Friday, May 28, 2010

Havasupai Falls

Preface: The color of the water is not at all done justice and any of these pictures. It was a really cool greenish-blue and you could see straight to the bottom. I have about 50 pics...these are the favs.

Last weekend we went on a really really great trip to Havasupai Falls. By "we" I mean Adam and I went with my cousins , Brent and Kelli, and my aunt, Terry. Terry has some really cool pictures that I will one day obtain and post. Here are some of my pictures and some snagged from Kelli.

On Wednesday night we began the long drive. We stayed the night in Henderson (Sunset Station is a nice hotel for quite cheap...stay there sometime if you'd like).

On Thursday morning, we drove the rest of the way and then began the hardest hike ever. Maybe I'm being a baby but I thought it was tough. (Dear Kelli, I know I spelled your name wrong in the below picture but I didn't want to go back and change...but I really do know how to spell your name).

We backpacked 8 miles (seemed like way longer) to the town and then about 3 more to our chosen campsite.

The next morning, we hiked back up to the new waterfalls formed as a result of a mega flood (which wrecked some falls also).
New Navajo Falls were super rad. Brent just walked right up and jumped off (without checking depth) he's an adrenaline junky, I think. You could climb behind this waterfall and jump through. It was way cool.


The next day we hiked the other direction to Mooney Falls. It was really close to our campsite but the climb in took plenty of time. You walk down a path to a hole in the ground with a sign that read "descend at your own risk" which we did. Then you pop out to a landing (there is merely a chain between you an a huge drop off) and proceed to another pit which are then to climb down. When you pop out of that little cave, you then begin climbing down the face of the grand canyon (which is slippery from the mist of the waterfall) with only chains to aid your descent. It was so fun until you try to pass someone going in the opposite direction, then it's mostly scary.


Kelli and I hung out at Mooney and met some interesting characters while the others hiked to Beaver Falls (I was injured and Kelli felt bad leaving me behind). Apparently those water falls were really cool too. Adam took pictures. I'll consider uploading them but I doubt I'll post them.


There was also a really cool mine in the wall of the grand canyon which Brent climbed (right passed the "no climbing sign") to. I might post pics of that one day too.

All in all it was a really amazing trip. I'd recommend it to anyone who feels like walking themselves to death to see some crazy amazing waterfalls in the middle of the desert. So so cool. I'm definitely going again...but with some different footwear.

Recommend:
Stay 3 nights...you'll need that long to see the waterfalls and recover from the hike.
Take a good backpack (mine was the only one that didn't dig into me and hurt me).
Wear hiking boots (I wore running shoes...worst idea ever).
Take water shoes (this does not mean flip-flops...I'm as bummed as you are).
Drink more water than you think you want (I was so dehydrated that my fingers swelled up to prolly about 3 times their size and I couldn't bend them...cute).

Addendum: I just got this picture from my aunt and I loved it so I'm including it...this is Brent, .Adam, Me, and Kelli swimming at Havasu Falls

6 comments:

*Aliese* said...

Looks fabulous!

Michelle said...

Yay! I am glad you guys went... Although, I am not a fan of hiking, I LOVED it once I got there. It's so beautiful!

Amy and Mike said...

What an amazing trip. It looks so beautiful. Of course you'd have to kill yourself hiking in order to see those awesome waterfalls. I'm glad you had a great time.

Tyler and Megan said...

Jen so cool! I am so jealous!

Hailey Jones said...

so glad you went! sounds like the funnest.
i also loved the hotel in henderson. aka where we won the money. but it wasn't that hotel but owned by the same company. you know what i'm saying.
also.
i miss you. terribly.

do you like the name ruby? i never asked.
i just want to come back to utah and be your friend ok. ok.

Hailey Jones said...

so glad you went! sounds like the funnest.
i also loved the hotel in henderson. aka where we won the money. but it wasn't that hotel but owned by the same company. you know what i'm saying.
also.
i miss you. terribly.

do you like the name ruby? i never asked.
i just want to come back to utah and be your friend ok. ok.