Page(s): 1 / 6 Grand Canyon hiking trip along the remote Havasupai Trail leads to waterfalls and Supai village DANIEL OTIS SPECIAL TO THE STAR SUPAI ARIZ The sun is high as we begin our descent into the Grand Canyon sweating on steep switchbacks looking out at sheer red cliffs and parched thorny scrubland A helicopter buzzes back and forth and we share the trail with the occasional train of scraggly pack horses and tired hikers heading back to the road In all this dryness dust and heat it s hard to imagine the waterfall filled oasis we ve been promised But we trek on and down into the depths ofthe canyon Sprawling over 760 square kilometres in northern Arizona the Havasupai Indian Tribe s land hugs the southern rim ofthe Grand Canyon They have called this area home for a millennium Only a limited number of permits are issued everyyear for the ecologically sen sitive Havasupai Trail and ifyou re doing this trip independently it can often take months to secure one Ifyou re travelling with an outfitter which is much more expensive but includes gear meals and pack horses trips can start almost any time The tribe s name our Arizona Out back Adventures guide Nick Pacini says means People of the Blue Green Wa ters While our group takes abreak in a shad ed gulley of red rock nearly halfway into our 16 kilometre trek Pacini tells us the legend ofabearthat demandedthe tribe s sons as payment to pass to their summer hunting grounds on the canyon s rim A priest and twin warriors set out to subdue the bear and as the priest finishes a magical song the bear and the twins grappling with it all become frozen in stone Pacini points out the animal hanging above us a massive slab ofred rock that looks like a bear standing on its hind legs The twins Pacini says were moved closer to the village to protect it The canyon opens up and suddenly parched rock gives way to the sound of rushing water and the lush shade of an cient cottonwood trees Birds sing and leaves rustle We soon see the sign for Supai Above the fearless twins stand guard like pillars of red rock Supai population 400 is the remote capital of the Havasupai people Ringed bythe canyon s sheer walls the village is a cluster of fenced bungalows with yards where horses and donkeys graze There are two general stores a 24 room inn and a small restaurant With the nearest road being 13 kilo metres away supplies can only come in by helicopter horseback or foot Tradi tionally the Havasupai farmed in the can yon during summer and hunted on the plateau above in the winter Today tour ism supports the economy SUPAI continued on T4
Page(s): 2 / 6 A landscape altered by a 100 year flood SUPAI from T1 Children are schooled here until Grade 9 at which point they re sent out of the community to complete high school The village is the only place in the United States where mail still arrives by horse and ifs the only indigenous community in the country that boasts 100 per cent local language knowledge An old woman selling soft drinks from a cooler reveals there s no place she d rather be We pass the village and see our first waterfall The water is a milky tur quoise colour from travertine a min eral released by the area s limestone rock Pacini points out a dry water carved cliff Before 2008 the waterfall was there he says A hundred year flood completely changed the land scape We re soon at camp where our tents and air mattresses have already been set up near a stream that feeds the mighty Colorado River Ifs get ting dark as we arrive and somebody from our group screams Ifs not venomous Pacini laughs casuallyliftingupacornerofatentto reveal a metre long kingsnake And they re good to have around he adds shooing the serpent away They eat rattlesnakes While bats and moths flit above we dine on pasta and sip water that comes from a spigot inserted into the canyon wall the living rock filtering rainwater for centuries before it gets into our thirsty mouths Over the next two days we use our campground as a base to explore the canyon clambering down chains and ladders and wading through streams to more waterfalls where we swim in perfect turquoise pools and jump off ledges and through cas cades Here the canyon is a riot of shocking green a verdant oasis hid den amidst tall desert cliffs Pacini takes us into an abandoned mine of sparkling galena a mineral that contains lead Outside we scour the ground for fossils finding mollusks and marine worms that lived as much as 525 million years ago when no animal walked the Earth and sea covered this area On our fourth and final day there s just enough light to see as we break camp The group is quiet Pacini says it should take at least four hours to get back to the road With the sun just about to scorch the canyon I take a last break in an alcove of smooth sandstone I m munching on a granola bar when a chocolate coloured horse trots up to where I m sitting It doesn t have a saddle or gear and while it doesn t exactly look wild there s something ancient and feral about its aimless canyon wandering The colt pushes its nose up to me and I can see its chin is filled with thorns The long face hovers I gently pat its nose It flinches then calms With my other hand I carefully pull out the long spikes When I finish the horse quickly turns away and saunters off in the direction of Supai Daniel Otis was hosted by the Arizona Office of Tourism which did not review or approvethis story
Page(s): 3 / 6 WHEN YOU GO Keep in mind If you plan to trek the Havasupai Trail independently visit havasupai nsn gov tourism html for information on securing a permit You ll pay a 35 U S entrance fee plus accommodation costs and some small incidental fees but you ll also have to bring in all of your own gear and food there are two small general stores and a restaurant in the village of Supai but supplies can be limited and expensive Outfitters such as Ari zona Outback Adventures aoa adventures com offer three four and five day trips starting at 915 per person Most of these trips include gear such as tents and air mattresses pack horses meals and guides No matter which option you choose you need to be in good enough shape to trek for up to 16 kilometres a day over uneven ter rain Get there The closest airports with direct flights to Toronto are in Las Vegas and Phoenix Serviced by Air Canada and WestJet both cities are a four to five hour drive from the trailhead It s easy to rent a car and get to the trailhead by yourself If visiting with an outfitter trans portation can also be arranged Get around Most visitors to the canyon travel on foot humping their gear on their backs It s possible to hire pack horses to carry your lug gage Travelling on horseback is also an option as is taking a helicopter into or out of Supai and beginning your adventure from there For information on costs and availabili ty contact the Havasupai Tribe havasupai nsn gov tourism html When to go While you can visit the Havasupai Trail year round warm days and mild nights make early spring to early summer March to June and fall September to No vember the best times to go It can drop below freezing at night in the winter December to February and in the summer June to August daytime temperatures can climb above a sweltering 40 C Where to stay A short walk from majestic Havasu Falls and about three kilometres past Supai village the Havasupai Campground is where most visitors sleep in the canyon If travelling independently campsites cost 17 per person per night plus a few additional fees and must be reserved by calling 928 448 2121 Ringed by the can yon shaded by trees and bisected by a turquoise creek most of the sites in the sprawling walk in camp ground are absolutely lovely Toilets potable water and picnic tables are all available If you re not into camp ing the 24 room Havasupai Lodge in Supai village offers basic but comfy rooms for 145 a night Res ervations should be made well in advance by calling 928 448 2111 If you re looking to start your trek first thing in the morning the Caverns Inn gccaverns com in Peach Springs Ariz is the closest accom modation option An hour and a half south of the trailhead the motel is also next to an impressive network of caves
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