A needle in a haystack, that's about the chance of you stumbling upon the Havasupai Falls in the middle of the desert. When we started our trip to this little oasis, we had a four-hour drive and a four-hour hike ahead of us. Amazing sights passed our way, especially the rocky mountains we hiked through are worth mentioning. Sure you can ride horseback, send your luggage via airmail or take a helicopter trip to the site, but we are backpackers at heart. And luckily we are, because the hike we did was simply amazing. I don't think anything but the pictures we took can give you an idea of the beauty of the way down.
When we finally arrived at Supai Village, we deemed ourselves in Africa. An Indian hideout in the middle of the canyons greeted us with a couple horses on the loose. The village with a population of about 500 gave a very middle-age impression. Only the satellite dishes on the top of the wooden houses gave us a hint that we didn't just go back in time. Oh yeah, every now and then a helicopter passed by to drop off some goods. Aside from that there is really not much that reminds you of the modern world. Probably due to the fact that the village is incredibly hard to reach.
When we checked in and got our stuff in order, we went to the waterfalls. There are four big ones, but each with a couple miles in between. Little did we know that we were about to behold probably the nicest piece of nature we will ever see in our life.
The first fall was a collection of smaller falls connected through pools on different levels. We decided to have a swim, and crawl up towards the top level through the water. No snakes or crocks in these waters, only lime-blue crystal clear water making its way through the rock formations. Some of the pools look like jacuzzis, perfect for relaxing in the middle of mother nature's creation. We couldn't understand each other due to the sound of splashing water, but I'm not complaining. These sights are better taken in in silence.
We went back after the first fall because of the nightfall. Apparently the whole village shuts down when it gets dark (there are no lights anywhere), so we had to eat rise crispies and sausage-on-bread for supper. Nothing quite like rise crispies in a paper box with milk on the side! Luckily we had three bibles at hand to guide us through this particular experience and we sure made use of them. Apparently thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together. Good to know!
When we woke up after a good night sleep we wouldn't wait to visit the next falls. Some more healthy crispies breakfast later we were off to explore more of the beauty that Havasupai has to offer. When we went down on the riverside, we stumbled upon the camping grounds. Why oh why didn't we book a camping spot instead of the lodge? The Supai camp grounds are a lot like paradise, in the midst of the trees and small rivers it must be heaven to tuck in hanging in your hammock. Oh well, at least we had three bibles.
The second waterfall was way bigger than the one we encountered the day before. Again extremely beautiful. This fall had some people around it though, opposed to the complete solitude we had at the first one. We continued to the third one, but on our way down we noticed a sign that read "Descent at your own risk!". Oh well, who cares right? When squeezing through holes in the rocks, extremely steep steps right at the edge and so on we realized the sign wasn't there in vain! Mooney Falls, the third waterfall earned its name because of the accident Mooney had when exploring the site. When trying to descent the hill his rope snapped and he died on impact.
The benefit of going down on such a dangerous path was that yet again, nobody was at the fall except for us. Another glorious sight. I simply can't explain in words how amazing these falls are. Maybe the pictures might give you an idea.
We skipped the last one because of dangerous snakes on the road towards it.
We took another helicopter ride to get back to the modern world because of planning issues. We said farewell to a truly epic paradise. I'll be planning my next trip to Supai once I get home.
Andreas
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