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 of the canyon Sprawling over 760 square kilometres in northern Arizona the Havasupai Indian Tribe s land hugs the southern rim of the Grand Canyon They have called this area home for a millennium Only a limited number of permits are issued every year for the ecologically sen sitive Havasupai Trail and if you re doing this trip independently it can often take months to secure one If you 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 a break in a shad ed gulley of red rock nearly halfway into our 16 kilometre trek Pacini tells us the legend of a bear that demanded the 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 of red 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 by the 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 Toronto Star (Toronto, ON) Date: 07.07.2016 Page: T01 Circulation: 361323 157880 Order Commande: Page(s): 1/6 © UNLICENSED REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED / REPRODUCTION INTERDITE SANS PERMIS © 358 RefNo: be805d
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Grand Canyon hiking trip alongthe remote Havasupai Trail leadsto waterfalls and Supai villageDANIEL OTISSPECIAL TO THE STAR
SUPAI ARIZ The sun is high as we beginour descent into the Grand Canyonsweating on steep switchbacks lookingout at sheer red cliffs andparched thornyscrubland
A helicopter buzzes back and forth andwe share the trail with the occasional
train of scraggly pack horses and tiredhikers headingback to the roadIn all this dryness dust and heat it shard to imagine the waterfall filled oasiswe ve been promised Butwe trek on anddown into the depths ofthe canyonSprawlingover 760 square kilometres innorthern Arizona the Havasupai IndianTribe s land hugs the southern rim oftheGrandCanyon Theyhave called this areahome for a millennium
Only a limited number of permits areissued everyyear for the ecologically sensitive Havasupai Trail and ifyou re doingthis trip independently it can often takemonths to secure one Ifyou re travellingwith an outfitter which is much more
expensive but includes gear meals andpack horses trips can start almost anytime
The tribe s name our Arizona Outback Adventures guide Nick Pacini saysmeans People of the Blue Green Waters
While our group takes abreak in a shaded gulley of red rock nearly halfway intoour 16 kilometre trek Pacini tells us the
legendofabear that demanded the tribe ssons as payment to pass to their summerhunting grounds on the canyon s rimA priest and twin warriors set out tosubdue the bear and as the priest finishesa magical song the bear and the twinsgrappling with it all become frozen instone
Pacini points out the animal hangingabove us amassive slab ofred rock that
looks like a bear standing on its hind legsThe twins Pacini says were moved closerto the village to protect itThe canyon opens up and suddenlyparched rock gives way to the sound ofrushing water and the lush shade of ancient cottonwood trees Birds sing andleaves rustle We soon see the sign forSupai Above the fearless twins standguard like pillars of red rockSupai population 400 is the remotecapital of the Havasupai people Ringedby the canyon s sheerwalls the village is acluster of fenced bungalows with yardswhere horses and donkeys graze Thereare two general stores a 24 room inn anda small restaurant
With the nearest road being 13 kilometres away supplies can only come inby helicopter horseback or foot Traditionally theHavasupai farmed in the canyon during summer and hunted on theplateau above in the winter Today tourism supports the economy
SUPAI continued on T4
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A landscapealtered by a100 year floodSUPAI from T1
Children are schooled here until
Grade 9 at which point they re sentout of the community to completehigh schoolThe village is the only place in theUnited States where mail still arrives
byhorse and ifs the only indigenouscommunity in the country thatboasts 100 per cent local languageknowledge An old woman sellingsoft drinks from a cooler reveals
there s no place she d rather beWe pass the village and see our firstwaterfall The water is a milky turquoise colour from travertine amineral released by the area s limestonerock Pacini points out a dry watercarved cliffBefore 2008 the waterfall was
there he says A hundred yearflood completely changed the landscapeWe re soon at camp where ourtents and airmattresses have alreadybeen set up near a stream that feedsthe mighty Colorado River Ifs getting dark as we arrive and somebodyfrom our group screamsIfs not venomous Pacini laughs
casuallyliftingupacornerofatenttoreveal a metre long kingsnakeAnd they re good to have around
he adds shooing the serpent awayThey eat rattlesnakesWhile bats and moths flit above wedine on pasta and sip water thatcomes from a spigot inserted into thecanyon wall the living rock filteringrainwater for centuries before it getsinto our thirstymouthsOver the next two days we use our
campground as a base to explore thecanyon clambering down chainsand ladders and wading throughstreams to morewaterfalls wherewe
swim in perfect turquoise pools andjump off ledges and through cascades Here the canyon is a riot ofshocking green a verdant oasis hidden amidst tall desert cliffs Pacinitakes us into an abandoned mine of
sparkling galena a mineral thatcontains lead Outside we scour theground for fossils finding mollusksand marine worms that lived as
much as 525 million years ago whenno animal walked the Earth and seacovered this area
On our fourth and final day there sjust enough light to see as we breakcamp The group is quiet Pacini saysit should take at least four hours to
get back to the roadWith the sun just about to scorchthe canyon I take a last break in analcove of smooth sandstone I m
munching on a granola bar when achocolate coloured horse trots up towhere I m sitting It doesn t have asaddle or gear and while it doesn texactly look wild there s somethingancient and feral about its aimless
canyon wandering The colt pushesits nose up to me and I can see itschin is filled with thorns The longface hovers I gently pat its nose Itflinches then calms With my otherhand I carefully pull out the longspikes When I finish the horsequickly turns away and saunters offin the direction ofSupaiDaniel Otis was hosted by the ArizonaOffice of Tourism which did not reviewor approvethis story
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WHEN YOU GO
Keep in mind If you plan to trek theHavasupai Trail independently visithavasupai nsn gov tourism html forinformation on securing a permitYou ll pay a 35 U S entrance feeplus accommodation costs andsome small incidental fees butyou ll also have to bring in all ofyour own gear and food there aretwo small general stores and arestaurant in the village of Supaibut supplies can be limited andexpensive Outfitters such as Arizona Outback Adventures aoaadventures com offer three fourand five day trips starting at 915per person Most of these tripsinclude gear such as tents and airmattresses pack horses meals andguides No matter which option youchoose you need to be in goodenough shape to trek for up to 16kilometres a day over uneven terrain
Get there The closest airports withdirect flights to Toronto are in LasVegas and Phoenix Serviced by AirCanada and WestJet both cities are
a four to five hour drive from the
trailhead It s easy to rent a car andget to the trailhead by yourself Ifvisiting with an outfitter transportation can also be arrangedGet around Most visitors to the
canyon travel on foot humping theirgear on their backs It s possible tohire pack horses to carry your luggage Travelling on horseback is alsoan option as is taking a helicopterinto or out of Supai and beginningyour adventure from there Forinformation on costs and availabili
ty contact the Havasupai Tribehavasupai nsn gov tourism htmlWhen to go While you can visit theHavasupai Trail year round warmdays and mild nights make earlyspring to early summer March toJune and fall September to November the best times to go It candrop below freezing at night in thewinter December to February andin the summer June to Augustdaytime temperatures can climbabove a sweltering 40 CWhere to stay A short walk from
majestic Havasu Falls and aboutthree kilometres past Supai villagethe Havasupai Campground iswhere most visitors sleep in thecanyon If travelling independentlycampsites cost 17 per person pernight plus a few additional feesand must be reserved by calling928 448 2121 Ringed by the canyon shaded by trees and bisectedby a turquoise creek most of thesites in the sprawling walk in campground are absolutely lovely Toiletspotable water and picnic tables areall available If you re not into camping the 24 room Havasupai Lodgein Supai village offers basic butcomfy rooms for 145 a night Reservations should be made well in
advance by calling 928 448 2111 Ifyou re looking to start your trek firstthing in the morning the CavernsInn gccaverns com in PeachSprings Ariz is the closest accommodation option An hour and a halfsouth of the trailhead the motel isalso next to an impressive networkof caves
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