March 1, 2019
Hiking Havasupai at age 54 is not for weaklings, but it's well worth the effort! This trip was much more than a hike for me. It was a big accomplishment. When my girlfriends talked about this, my initial response was, "I don't think so. I am not in good enough shape to hike that many miles in one day." I had seriously neglected my physical health. After much encouragement from my sweet gals, I started walking every day to prep. I started with just a couple of miles a day and then increased to 5 miles. To be honest, that preparation was just barely enough to get me through this hike. On the day my husband and I went to REI to get a back pack, hiking boots and a walking stick, I was shaking in my boots. I still had my doubts.
The trek begins at Hualapai Hilltop which is located at the end of Highway 18 in the southwestern branch of the Grand Canyon.
After 10 miles of hiking, you reach the magical blue-green water that this mysterious and remote section of the Grand Canyon is famous for. The trailhead begins with 1 mile of switchbacks, and you descend 2000 feet into the canyon. The hiking trail is a hot, dry, rocky path, but the scenery is out of this world every step of the way. The prize at the end of the long hike is the stunning site of Havasu Falls.
There were wild horses in the parking lot and at the trail head accompanied by a black dog who looked like he was large and in charge!
The tribe posts a warning about giving the trail horses the right of way throughout the hike to avoid being pushed over the edge. These trail horses work for the Supai tribe packing gear and mail in and out of the village. The horses/mules have no manners! Hikers beware!
Liz, Cindy, Erin, Shelly, Me and Lisa, all geared up and ready to go.
The adventure begins…
My sweet friend, Liz, shared her water with the trail dog!
This raven seemed to be warning us of our impending doom…or maybe it was just my out of shape body doing the warning…
The Wigleeva sacred sandstone rock formation watched over us as we forged ahead.
After 8 miles…we arrived at the Village. We tried to check into our room but we were a few minutes early and were told to wait outside of the office until they were ready for us.
We asked to sit in the small lobby and they said, “no…go outside.” I think they are not crazy about tourists!
We finally checked in…dumped our stuff in the rooms and headed to the falls…
2 more miles and… We made it! Unreal!
We played in the water like little kids!
Beaver Falls 
Navajo Falls 
Havasu Falls 
The magical pale blue-green color of the water is truly breathtaking.
The color of the water is the result of large amounts of calcium carbonate in the water
Amazing day…now let’s hike for 2 more miles back to the lodge for a total of 12 miles in one day…did I mention how out of shape I was?
At this point, I could have slept anywhere…even the rocky desert floor. The lodge was not much better than a rocky desert floor…I recommend staying at the campsite rather than the lodge.
Sleeping conditions 
not luxurious!
The next morning we coffeed up, popped some advil and, at the crack of dawn, we headed out.
The hike out and up was much slower than the hike in
The task before us was a daunting site!
If you look closely at the trails in the canyon below, you’ll get an idea of the massive size of this canyon and the long hike that it is…and this is just the portion you can see from this vantage point.
Feeling utterly exhausted, I looked back at this path we just traveled. I was quite truly in awe of our accomplishment, if not a bit panicky. We still had the switch backs up the last portion of the canyon which is the most difficult and the hottest part of our hike. There would be no shade or relief from the intense desert sun until we got to the top. Heart racing…trying to stay calm.
Our fearless leader, Cindy. Hiking Havasupai was her bucket list item that we all shared. This lovely shot is of the two of us trying to protect ourselves from the sun and dust. I was actually trying to hide my sheer panic. My knee hurt, my hips hurt and I was shaking and breathless from heat.
Mind you, this was not the hottest time of year…I’m just a total wimp. Heat and I are not friends.
I was the last one to the top. It was a tough journey for me. I was not in great physical shape. It took everything I had to make it to the top and inside I was wondering if I would make it.
Side note…a few of my friends scurried up the mountain like little jack rabbits. They hike and work out often. I’d suggest some preparation before taking this hike. I did try to prepare for a few months before by hiking each day…so, perhaps that is why I did actually make it without helicoptering out, (which is an option and one I seriously considered!)
When I reached the top of that gigantic canyon, I burst into tears out of relief, pride, exhaustion…you name it. All the emotions were there. My sweet girlfriends cheered me on as I took the last switch-back up. Their love and support was enough to get me there!
Cheers to our efforts, accomplishment and this loving and supportive lifetime friendship. Cheers to checking this off a bucket list. It was an epic adventure.
Another side note: Alcohol is prohibited on the Havasupai reservation so we drove just outside of their boundaries and cracked open a cold beer. Well deserved and so refreshing!
My husband and I collect heart shaped rocks. My sweet friends helped me hunt for my love rocks as we recuperated with our beverage!
We did it…We conquered the Canyon!
Liz Wilk
Loved reliving this Jill…💛
Thank you for taking such good care of these memories…😘🥰
Jill
Hi Liz! Me too. What an amazing experience. A stand out memory for me was when you gave the dog your water. You are such a loving soul. Thanks for visiting my blog. It means a lot to me. Love you. xoxo Jill
Brienna
Momma Jill,
It seems so rewarding to be given such a tough task to accomplish and doing it. This seems like such an amazing adventure, I may even have to try this one day. I love hiking so much and I love seeing new parts of the country and of the world too. I loved reading about you accomplishing such a goal you were unsure of. It sounds like the most exhilarating feeling in the world to feel like you can’t do something, and then you do it. This is such an amazing and inspiring story. Thank you for sharing this. I love reading your blog entries. I will read more as I get more down time.
Much love,
Brienna
Jill
Brienna…this was quite a challenge but such an incredible experience. It was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen and it was extra fun doing it with my girlfriends. I really love to travel and hike. I plan to share some hikes that I’ve done in Oregon. There are so many here and they are all quite beautiful.
Lots of love to you. xoxo Jill
Vicki
Oh wow…. What an amazing trip! And you did great! You’re just a year younger than I! It is so inspiring and encouraging!
Jill
It was truly amazing, Vicki. As I mentioned though, I would train a bit more so that I could enjoy it in less pain, haha!
Angelica Vidales
Hello, hello!
How crazy is it that I just read this post yesterday and today my brother-in-law is hiking over there? It would be even crazier if I could do the hike one day but I gotta start getting in shape first.
Thanks to your post though I did warn him about the (no) beer drinking, let’s hope he stays out of trouble.
The pictures are beautiful, I hope I had a pack of girlfriends like yours… maybe soon.
Best,
Angelica V.
Jill
That is a crazy coincidence! The hike is truly spectacular!
Girlfriends are so important. I only see that group of friends once a year or so…it’s not enough. I moved away from all of my regular girlfriends and now only have a few in Oregon. But…that friend group is slowly growing. I just need to get out of the house more! I have a hard time leaving my beautiful garden and the Pups! xo