17.10.2014
3 day backpack (10/17-19). 2 nights at Havasu camping area.
Thursday night flew to Phoenix.
Friday 3am, 13 of us drove north. A few stops for bathroom, fuel, breakfast, we didn't reach TH until 9am. Chilly (maybe upper 40s F). Long line at the toilet there (I've never been inside). Lots of cars. Started hiking ~9:40am. 10 miles to campground: a large flat canyon floor with Havasu Creek running in the middle. At mile 8 is the Supai village, where you need to pay and pick up a permit. Each one of us pays $81.40 for 2 nights of camping (this includes $35 entrance fee and $5 environmental fee + 10% tax). Credit card is accepted. It's cloudy today, so the hike was painless. After the village, the creek gets more interesting. You'll see the changed Navajo Falls (2 sections now), Havasu Falls fairly close to the camping area. I went in for a swim. A bit chilly. After we set up the camp, most of us went further down to Mooney Falls. Another beautiful blue pool. However going down there require both hands!
The camping area is large (practically between Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls), lots of people, picnic tables, compost toilet on top of stairs with plenty toilet paper and wood chip to cover the smell (works great, not smelly at all). Many organized groups with huge coolers and large tents. There's a place to collect garbage (same place to collect luggage if you want the mule to haul them up). However, with so many people, every once awhile when you walk around, especially not on main trail, but closer to trees, you will smell a faint odor of either human waste or food.
Saturday, 4 of us started at 6:30 am towards Colorado River, about 8-9 miles away. We were told that we had to cross the creek 8 times. I lost count, maybe more, maybe less. Anyway, I gave up changing shoes, ended up walking in water shoes (with socks). We could ford water at most knee high. The water is clear and light blue. Very pretty all along. The canyon wall is pretty especially close to Colorado River. We took so many photos, that our progress was slow. We also watched 3 young men plunge the pool at Beaver Falls. We reached the river ~12:30. There's a clear line between the blue Havasu Creek and the brown river water. Absolutely beautiful. We also saw some sheep in the middle of the hike, who were not there on our way back. All day, we encountered these 3 boys at Beaver Falls (who also walked to Colorado), and a group of aged tourists with 3 guides from the River (they moored their 3 rafts there). Took a long break (nap) at the confluence. We were back at Mooney Falls ~4pm, where I went for a swim, to wash away the sweat. A bit chilly. The water force is too great to swim under the falls.
Sunday, pack-up, and hiked up ~7am. A stop at the village for water/toilet. It was sunny, and the last 4 miles or so was almost no shade. Back to Seligman for lunch and off to the airport.
Most people make it to Beaver Falls, so I don't post photos before that. Here're a few on the way to Colorado River.
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