, it is well traversed.   On the descent down to

 the base of the 200 ft. waterfall, the first part 

is relatively easy until a small 

passageway/cave is reached, which is barely

 large enough to squeeze through. 

 At this point  and onward, it is precarious.
There is another small cave tunnel,
and then the rest is basically 

a vertical drop down with some ladders,
and some without ladders and just chains

 and handholds.  If you are afraid of heights, 

this is going to be tough at best. This was the 

only way down to the base and to the trail to
Beaver Falls, and the only way back
to the campsite.  

We were a  tribe, seven strong.  We brought many personalities, strengths, compassion, and 

empathies to our village- the campsite- the rugged and surreal place we would call home for four days and three nights.  We learned to lean on each other, trust each other, we spoke softly and got along, and we learned how to survive in this new wilderness with hydration and salty foods.  We became nurses, doctors, counselors and therapists.  We came across hard times in triple digit temps; with a limited water supply on one of our hikes, we had to strategize on how to make it back to the campsite on the combination of H2O left in our camelbacks, and hiked with badly skinned knees and blisters on our feet.  We learned that we could overcome a fear of heights and climb down a sheer vertical rock face, sometimes bearing our weight entirely with our arms, not seeing enough of the next step to be certain that we were doing the right thing when swinging on the given chains bolted to the rock. We learned that we had what it took to climb back up the same rock face pulling our tired bodies up with our arms,  after an exhausting eight mile hike in triple digit temps.    We found our breaking points, witholding tears until it was safe to let them go.  

50 Foot Waterfall or Lower Navajo Falls.  Whatever goes 

into the creek-due to its high concentration of calcium 

carbonate-is mineralized quickly.  The creek is constantly 

changing because of this and due to seasonal flash

flooding.  In 2008, flooding created mudslides and the 

result was that the water bypassed Navajo Falls entirely

and created two new waterfalls.  This is one of them, popular

for jumping off of.  

We appreciated the mist from the falls that cooled us, the breathtaking beauty of the red iron cliffs of the Grand Canyon in contrast with the deep green foliage and high alkaline limestone coloring the aqua blue waters, the travertine and limestone rocks that made it easy to jump from rock to rock and never lose your footing.  We even appreciated freeze dried food and sharing each night what we brought to the picnic table.  We worked hard for every breathtaking moment!!

This was Supai to us.

With that said, I hope i have prepared you effectively.  It is by no means an easy hike but one you will never forget!! Yes, you can helicopter in and out, but you would leave without the real experience.  I truly believe theat this one needs to be difficult for you to reap the rewards.  It is not a vacation, it is an adventure.

To start planning you will need to make reservations for the campsites.  This was the difficult part as the village of Supai does not man their phone lines.  You must keep calling with diligence!!  Once you have the campsite reservations you can pay for the campsite and you can reserve a helicopter or packing mules for the trip back out at the village. From Los Angeles, it is about a 6 hour drive to Kingman.  We spent the night at the Holiday Inn Express http://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/kingman/igmaz/hoteldetail?cm_mmc=mdpr-_-GoogleMaps-_-ex-_-igmaz, and returned to stay here on the way out.  They kept our overnight bags in the hotel for us, so that our stuff wouldn't be in the hot car for days. We ate at Kingman Steak House http://kingmancosteakhouse.com/ which had amazing prime rib and yummy steak salads.  We left the hotel at 2 a.m. and were surprised at how many people were up at this time! Its the way of the desert I guess!  Be sure to fill up the tank in Kingman, because services will be scarce for the rest of the  1 1/2 hour drive.  We headed out to Hualapai Hilltop, which is where you park your car for the hike.  Take Route 66 towards Peach Springs, and after the small town of Peach Springs look for Highway 18. Turn left and follow this crazy road for 75 miles.... I say crazy because in the dark you will be dodging cows, elk, and rodents. When you arrive at the Hilltop, which is the top of the Grand Canyon, park your car in designated areas.  Make sure that snacks and electrolytes are accessible for the hike down as well as at least two liters of water.  

You will pass Hualapai Indian Reservation in Peach Springs. Ethnically the Havasupai and Hualapai are the same people, but are politically separate groups by government policy.  They were hunters and gatherers, and their main crop was corn, along with beans, squash and gourds. The Spanish introduced them to other crops including watermelon, melons and orchard trees.  Before the 1800s, the Havasupai laid claim to an area the size of Delaware.  In 1882, President Arthur issued an executive order that all land on the plateau would become public property of the United States, which limited the tribe to 518 acres (Supai Village) and took away their winter home on the plateau.  Morale became low, and the Havasupais resorted to drinking, violence and gambling. 

A health problem ensued within the tribe, and an infant and child mortality increase almost decimated the remaining population. In 1920, to help combat the issue of floods destroying their crops on their remaining 518 acres, the government assisted the tribe in developing their irrigation system which prevented soil erosion and water control.   In 1975, after almost a hundred years of fighting to regain the land that was taken from them, President Gerald Ford signed a trust title to the Havasupais for 188,077 acres at the western side of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon with another 95,000 acres to be supervised by National Park Service but available for traditional use by the Havasupai.  Supai Village is the most remote village in the lower 48 states.  Their supplies are helicoptered in.  Their mail is delivered by mules.  The Yuman Dialect spoken by the Havasupais is the only Native American language in the United States of America spoken by 100% of its indigenous population.  

The hike to Supai, the village of the Havasupais, is about 8 miles long.  The first mile and a half is the steepest part of the hike and when you will descend 2000 feet to the base of the Grand Canyon.  The rest of the hike to the village is mostly level in a dry bed.  When you arrive to a sign that says "Supai Village, you are almost there!" you are NOT almost there.  It is about another hour to the office where you will register.  So keep hydrating and don't pick up the pace thinking you are almost done!  Once you register at the village, it is another mile and a half to two miles and a half to the campgrounds and campsites.  Some of it is downhill and most of it is in soft sand.  It is a real BEAR to do this after 10 a.m. in the summer.  You are really racing against the sun!  Start the hike EARLY and give yourself about 6 hours to complete.  On the way out, remember that you are hiking UP to the hilltop, so it is very important to leave early. We started breaking our tents at 2 a.m.  for the hike back to the hilltop.  

Havasu Falls, 50 foot falls, and Navajo Falls are before the campgrounds.  Mooney and Beaver Falls are after the campgrounds.  Mooney Falls is very close to the campgrounds, and to reach the base you need to descend the cliffs on ladders, chains, and rock stairs.    Beaver Falls is 4 miles from Mooney Falls and is almost like being on an obstacle course trail, with stairs etched into vertical logs, larger ladders, and overgrown grapevine arbors to clamber through.  All are beautiful hikes but bring plenty of water and snacks.  

It is romantic to think that the land will remember us, as the Havasupais think.  They believe that the land is a living being and has a close and loving relationship with humans.  In "the Farewell Song of the Havasupai"  it describes the land as a living emotional entity in which retains the memory of those that travel there. What a beautiful thought, because I know that I will always have the memory of this magical oasis in the middle of the desert.  "That's what I want, what I want. ha na"