What's the Most Beautiful Place on Earth?

Havasupai might be the most beautiful place on earth.  Imagine that unrealistic scene from "The Swiss Family Robinson" Disney movie when they happen upon a tropical pool surrounded by palm trees and jungle vines complete with water chutes to slide down.  Now place 50 of those pools in a row connected with the kind of creek a lazy-river ride tries to imitate, add some 200 foot waterfalls, and put that in the middle of the biggest, most rugged canyon on the planet and you have Havasupai.  Photos do it no justice, but even they look fictional. 

The Swiss Family Robinson Pool

This kind of place comes with a price though.  Some people wait years for a permit so they can drive hundreds of miles of back roads to hike a 10 mile trail down a desert canyon to access it.  Appropriately, I have never heard of anyone going for just one day.  Just the drive there and the hike down and up takes more than a day.

I lay awake on the couch regretting the cup of coffee earlier in the day.  It was 1 AM and I was thinking about my plan for the next two days.  My friend Phil and I had talked about hiking the Grand Canyon together ever since he was here in 2009, so in June we agreed on a 4 day span and he bought his flight from Baltimore.  Then, in the middle of September I decided to go to a school in Spain which unfortunately began the same day as our proposed hike.  I squeezed the hike as early into Phil's vacation as possible and booked my flight to Spain for two days after the first day of class.  Then, a week ago, the US government shut down most of its operations due to a lack of budget concurrence thereby closing all access to the Grand Canyon.  Just to top it all off, Phil missed his flight to Phoenix and arrived 9 hours late.  Now here I was lying awake on my couch wondering how I could get the most out of the next day and a half. 

Suddenly, with no meandering thought train, an idea presented itself in my head.  Havasupai is actually a small section of the Grand Canyon that is owned and run by a Native American tribe unaffiliated with the bickering federal government.  Why couldn't two young healthy men do it in a day?  If we started the hike at 5 AM, we could potentially spend a few hours in Havasupai and still get back home with 2 hours to pack before my flight to Spain.  Genius. 

A sign at the Havasupai trail head "No Day Hiking"

The next day I was firmly planted in the leather racing seat of our 2012 Ford Mustang rental car.  As I carved through the Red Rock Canyon road, my smile proved the worth of the $12 upgrade fee.  The plan was to spend "the night" (until 1:30 AM anyway so that we could get to the trailhead by 5) in Sedona at an 1800s log cabin that I had the incredible privilege of accessing through a friend.  It is idyllically situated at the bottom of Red Rock Canyon right next to a crystal clear mountain-fed creek, nestled cozily in the Ponderosa Pines.  We spent the evening warming our bodies around the wood-burning stove while playing cards under the hand-hewn rafters, trying to convince ourselves this was not such a stupid idea. 

Red Rock Canyon by Sedona

My alarm sounded at 1:30 AM.  My brain slowly turned on and I gradually remembered where I was and what lay before me.  I felt as if I had only been sleeping for 5 minutes.  Phil and I groggily packed our belongings, cleaned the cabin, and filled up our plethora of water bottles before easing into the low seats of the Mustang.  Normally I would have fallen asleep an hour into such a drive, but as it was, with the combination of the car, empty Indian reservation roads, and a night sky Galileo would have been jealous of, we arrived in 3 hours flat, an hour and a half sooner than Google Maps estimated, and I was wide awake.  

Just in case your feet stop reminding you how abusive the trail is

By the time the sky was bright enough to see our surroundings we were 3 miles into the canyon.  The sandstone cliffs towered above us and the limestone cliffs towered above them.  In typical Arizona fashion it was a perfect day with not a cloud in the sky.  We hiked fast and soon we were walking through the little village of Supai, the only town in the US that still has its mail delivered by mule.  While I can think of few less-convenient locations for a village, I am sure the view is unparalleled.  The unrealistically beautiful Havasu Creek rushes its way through this part of the canyon and over several mammoth falls before joining with the Colorado River 7 miles downstream.  It brings life to an otherwise arid landscape, the lush green jungle-like flora contrasting strikingly with the red cliffs and tropical turquoise water.   

Going for a swim

Unnamed Falls

Climbing to the bottom of Mooney Falls

Mooney Falls

After 5 hours of rock climbing, swimming, and fighting currents Phil and I rested for a late lunch at the top of Havasu Falls before our 10 mile trek back out.  I sat barefoot on a boulder eating my 4-cheese instant mashed potatoes with sardines and stared out over the 100 foot drop.  Tiny people played in the pool below, fighting the spray to get as close to the waterfall as possible before giving up and letting the current swiftly sweep them back to shore.  To my right, bright blue whirlpools danced around before calmly slipping over the precipice.  Above me, the towering cliffs shone brightly in the midday sun against a crayon-blue sky.  "Thank you God for your creation" I said aloud, then added "and for the incredible opportunity to experience it."  It really is no exaggeration to claim that Havasupai is one of the most beautiful locations in the entire world.

The top of Havasu Falls

Now that I'm sitting in a comfortable seat on a flight to Dublin the hike out almost seems insignificant, but I know at the time, between miles 3 and 9, it was the farthest 10 miles and highest 2500 feet I have ever hiked.  Every bone and muscle in my body was cursing me for what I put them through.  Fortunately for me, Phil did most of the drive home late into the night and I had just enough time to do some laundry and pack for Spain before my 7 AM flight.  It was a successful trip in every aspect and, this time anyway, it paid to have such an ambitious goal.  I can't think of any better place to have spent my last day and a half in the US. 

The sun set as we hiked out