Havasupai

A true Oasis in every sense of the word and that by which all other oasis’ will be judged moving forward. The landscape, the colors, the water- all hard to believe it was real even when it was right in front of my eyes.

The trail takes you from the upper rim of the grand canyon down to the reservation and town of Havasupai which sits nestled in the canyon with steep walls on all sides. The journey down to the village and falls was about 10 miles. Except for some steep switch-backs right at the beginning of the trail, it was a slow and gradual downhill the entire way. There is really only one way in and one way out (unless you hitch a ride on a helicopter). The canyon walls narrow as you descend further but it never gets so tight that you feel claustrophobic.

As you approach the village, the trail flattens out and the landscape changes from dry and rocky to a lush tree canopy. We were lucky to time our trip in the fall as the leaves were changing so the golden color added an extra layer of beauty. Even during the summer, the trees stay bright green and provide much needed shade from the mid-day sun.

The only negative to this trip was seeing how the locals live. It is a very poor community with limited resources. While the land is beautiful, it isn’t fertile so they aren’t able to grow any crops. There are no roads down to the area where the people live so the only way to get supplies down there is on the backs of donkeys or by helicopter. As a result, there is very little fresh food. Poor nutrition and limited healthcare were quickly evident as we got to town.

Seeing the turquoise water set against the richly colored stone walls and golden trees was even better than we could have imagined. The constant sound of the waterfalls was just about the only thing you hear can hear. It was so peaceful and beautiful.

You can walk down to the first waterfall but getting to the others further downstream requires navigating some challenging cables and very tight spaces. It was absolutely worth it but not for the faint of heart.

This trip was extra special because both of my sisters joined Jane and I. We hadn’t done a sibling trip in a very long time and getting to have this experience with them meant a lot.