Just over two weeks ago, Sarah and I returned from our hike out west, in celebration of her 21st birthday. It was a great week together and I'm so glad to have been able to show her some of my most favorite places on earth!
We met in Las Vegas (from Indy and Atlanta) on the morning of Tuesday, July 29th. After we collected our luggage, we rode the bus to the car rental hub and got settled in our new Chevy Cobalt (only 1 mile on the odometer!) I hesitated when they showed us the car, as it was so new that it didn't have a license plate but was assured that the registration taped inside the front windshield would suffice in the event we were pulled over.
Hoover DamWe drove east, stopping briefly at the Hoover Dam, but the temperature was 104 and we both still had our jeans on, so we hurried across the bridge and took pictures and got back in the air conditioned car. We checked in to the Motel 6 in Kingman, Arizona, hauled all our stuff into the room and left right away for a trip across the street to the K-Mart and grocery store. We picked out our drinks, cooler, and hiking food and got an iced coffee from McDonald's and headed back to get organized for the next day. We were both exhausted and watched Shark Week on TV, got a wakeup call for 5:30 am and were asleep before 9:00!
Wednesday, July 30thWe woke to Sarah's phone alarm a few minutes before the call. We finished packing up our backpacks but it was soon apparent that there was no way all of our gear would fit. Sarah got creative with some waterproof bags and the straps and bungee cords on the outside of her pack and made it all work! We packed up the car and were soon on the road. We stopped to fill up the gas tank and get ice and then once more at Peach Springs to use the facilities and we arrived at Havasu Hilltop parking lot about 9:00.
Beginning of trail down into SupaiThe hike starts with an immediate down and lasts for about a mile and a half. Soon were were walking across the bottom of the canyon in a dry creek bed and the hike was pleasant, although we could feel the temperature rising. We stopped after a couple of hours and took a 15 minute break and had a snack on a ledge in the shade.
lunch break
We resumed our hike and were glad to hear the first sounds of water. We got to the sign that marks the turnoff to the village but were dismayed to come upon the remains of a dead horse. I shut my eyes and Sarah guided me verbally along the path until we were well past it. We knew we were close to the village and picked up our pace. We soon began to glimpse the beautiful blue-green water of the creek that leads to Supai. When we crossed the bridge, we went down to the water, got our bandannas wet and wrapped them around our necks.
Soon after, we were on the outskirts of Supai and stopped at the small store to get a cold diet coke. I had a few sips, it was delicious and I saved the rest for later. We continued on through the village, passing homes and horses, the grocery store, post office, cafe, school and church, before arriving at the lodge. We got our key, went to the room, took off our boots, turned on the A/C and laid down on the beds!
Havasupai LodgeAfter a few minutes of resting and snacking, we set off again, two miles further into the canyon towards the falls. The first glimpse of Havasu Falls takes your breath away - the waterfall is magnificent, the pools of water below are an amazing turquoise color, the cliffs that surround it all are a rich red color and the sky is impossibly blue. WOW!
First glimpse of Havasu FallsSarah had made friends with a stray German Shepard in the village and he followed us to the falls, stopping in creeks and running ahead, pausing to see if we were following. When we got to the base of the falls, we found a place to put our stuff, the dog curled up and went to sleep and we got our sandals on and got in the water. It was cold at first, but felt like heaven after our long, dusty hike. Some boys were jumping from a ledge and Sarah decided to give it a try. I took a picture, but snapped it before she jumped so she had to do it again :) I got a better shot the second time.
Sarah jumping. . . 
After a while in the water, I spread out a towel next to the dog and snoozed for a while. Sarah wrapped up in her towel, leaned up against a nearby rock and read her book. We enjoyed a relaxing break and eventually rallied to walk the two miles back to the village. The dog followed us for a while and then went off when we got back. We ate at the cafe, and then went over to the store for some postcards and a diet coke. We went back to the room, showered, read and were both asleep before 8:00! (no phone service, no TV :)
Thursday, July 31I woke early and walked to the store for coffee. Sarah wasn't up yet, so I sat outside at a picnic table and got caught up on my trip journal while I enjoyed my coffee, the peace and quiet, and the beauty of the canyon. When I got back to the room, Sarah was beginning to stir and we soon headed to the village to buy stamps, mail the postcards, eat breakfast, and buy ice and a frozen gatorade. We loaded up our packs with ice water and snacks and set off for the three mile hike to Mooney Falls. We passed by Havasu Falls and walked through the campground, following the creek which runs through it. It's a beautiful hike and it saddens me to think of the destruction done by the flood last week.
creek running through campgroundWe made our way to the top of Mooney Falls and looked for the trail down. We met a couple who had just hiked up and commented,
"not for the faint of heart". They had gone about halfway down but when they saw the steel cables and ladders that are needed to descend the rest of the way, they changed their minds and came back up. I was glad I had done it before (2004) and although it was scary, I knew we could handle it and so we set off towards the bottom.
Mooney Falls
caution sign before final descent
holding on. . .
. . for dear life
After a slow climb down on the chains and ladders we were happy to be on flat ground at the bottom of Mooney Falls. We changed into sandals and started exploring in the water. Squirrels attacked our packs the minute we walked away from them, so Sarah put them on a tiny island and they were safe. We made our way over to the base of the falls and talked to the only two other people there! They were friends who had come on a day trip from the Grand Canyon. They rode a helicopter to Supai and then horses to the campground, from there they hiked to Mooney (about a mile). The trip was 7 hours total and it sounded like quite an adventure. When I got home I looked it up and the cost is $550 EACH! We took their picture in front of the falls and they took ours.
base of Mooney FallsWe took more pictures of the falls and then went to the island where our packs were. We laid down with our feet in the cool running water and spent the next few hours reading, resting, snoozing, staring at the falls, daydreaming, eating, drinking. and enjoying the solitude.
relaxing afternoon
no worriesThe way back up was challenging but not as scary as the descent, perhaps because you couldn't see where you would fall! We got to the top and walked back through the campground to Havasu Falls. We sat between the base of the falls and the pools and watched lots of people jumping in and swimming around. The mist blew over from the waterfall and also formed a rainbow. We spent about an hour relaxing before packing up and hiking back to the village.
pools at the base of Havasu Falls
rainbow at Havasu FallsThe way back seemed longer and hotter than the day before. Sarah pointed out that we were drained from being out in the sun all day and then produced the still partially frozen, ice cold bottle of gatorade we had purchased that morning! We drank up and were refreshed and continued our hike back. We went straight to the cafe, ordered two tomato and cheese crisps and drank about a gallon of ice water. Dinner was delicious and afterwards we walked over to the store and bought a bag of ice for the next day's hike out, a diet coke and an ice cream treat each! Back at the room we showered, packed up, read and set an alarm for 4:30 am!
Friday, August 1stWe began hiking at 5:15 when it was just beginning to lighten up. We made great time, as we were hurrying to try and beat the heat of the sun on the last mile and a half up! We watched it slowly creep down the canyon wall as we hiked on and took a picture as soon as we could see our shadows.
We didn't stop and made it to the beginning of the climb up in two and a half hours. Sarah raced up and finished in less than three hours total and I followed about a half hour later. She had gone on ahead to the car and greeted me with a cold diet coke from the cooler! We congratulated each other on a great hike, took off our boots, ate some trail mix and started off to find the access road that AAA directed us to follow. On paper it cut off over a hundred miles of our drive to the Grand Canyon. They must have measured "as the crow flies" because after half an hour of driving on the dirt path, we had only gone two miles and were afraid we would damage the car if we continued.
access road on the AAA directions
uh, let's turn aroundWe got back to the main road and drove on to the Grand Canyon. We parked at the Bright Angel Lodge, cleaned up in the bathroom, and set out on the rim trail. Some of it was under construction and there was no shuttle but we enjoyed the walk after a few hours in the car and of course, the views were spectacular!
enjoying the view toward the bottom of the Grand Canyon
lookout pointWe stayed for a couple of hours and then hit the road again for a short drive (about an hour) to the Cameron Trading Post. We checked in, ate dinner, bought souvenirs at the trading post, sorted laundry and enjoyed the evening. Another early night!
Navajo Taco at Cameron Trading Post
Saturday, August 2nd
We slept in this morning and then packed up and drove to Page, where we stopped and walked 3/4 mile on the trail to Horseshoe Bend, where the Colorado River makes a 180 degree turn. The overlook allows you to see 500 feet straight down.
Horseshoe BendThe day was heating up and we were glad that the car had AC. We stopped in Page for an iced coffee and continued driving toward Utah. As soon as we pulled in to the town of Kanab, Utah there were several cars pulled over by police and sure enough, we were soon one of them. The trooper told us that we didn't have a license plate and examined the registration and rental agreement and proceeded to ask us multiple questions about where we had been, where we were going, the reason for our trip, etc. Sarah had just woken up as I was pulling over and was surprised and confused by all the questions and answers! He allowed us to continue on and we stopped a little further on to fill up with gas and get something to eat.
Zion National ParkWe drove on to Zion National Park and headed directly to the visitor's center to pick up our reserved permit for an overnight camping spot on the Virgin River. The drive through the park has some spectacular views and we were excited to be closer to our next destination. Our excitement was dampened however, when we talked to the ranger at the backcountry desk. He informed us that the river risk for a flash flood was classified as "moderate" for our hike and a 20% chance of thunderstorms.
(there are 5 classifications: dry, low, moderate, high, very high) We debated back and forth for several minutes, asking lots of questions, and eventually asked the ranger if he would attempt the Narrows hike under these conditions and he said, "no". Well, shoot. We decided to go ahead and get the permit, as we had already reserved it and that way we could continue to discuss it and not have to come back if we decided to do it. When he processed us in the computer, he said that there was a note from a hiker earlier in the week that mentioned a
"dead or dying tree directly above campsite #6" which, of course, was ours. Another sign, perhaps?
Virgin RiverWe drove on to Zion Adventure Center to ask an opinion there. We watched a video and read some facts about how suddenly a flash flood can occur and examined the trail map of the hike to discover that there is a 2 mile stretch of canyon that is so sheer it cannot be climbed to safety. We went ahead and rented the boots, neoprene socks and hiking sticks and decided to just do the day hike version instead of the overnight. We were both a little disappointed, but relieved to have made a decision. We drove to The El Rio Lodge and checked in and were able to extend our stay an additional night.
El Rio Lodge in Springdale, UtahWe got our laundry together and walked a few blocks to the laundromat and started the wash. Directly across the street was the Zion Pizza and Noodle Company and we enjoyed a salad and pizza dinner at their outdoor tables. Sarah walked across the street to move the clothes to the dryer and we relaxed and put our feet up for a while!
Sarah checking on the laundry :)We spent a relaxing evening in Springdale walking around town. We visited a candy shop where we both indulged (freshly made english toffee and chocolate/strawberry cheesecake bites). We looked in a few shops but the finished laundry was getting heavy (thanks Sarah!) and we walked back to the lodge. We read for a while and got a great night's sleep.
Sunday, August 3rdWe slept in this morning and slowly got our backpacks filled with food, water and cameras. We stored it all in waterproof bags and walked to the nearest town shuttle stop. We rode to the entrance of the park where we entered and switched to the park shuttle. The river walk was the last stop and we enjoyed the drive and narration and scenery on the way there.
We set off in the river along with lots of other people. The rental boots made the walk easier but it was still slow going trying to balance on the rocks against the current. The further upstream we went, the less people there were. Along the way we kept our eyes on the closest spot to climb to safety if need be. We passed a few hikers returning with overnight packs and I was a little jealous until we got to the section called "Wall Street" which is where there is nowhere to climb out or up. That's the spot where we turned around and headed back. It was a beautiful day and the hike was awesome.
River Narrows Hike (trail is in the water)
Sarah hikingWe finished the hike, rode the shuttle back, returned our gear, returned to the lodge, showered and walked back out for dinner. We tried a new Mexican restaurant that we both enjoyed. We relaxed back at the room and we both made a few phone calls to get caught up back home. We spent a little bit of time getting packed up and read until bedtime.
Monday, August 4thWe slept until about 9:00, showered and packed up the car. We headed west through the mountains and then south through Arizona into Nevada. We had a leisurely breakfast on the way and arrived at the Excalibur about 1:00 where we checked in, and hauled all of our stuff up to the room. We quickly changed and headed down to relax at the pool. It was slightly overcast but the clouds were building and within an hour they announced the pool was closing due to some storms moving in. Back in the room we showered and took our time getting ready. We walked through the casino and upstairs to the buffet (coupons!). We both filled several plates and walked away full and ready for a walk down the strip.
Before we got very far, Sarah had an upset stomach and our night was cut short. I walked to CVS for a few things and we both ended up in bed early. The next morning, the sun was shining and after an hour at the pool, we got cleaned up and packed up and went for a short walk next door to the New York, New York casino. We fed a dollar into the dollar slots and Sarah quickly turned it in to $7!
Sarah at the slots!
cash out voucherShe cashed out and tried her luck at the quarter slots before settling back into the penny ones. She invested a second dollar and cashed out with one penny left and a voucher as a remembrance! We liked the New York casino, as the ceilings were much higher and it wasn't as smoky as Excalibur.
We drove to the rental car return and rode the bus to the terminal. We arrived in plenty of time for our flights but had to separate because our flights left from different parts of the airport. We said goodbye at Sarah's security line and after she was through, I rode the tram to the AirTran gates. The flights home were uneventful and the trip was a success!
off to get polar pops!
sending greetings to elliott in iraq
snoozin
