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| Backpack | 35.00 Miles |
5,000 AEG |
| | Backpack | 35.00 Miles | 3 Days | | |
| 5,000 ft AEG | | | | |
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| partners | | I’ve been to Havasupai several times before but never ventured all the way to the Colorado. Chumley and I talked about this over the past year or two and wanted to get down there at some point but didn’t want to deal with permits. Then about a month before this Chumley told me Jane has two extra permits and asked if I wanted to go. Naturally I said yes as long as we go for the confluence. Chumley was in agreement!
I’m going to focus on the hike to the Colorado River on day two and will gloss over other details because there is so much information on Havasupai. To make a long story short we left after work on Thursday and met Jane and the rest of the group at the Bunk House at Grand Canyon Caverns. We spent the night and then headed in on Friday. The hike in went well and we met the group at the village where we got our bracelet and then picked out a sweet campsite on an island. The rest of the day was spent seeing the sights and we turned in later that evening.
We woke on Saturday and took our time in camp. We topped off our water and packed up our day packs with a dry bag and gear. Our entire group of eight left camp around 8:30am and climbed down the Mooney Chains and took a variety of pics. We stayed with the group for a few minutes but had to get moving down canyon. Once we were on our own we made fast travel. There is a mix of good trail with several crossings and some obstacles to deal with. Nothing is overwhelming. We continued down and started seeing rafters making their way to Beaver Falls as we neared the confluence. We knew we were getting close.
As you near the confluence the walls narrow and we entered the creek. You have the option of a dry route on the left but we wanted to approach from the water. For the most part the water is one to two feet deep but there is a short stretch that’s four feet deep. We waded through this stretch and found ourselves in the grotto which is absolutely spectacular! There were a few Dories and only a handful of people. We took our lunch and took a variety to pics as we explored the general area. We ended back in the grotto and scored two beers each from the rafters. We hung out for about an hour and then decided to head back up canyon. We could have spent all down at the confluence it was amazing!
We started back up canyon around 1pm and made good time as we approached Beaver Falls. Once there we dropped down and took more pics and enjoyed the area. We planned on swimming but clouds moved in and the temps dropped a bit. The lack of sun made things chilly so we waded around the falls and then climbed back up and continued up canyon. The rest of the afternoon was spent taking our time and enjoying Havasu Canyon. We climbed back up the chains at Mooney and were back to camp around 5:30pm. I was exhausted after an amazing day down canyon! It was truly a memorable adventure!
The rest of the evening was spent relaxing and I was in bed around 9pm. We woke on Sunday and packed up and made the hike out which was very uneventful. Once up top we packed up and started the drive back to Phoenix. Another trip in the books! I doubt I go back any time soon. Havasu Canyon is wonderful and the confluence is a magical place! But all the BS with all the people and trash is a big turnoff for me. Don’t get me wrong I’m glad we went. I just wish the area wasn’t overrun. Thanks Chumley for driving and thanks Jane for letting us tag along. |
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