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View Full Version : Trip Report Havasupai Backpacking Trip


jbdavies
05-24-2011, 09:12 PM
Hi everyone. Lots of pictures... hope you don't mind. Haha.

Got back from my Havasupai backpacking trip yesterday, and finally got around to writing this.

Day 1-2: Thursday, May 19th and 20th, 2011

We left SLC at 10pm Thursday night (that's right... 10pm (Utah Time)). Drove down through Las Vegas, getting there around 3am Friday morning.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g18/jbdavies/9b10eb01.jpg

Kept going down through Kingman, and over to the Rout 66 Highway where we caught the Hualapai Hilltop road towards our destination! We got to the trail head just at 7am Friday morning (Arizona Time). Started out decent down at about 7:45am.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g18/jbdavies/581fab24.jpg

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The two that joined me... weren't really used to this type of stuff... so it took a while longer than I was planning... but we got there, eventually.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g18/jbdavies/f33b26f3.jpg
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http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g18/jbdavies/82044355.jpg

Arrived at Supai Village to check in and pay for our campsite, and then continued down to the campground. While hiking, we passed what used to be the old Navajo Falls, and came across the new Navajo Falls and Rock Falls (Both temporary names).

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2198/5756822824_fac53848b2_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sur-realphotography/5756822824/)
Anonymous Falls (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sur-realphotography/5756822824/) by jbdavies (http://www.flickr.com/people/sur-realphotography/), on Flickr

Finally arriving at the campground, we made camp... and slept. Haha. We got to the campsite around 1-2pm. So, definitely took longer than I was expecting... but it's not like we were on an actual schedule.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g18/jbdavies/867632bd.jpg

Day 3: Saturday, May 21st, 2011 (AKA Rapture Day!!)

Saturday consisted of hiking down to Mooney Falls and then Beaver Falls, after exploring around Havasu Falls a bit. I was a bit disappointed in how everything looked down there, after the flood in 2008. Havasu Falls wasn't near as impressive as it used to be. It only spills over half of what it used to, and 70% of the crystal clear blue pools... gone. :( Don't get me wrong... it was still beautiful, just nothing like it used to be.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5222/5751724953_b96de24e29_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sur-realphotography/5751724953/)
Havasu Falls (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sur-realphotography/5751724953/) by jbdavies (http://www.flickr.com/people/sur-realphotography/), on Flickr

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3442/5756216497_764746ee7d_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sur-realphotography/5756216497/)
Havasu Falls (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sur-realphotography/5756216497/) by jbdavies (http://www.flickr.com/people/sur-realphotography/), on Flickr

Mooney falls was about the same... only half of what it used to be. But still nice. I didn't get any pictures of Mooney or Beaver, mainly cause I didn't want to lug all my gear down there. Haha.

Hiking to Beaver Falls was nice, because we decided to wade through the creek most of the way. After that, we hiked back up to camp, slept, and ate. Woo!

Day 4: Sunday, May 22nd, 2011 (Post-Rapture Day!)

Sunday we headed out of camp early, about 7am. Got to the village where we signed up for the helicopter ride out. The two that went with me decided they didn't want to attempt the hike out... so we did the helicopter ride instead.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g18/jbdavies/af457983.jpg

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After we got to the top, we headed towards Flagstaff where I met up with my Mom and Brother for a quick lunch, then kept going north towards the South Rim of the Grand Canyon! :)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5262/5751953644_1c80d6b3f0_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sur-realphotography/5751953644/)
Grand Canyon (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sur-realphotography/5751953644/) by jbdavies (http://www.flickr.com/people/sur-realphotography/), on Flickr

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g18/jbdavies/8804240a.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g18/jbdavies/efe00274.jpg

We quickly did all of the lookout points, then headed back on the road going through Page, Kanab, etc. arriving back home at 5am Monday morning.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g18/jbdavies/d77aaae5.jpg

All in all, it was a good trip. I could have gone without the constant complaining and such, but it was nice to finally get back down there.

Thanks for looking!
Jeremy :cool2:
accadacca
05-25-2011, 12:23 PM
Excellent TR. :popcorn:

I wish I would have been somewhere cool during the Rapture! :lol8:
jbdavies
05-25-2011, 11:20 PM
Haha! Yeah... I was slightly disappointed when it didn't happen. What better place to be at the end of the world than Havasupai?
jman
05-26-2011, 01:23 AM
What better place to be at the end of the world than Havasupai?

Lake Powell - On a houseboat?
jbdavies
05-26-2011, 11:32 AM
Lake Powell - On a houseboat?

Hmmmm... that is always fun. Close call.
Sombeech
05-26-2011, 02:06 PM
Nice report. Too bad about the flood damage, but it seems to happen in cycles.

I love the exclusivity of Mooney Falls (if the time is right). You're in this canyon with a towering 200' waterfall, awesome rock walls, crystal clear water, rope swing, and a picnic table. :cool2:
jbdavies
05-27-2011, 01:28 AM
Nice report. Too bad about the flood damage, but it seems to happen in cycles.

I love the exclusivity of Mooney Falls (if the time is right). You're in this canyon with a towering 200' waterfall, awesome rock walls, crystal clear water, rope swing, and a picnic table. :cool2:

Thanks. :)

Yeah, it's pretty nice being down there... if no one else is down there. Haha.
dbaxter
05-27-2011, 04:51 AM
I heard the rope swing was gone-is it back?
jbdavies
05-27-2011, 01:18 PM
I heard the rope swing was gone-is it back?

At Mooney Falls? I didn't see it... but that's not really saying much. The rope swing at Beaver is still there though.
arnellfam
06-28-2011, 03:30 PM
Thanks for the photos and TR. I'm considering taking my boy scout troop there in the next 24 months. I appreciate the updated info. Thanks!
jbdavies
06-28-2011, 03:55 PM
Thanks for the photos and TR. I'm considering taking my boy scout troop there in the next 24 months. I appreciate the updated info. Thanks!

Welcome. Glad it could help.
gnwatts
06-28-2011, 05:23 PM
Nice TR. I like the b&w of the grand canyon in particular.
jbdavies
06-28-2011, 11:37 PM
Thank you. :)
Tango
07-07-2011, 05:35 PM
I did a similar trip at the end of June. I stayed in the Village with a friend of mine. I am scared to post my pics yours ROCK! I too helicoptered out. But I will not the next time!
jbdavies
07-07-2011, 10:24 PM
I did a similar trip at the end of June. I stayed in the Village with a friend of mine. I am scared to post my pics yours ROCK! I too helicoptered out. But I will not the next time!

Nonsense. Post them up. :)
Sombeech
07-07-2011, 10:26 PM
I am scared to post my pics

Aw c'mon now! :mrgreen: Give us a Trip Report! :2thumbs:
Firedancer
07-08-2011, 11:17 AM
All that in 5 days! That's a whirlwind trip! Great photos!

Did you have to make reservations to camp down there? Out of curiosity, if you don't mind answering, how much does a helicopter lift out cost?

I took my 3 best friends (all non-backpackers, non-campers) down to Indian Gardens for an overnight a couple years ago - I definitely hear you on the complaining, but it was still fun to experience it with my best buds instead of some hiking club of people I don't know. But, yeah, it took 7 hours to go 5 miles downhill :roll:
Tango
07-08-2011, 12:29 PM
My friend that I hiked down with was filling in for a government worker down in Supai Village so we stayed in her house (ah blessed a/c). We started out at 3:30 from my campground in Seligman and made it to Hill Top at 5AM and were on our way shortly after. We started out on the mile of switchbacks which were pretty easy going down. At 1 1/2 miles it flattens out and you walk through the canyon. Very easy hike it is 8 miles from the Hill Top to the Village. We went slowly because she had an ankle injury but you really can cruise, just watch out for mule trains. Some owners let their animals loose because they know where to go by themselves so you either move it or lose it!

I was pretty a bit tired after the 8 miles so after introductions and getting settled that was it for the day. The next day I started out early and strolled around the Village before I went down towards the falls and the campground. The people were nice and the water clear, clear clear! Went down to the New Falls (I call this area Valley of the Falls) these are about 1 mile from the village. Easy hike mostly small slopes and flats. Another mile and you are at Havasu Falls, I had never seen it in person before so I was IMPRESSED! This part is where you go down into the canyon further. The hiking here is like hiking in brown baby powder, very fine and dusty. The pools below Havasu are very shallow now but they are placing rock walls to refill the pools and the minerals in the water will coat the walls and you won't know they are piles of rocks. I went through the campground and down to Mooney Falls again impressive. I wanted to go down to the bottom of Mooney but did not because I still had 3 miles to go all the way back to the Village. There was a little overlook, NICE! I had a little lunch on a picnic table right by the edge of the falls.

The next morning I was walking like an 80 year old woman! My calves were very tight. I went back down to the New Falls area in the afternoon to try to get different light. It was HOT! No problem the water was cold! I contemplated hiking out but no way could I do the switchbacks at the end of the hike. But I will next time! I heloed out, 3 minutes no problem. It was $85.00 one way per person.

My camera Fujifilm HS10. Instead of wasting Bogley's bandwidth see the rest of my pics here: Havasu Hike June 2011 (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150212892009983.317628.682139982&l=e4aea4351d)
jbdavies
07-09-2011, 06:54 PM
All that in 5 days! That's a whirlwind trip! Great photos!

Did you have to make reservations to camp down there? Out of curiosity, if you don't mind answering, how much does a helicopter lift out cost?

I took my 3 best friends (all non-backpackers, non-campers) down to Indian Gardens for an overnight a couple years ago - I definitely hear you on the complaining, but it was still fun to experience it with my best buds instead of some hiking club of people I don't know. But, yeah, it took 7 hours to go 5 miles downhill :roll:
Yeah. It was kind of a rushed trip, but totally worth it. :) You need to make reservations before hand, usually a few months maybe even a year in advance for the real busy season. The helicopter ride is $85... verses $95 for a horse? I don't know how that works. Haha.

My friend that I hiked down with was filling in for a government worker down in Supai Village so we stayed in her house (ah blessed a/c). We started out at 3:30 from my campground in Seligman and made it to Hill Top at 5AM and were on our way shortly after. We started out on the mile of switchbacks which were pretty easy going down. At 1 1/2 miles it flattens out and you walk through the canyon. Very easy hike it is 8 miles from the Hill Top to the Village. We went slowly because she had an ankle injury but you really can cruise, just watch out for mule trains. Some owners let their animals loose because they know where to go by themselves so you either move it or lose it!

I was pretty a bit tired after the 8 miles so after introductions and getting settled that was it for the day. The next day I started out early and strolled around the Village before I went down towards the falls and the campground. The people were nice and the water clear, clear clear! Went down to the New Falls (I call this area Valley of the Falls) these are about 1 mile from the village. Easy hike mostly small slopes and flats. Another mile and you are at Havasu Falls, I had never seen it in person before so I was IMPRESSED! This part is where you go down into the canyon further. The hiking here is like hiking in brown baby powder, very fine and dusty. The pools below Havasu are very shallow now but they are placing rock walls to refill the pools and the minerals in the water will coat the walls and you won't know they are piles of rocks. I went through the campground and down to Mooney Falls again impressive. I wanted to go down to the bottom of Mooney but did not because I still had 3 miles to go all the way back to the Village. There was a little overlook, NICE! I had a little lunch on a picnic table right by the edge of the falls.

The next morning I was walking like an 80 year old woman! My calves were very tight. I went back down to the New Falls area in the afternoon to try to get different light. It was HOT! No problem the water was cold! I contemplated hiking out but no way could I do the switchbacks at the end of the hike. But I will next time! I heloed out, 3 minutes no problem. It was $85.00 one way per person.

My camera Fujifilm HS10. Instead of wasting Bogley's bandwidth see the rest of my pics here: Havasu Hike June 2011 (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150212892009983.317628.682139982&l=e4aea4351d)

Nice shots! :)