Paradise Found

We just got back from Havasupai, a side canyon of Grand Canyon with amazing waterfalls and beautiful turquoise water (from high concentrations of lime). I've been wanting to go for years, and it was really a dream come true. Michelle was nice enough to come along for the ride, and she actually enjoyed it, despite the 10-mile hike in and out with a 35-pound pack.

My mom and dad watched Addison and Bryn (thanks again) and we went down with Michelle's college roommate Allie and her husband Matt. They made the trip a lot of fun, especially since they found this sweet hotel in Laughlin, Nevada, for the trip down.

After-hours adult party - us and the over-60 crowd. Oh yeah.

From the trailhead it was a half mile of switchbacks then seven and half miles down Hualapai Canyon and Havasu Canyon and into the Supai village.

At the trailhead.

The village.

By then we were pretty bushed, but it was another two miles, past the two new waterfalls (after the flood two years ago)

and Havasu Falls to the campground.

Havasu Falls

That night we walked about 100 yards downstream and the ground dropped away at the 200-foot Mooney Falls. Pretty spectacular.

The trail down to Mooney Falls involves entering this cave and scrambling down the cliff-face with chains.

The group at Mooney Falls.

The next day we took what was supposed to be a quick jaunt down to Beaver Falls, but which turned out to be an intense 7-mile round trip, complete with fording the creek several times, scaling the canyon walls with ropes, and even a leg full of cactus spines for Michelle.

But it was totally worth it - the falls were beautiful, and we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

The rest of the trip we spent swimming, suntanning, reading, and lounging around the campsite. And the hike out wasn't that bad, though the switchbacks were pretty brutal.

All told, something like 32 miles. A small price to pay for 48 hours in paradise. If you want to see the rest of the pictures, they're here. (Thanks, Allie.)