Help with Havasu Canyon trip

Old Nov 17th, 2005, 12:52 PM
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Help with Havasu Canyon trip

Hello,

I would like to take my Husband to Havasu Canyon as a surprise for his 30th birthday. We've dreamed of spending time there for awhile now. Can anyone give me some information on their trip such as how long they stayed, how hard the hike was down and back, things to pack, etc....

Also, will it be warm enough at the end of May to swim in the waterfall pools?

Thanks for all of your help...I feel like I don't know where to start.

-T.S.

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Old Nov 17th, 2005, 01:53 PM
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I hiked down to Supai in September (2001) so I cannot answer the question about the weather/temperatures in May, but I do know that the bottom of the canyon is usually a good 20 degrees warmer than the rim.

I made reservations at the small motel in the village of Supai, which is very basic in appointments. In September 2001, the rate was $75 per night. The motel rate included the then $20.00 fee that the Havasupai charge to enter the canyon (you pay the fee even if you're going to camp).

I parked my car on the rim at the car park at the head of the trail. The parking lot is supposed to be patroled. Plus the fact that it is at the end of a 60 mile dead end road usually means that you don't have to worry about theft.

The steep switchbacks are located within the first half mile of the trail head (which means they're the last half mile on the way out). Once you've made it to the bottom of the switchbacks, the elevation changes very gradually. But, some sections of the trail is very loose stone and/or sand and can be hard to walk on (think of the soft sand on a beach). The trail is about 8 miles, give or take, from the trail head to Supai. Havasu Falls is about another mile or mile and a half past Supai, and Mooney Falls is about another half mile or so past Havasu.

Havasu Falls is without a doubt one of the most breath-taking sights I've experienced. The turquoise colored water, which is warm year round, cascading over the travertine walls is otherworldly. Sometimes the ponies (I don't know if they are wild or not) will come up to the pool at the base of the falls to drink. The pool is the perfect swimming hole.

The ribbon that is Mooney Falls is almost as breath-taking. Climbing down through the travertine cave to get to the bottom of Mooney Falls is scary and exciting at the same time.

I didn't go past Mooney falls, but I think the Colorado is just a few more miles down stream.

There is (was) a small basic restaurant in Supai (hamburgers, sandwiches, ice cream etc) across from the elementary school. They charge about the same price for hamburgers there as you'd find anywhere.

The Havasupai people are very friendly and I really enjoyed my two days in their village. I definately want to return one day.

As for the hike out..... well, I must admit I wimped out on that one..... it just so happened that as I was passing the helicopter landing area on my way out of the canyon, the helicopter landed delivering supplies. I asked the pilot how much would he charge to fly me back to the parking area and he told me $75.00. I immediately pulled out my wallet and gave him the money.

The helicopter ride was worth $75.00 in just the views that I got. But not having to hike UP HILL for eight miles made it the best $75.00 I've ever spent.

BTW: that was on Monday, Sept 10, 2001....

A few pics of that trip are at:
http://www.emservicesinc.com/keith/u...est_-_2001.htm

I hope you do take this trip as it well worth the time and energy to get there.

Keith

PS: It is appreciated if you pack out your own garbage/trash.
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Old Nov 21st, 2005, 10:16 AM
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Keith,

Thank you so much for your detailed description of your trip to Supai. It sounds absolutely breathtaking.
I viewed your photos also and the colors are just amazing.
It sounds like you got quite luck getting the ride out of the canyon! I bet the views were incredible.

How long did it take for you to hike down? Is any of the trail shaded? My Husband and I have hiked part of the Bright Angel Trail at the South Rim of the canyon. Can it be compared to that?

Thank you,
Tosha
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Old Nov 21st, 2005, 10:36 AM
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Hi. I also think Havasu Falls is one of of the most beautiful spots in the world. I was there in late May and you could swim - the water was a wee bit on the cooler side, but definitely warm outside temps!

I would recommend three days - one to hike down, one to explore Havasa and Mooney and an EARLY departure on the third day. It was starting to get uncomfortably hot by the last half mile - and that half mile is steep!

I left a trip report on this thread:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=1
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Old Nov 21st, 2005, 10:50 AM
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karens-nothing came up when I clicked on your link. Maybe the address was wrong?

Curlypie-there's somebody on here that did the Havasu hike and posted about it, but I don't remember who they were. I do know they're website is naturalbornhikers.com (it's fairly easy to remember that). I looked, and the link to their trip report for Havasu Canyon is here: http://naturalbornhikers.com/HavasuC...vasuCanyon.htm

Looks like a great time, so enjoy.
 
Old Nov 21st, 2005, 12:00 PM
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Tosha,

The hike to Supai is an arduous one, but an experienced hiker, or even someone that is in decent shape should have no problems. There are long stretches where there is no shade to be found, then you'll go through a strech that has trees or rock overhangs that provide much needed shade.

The most difficult part to me was the loose gravel and/or sand. Once you're in the bottom of the canyon, the trail basically follows a dry creek bed, and as such, you have sections of loose rock and then sections of fine sand. Both are difficult to walk on. The sand is red and you will probably end up covered in it before you make it to Supai. But that gives you a great reason to go jump in the pool at Havasu Falls.

It took me about 4 hours to reach Supai from the hilltop parking area. I had two gallons of water on me, along with a camcorder, a SLR camera and two days worth of clothes.

I thought I had trained for the hike, but found my training to be sorely lacking I got tired several times and had to sit down and drink some water, but nothing that a few minutes of rest didn't take care of.

But I'd do it again in a heartbeat as the reward at the end of the trail is well worth it. Glad you enjoyed my pics of Supai and the falls. Legend is that if the rock formation known as "The Watchers" that tower over the village ever fall, then the Havasupai People will cease to exist..... I checked out the website that theWeasel mentions in his/her post and it is a good resource to help plan your trip as well.

You'll have a great trip if you plan on doing this.

Enjoy,

Keith
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Old Nov 21st, 2005, 12:53 PM
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Thank you everyone for all of this useful information

Karens - I also tried to access your trip report and couldn't retrieve it. I would love to read it.

TheWeasel - Thank you for the great link. I can't wait to read their report.

Keith - thank you for the information about the difficulty of the trail. This is the type of information that I'm looking for. I want to make sure we aren't getting ourselves into something too deep (a pun was intented!)
I am 27 and while healthy and in fairly good shape, I could be better and my Husband is 29 and an ex-weight lifter. I think we'd be okay but I remember getting out of the Bright Angel trail was a pretty trying experience. I think this was mostly because of the heat though. We were in the mid-day sun.
We've dreamed of this and we both want to do it. We have a few months to get in great shape!
Keith...what types of things did you do to train for such an experience?
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Old Nov 21st, 2005, 01:55 PM
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I had done several desert hikes in the past, like Delicate Arch and Landscape Arch in Arches NP, so I THOUGHT I knew what to expect. The big difference turned out to be distance. Delicate Arch is about 3 miles, give or take, round trip with small hills to go up and down. Landscape also about 3 miles roundtrip but basically flat. Both trails are heavily hiked and there is very few sections that are sand/loose rocks.

Since I didn't get to experience the switchbacks on the return hike, I cannot comment on how difficult that is.

I trained by fast-walking on a track near my house. I would walk five miles each evening. Since I wasn't really winded at the end of the five miles, I figured I'd be able to do the eight at Havasupai.

While I was able to do the eight, then the extra three mile round trip to Havasu that first day, it was very tiring. I think the big difference is walking in the sand and on the gravel. You have to work much harder to walk that way. Probably made the 8 mile hike seem like 12..... the walk between Supai and the falls is also on a trail with lots of soft sand sections.

If I were going back, instead of training on a flat circular track, I'd train on hilly terrain with a 15-20 pound backpack on..... silly as that would look.....

But don't let this discourage you. I'm in my 40's and several pounds heavier than I should be...... you should have no problem. Like I've said previously, this hike will take you to one of the most breath-taking sights you'll ever see. It is definately worth the effort.

Keith
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Old Nov 21st, 2005, 04:25 PM
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Hi all. Sorry about that. I cut and pasted my reply to the old thread below. The thread is called Drive from Vegas to Peach Springs.
--------------

Hi! The drive from Peach Springs to the hilltop took about an hour - it's a paved road with no stop lights or anything (and I mean anything - there's no services along this road so make sure you have gas and water and food with you) so you can make good time driving on it. It took us about 4 hours to hike into Supai. The first 1 1/2 miles is pretty steep, and then it's a slight downhill for the rest of the way. Try to start early - we went in late May and it was already into the 90s by noon.

You asked about the lodge and I will be honest with you. I read a lot of travel guidebooks that said the lodge was simple but clean. On the surface that is true. It had all the important things to me: clean sheets, clean bathroom, air conditioning and a bathroom! But the lodge is badly in need of reburishing. It is very run down. The furnishings were old, and the bathroom tiles were peeling. The light in the bathroom would go off, and then go back on in a few minutes, then go off again. The bureau had no drawers. There was no TV, clock or phone, but we knew that going in. There was no overhead light - just two exposed wires hanging down from the ceiling. We were on the 2nd floor and the balcony was missing one of its railings. In its place was yellow caution tape strung where the railing would be. Now we are usually Holiday Inn type people, so it's not like we only stay at 4-star places. The village of Supai also lacks charm, to put it mildly. The Havasupai homes are small and modest, but many yards were littered with trash. I don't mean a can or wrappers here and there, I mean piles of trash.

The first day we hiked the 8 miles in, checked into our multi-code violation lodge room, and then hiked down to Havasu Falls. On the way, in the heat, my trusty Nike hiking boots that have carried me to so many wonderful places, began to come apart. I was starting to really worry, knowing that we had lots of hiking left to do before we were back in our car, many miles away. But then we saw Havasu Falls and it was just incredible! Another couple in their 50s saw my first reaction to the falls and must have read my mind, b/c she said "It makes it all worth it, doesn't it?" And yes - it did!!

The falls are so beautiful. We've seen lots of waterfalls, but these are among the very best. What makes them so wonderful is that Havasu creek is this beautiful blue green color. The falls have these gorgeous blue green pools under them, perfect for a dip after all the hiking. We spent a lot of time by Havasu Falls, b/c there are lots of terraces and pools at the base of the falls. The first falls, Navajo, is tough to locate. There's a sign indicating a small spur path down to the falls, but it seems to end. A couple was going up and told us the falls are confusing to find, but they recommended we keep trying - the woman thought they were the most pretty. Finally, we scooted across a fallen tree and found our way to the base of the falls. They are wider than the others, with lush vegetation all around - -tropical in appearance. Lastly, there is Mooney, the tallest of the falls and by far the most difficult to get to. You take a side trail down, and all of a sudden there's a tunnel through rock you have to go through. You go through 2 tunnels, and after emerging from the second one, you look down and you're about 6 stories up, and the only way down is by grabbing 2 chains secured into the rock and lowering yourselves down with the aide of some footholds chiseled in the rock. I'm glad I lift weights at the gym, b/c I was holding on really tight for a few steps! It is scary - even my husband admitted that (after we were back up!) After using the chains, you get to a ladder, climb down and you're at the base of the falls. They are beautiful, with another pretty pool at the base. We were all terribly proud of ourselves, and then we saw a group of women who appeared to be in their late 50s or so hanging around the pool. Now how did they get there? So unless you have a real bad fear of heights, if they can do it, you can do it, too! But if you are afraid, go about halfway down, and once you get through the first tunnel is, I think, one of the best views of the falls. Going up is a lot easier - for one thing, you're not looking down!

Hiking out took us about 4 hours as well. The last mile was tough b/c it was already in the 90s at 10am. We thought we carried a lot of water, but we drank it all before getting about all but 1/4 mile up. We weren't worried, though, b/c we knew we had more water in the car.

So, even though this isn't the easiest place to get to, once you get past Supai, it is incredibly beautiful. What we did was to go to Supai first, and then spend some time in Sedona. We loved Sedona, and liked being back in "civilization" with a place with nice restaurants, shopping, etc. after being in such a remote place. So I would highly recommend, if you can, to time it this way. We actually know a couple who went to Havasu on their honeymoon, and afterwards went to Las Vegas. They said the differences in the 2 places, after seeing each side-by-side was amazing!

Any questions, feel free to ask. I know I was unable to find a lot out about Havasu before we went. Oh, one more thing - I have heard that the lodge often does not answer it's phone. Keep trying, by phone, to get through. The lodge starts taking reservations for the prior year starting on a day in December. I called all throughout the day and got a busy signal until I finally got through around 3pm. I've also heard it's a very good idea to re-confirm your reservation. We were sent a confirmation in the mail, and had no problems this way.
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Old Nov 22nd, 2005, 05:39 AM
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Wow Karen, your hike to Mooney Falls sounded very intimidating. Thank you for your honest description of the the Lodge. It is nice to know what to expect.

Keith, I actually see a man hiking around a hill by our house with a big backpack on quite often. I guess that really is the best way to train.
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Old Jan 31st, 2006, 06:25 PM
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This is really great. Looking to go as I have only heard amazing things. Where did you fly into? I am looking into Vegas or Phoenix. Also, looking into going in February. Do you think it will be too cold?
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Old Jan 31st, 2006, 06:46 PM
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It should be warm enough to swim. I went one year at Easter and altho it was freezing camping out on the rim, it was warm enough to go swimming.

I don't remember the hike as being especially hard. We didn't have gear - had mules take it down. Only the last mile or so on the way out struck me as strenuous.
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Old Feb 1st, 2006, 04:38 AM
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Hi allure. We flew into Las Vegas. And I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the water temp stays fairly constant year-round, but don't quote me on that!

The falls really are amazing!
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Old Feb 8th, 2006, 06:09 PM
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Thank you for your help. I know you mentioned you stayed in the Havasupai Lodge. Why didn't you camp out on the campgrounds? We were planning on pitching a tent for a few nights but in reading this thread it doesn't seem like anyone has done this????
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Old Feb 9th, 2006, 08:00 AM
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When I was in the canyon in September 2001, there were several campers in the campground, which is closer to Havasu Falls than the village (ie: it is between the village and the falls).

It is a primitive camp ground located in a grove of trees (cottonwoods?) along the banks of the creek. The only drinkable water source I saw comes from a stream coming out of the side of the canyon wall. I do not know how much it costs to camp in the campground.

Everyone pays the fee to enter the canyon (my fee was included in the lodge fee). One of the first buildings you come to when entering Supai is where you pay your fees.

If you're an experienced hiker and are used to carrying the equipment necessary to camp, then you shouldn't have any problems.

Have fun. Havasu Canyon with the three beautiful, but totally different, waterfalls and the Havasupai people are a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Keith
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