derekloranger.com

After reading an article on CNN citing the tribe’s poverty and willingness to build this deck simply to get publicity and tourists so that their children can get an education, it made me realize how special our trip was, many years ago.

I wanted to share these photos, as I consider this trip to be truly special. After driving out to the rim of the Grand Canyon, we hiked 8 miles straight down into the tribe’s village and stayed in their lodge, a simple, but comfortable place to stay if you want to avoid camping in a tent. We brought our own food, but also ate at their simple café.

While chatting with the girl at the lodge’s registration, we were suprised to discover that she had attended CSULB and that many people in the tribe were well-traveled. They tend to go out and experience the world, and then return to their homeland.

We then went on daytime forays into the canyon which included the areas above. In all, there are three waterfalls and a great deal of area to explore. It is a secret paradise hidden deep in the western end of the Grand Canyon. You can get an idea of the huge scale of the waterfall on the right by looking at the tiny people below to the left, under the trees. And, yes, the water really was that blue.

Havasu Falls

Right before we left, since it was about to snow, we booked some horses for the 8 miles straight up out of the canyon. We were glad we did, as that hike would have been very strenuous and snow flakes frosted the canyon on the trek upward.

If you are looking for a trip to remember for a lifetime, I recommend trying this one, even if you take horses, or even a helicopter, round-trip, rather than hiking. The tribe exists solely on tourist income.

Havasupai Tribe Website

I was going through some of my maps the other day in our library and found this picture from my friend. He gave it to me as a postcard thank you card for editing his wedding video from Hawaii. I have liked this picture since he gave it to me. He took it while he was on his mission in Thailand in 2002.

It reminded me that, since I have switched to digital photography, I no longer take black and white photos. I can always photoshop any picture to be black and white, but somehow it feels like cheating. I searched in vain for a setting on my camera to take black and white photos, but I just googled it and found it. It is somewhat buried in the menus, but I will give it a try.