Havasupai, Arizona

03-15-2015 Sunday, left Phoenix for Havasupai around 1pm. We arrived at the Canyon Hotel in Seligman in time to enjoy a glass of wine to start the St. Patty’s day adventure. We all ate dinner at Lilo’s café. Very good and very busy. New people to the group were Dana (HDmama), who we met in the Superstitions in January, CArias, who we met on the JMT a couple years ago, and Audrey, Nancy’s niece. Also, had a couple from Canada, Michelle and Allen, and Peggy P. Yes, there were a lot of us, 13! Baker’s dozen to celebrate St. Patty’s day. 8 of us stayed at the Lodge and 5 stayed at the campground. Never got a picture of everybody at the same time.

Stopped in Williams to visit with Jackie Canyon Lodge, Seligman

03-16-2015 Monday, we left for Supai about 60 miles on Indian highway 18. Pretty rough with big pot holes. Don’t go too fast! Got to the check in around 9:30 where we left our duffle bags with the Indians to have them brought down to the bottom. Maximum weight 130# per mule, max number of duffel bags, 4. $135.00 to the Lodge or $185 to the campground.

Look and listen while hiking. The mules come running down the trail with no leader so stay close to the mountain and move out of the way as soon as you hear anything different. Peggy got knocked down by a pack hanging on the mules.

Highly recommend the first cafe you come to as you enter the village. Wonderful root beer floats and Indian Fry Bread! Recommend here because the cafe in the village is only open at certain times and are very rude about telling you they are not open or when they are open.

When calling for reservations have your questions lined up, they do not offer any more information than what you ask. But once there, what a difference from the last time, the trail was clean, there were people doing maintenance on the trail and picnic tables were put out in a few places closer to town. Sorry to say there are still starving horses in the village, however, the work mules seem to be in pretty good condition. I was caught off guard when a resident took up conversation with us and made us feel welcome.

The Lodge is nice. No frills but comes with shampoo, soap and towels. Outside our room were a couple picnic tables and 2 grills. We ate hamburgers and beans at the café for dinner. The Lodge had picnic tables where we enjoyed the sunset and a little wine along with the game of Spoons. Now that is a fast game!

The grocery store has just about everything you could need.

03-17-2015, Tuesday, we hiked down to the falls. First was Navajo Falls with 2 falls. Wow! Beautiful! Then came Havasupai Falls. Magnificent! Then the campgrounds where we met up with the rest of the gang. Right at the campground by the 2 story, really nice bathrooms, you can buy Indian Fry bread and soda! We were surprised to see that.

Walked to Mooney Falls where lots of changes have happened over the last 10 years. Yes, it’s still a “take your life in your hands” type of descent to the falls. Connie got to the bottom with great trauma as she’s not getting any younger. Holding on to the hand and foot holds down slippery rocks, slippery chains, and slippery wooden ladders and lots of slippery rocks at the bottom is quite a challenge even for the younger people. At the bottom, Connie put on Crocs, slipped, fell, and broke her wrist! A trail angel helped her get up and then he was gone. God bless our trail angels! She did manage to climb out with 1 finger on the broken arm and using the other to pull up. Could have been a whole lot worse being a canyon!