Shortly after returning home from my last Havasupai trip, I found myself looking for another hiking permit. This year may be the only year where permits are easy to obtain, and I reckoned that it would be foolish of me not to take advantage of this. There’s no guarantee that I will be lucky enough to get permits next year. So a day after returning from Tennessee, I found myself barreling down I-40 towards Arizona.
Unfortunately, my car battery died right before the CA-AZ border. Luckily, it happened at a gas station located across from an auto shop, and not along the Mojave Desert or at the remote trailhead, where there is no cell service whatsoever.My trusty little Yaris loaded on a flatbed making its way to A+ AutoCare in Needles, CA. The owner, Dave, and his mechanic, Sonny, got me back on the road 3 hours later, and I made it to the Grand Canyon Caverns Inn for check in with 20 minutes to spare.
October weather in the Arizonan desert is much milder than you’d find at the end of August. Instead of starting the hike at 4AM to avoid the triple digit heat, I was able to start shortly after daybreak this time around.
This is the view I didn’t get to see while hiking in the dark 7 weeks ago.The canyon closes in at around mile 5, and for someone who is partial to red rocks this is a real treat.The first glimpse of the Supai village at mile 7.Havasu Falls comes into view shortly before mile 10.
During my last visit, I had spotted a campsite at the very end of the campground, and vowed that I would pitch my tent there if I ever made it back.
Being one of the first hikers to reach campground, I made a beeline for the coveted spot.And set up my tent (circled in yellow) at the edge of Mooney Falls.Home sweet home for the next 4 days.This stunning canyon view greeted me every morning as I unzipped my tent.Peering over the edge netted a view of the turquoise water.A few steps behind my tent is this series of cascades before the water drops down 200ft.
Quite honestly, I would have been thoroughly content with spending all my time in and around my tent just admiring my surroundings, but luck would have it that I would end up partnering up with a couple of other solo female hikers and having a great time.
FIRE'd @ 47 