Supai Village is the home of a group of Native Americans named
Havasupai, which means "the people of the blue and green
waters." It is so
named because around the village there is a cluster of falls
characterized by their aquamarine. This virtually uncontaminated
village, which consists of 400 residents, is so remote that the
residents have to travel up and down the canyon via helicopters or
horses. There is only one lodge and one campsite in the village and it
takes at least 6 months in advance to reserve a spot.
To capture the
beauty of those well-known falls in the village, I hiked 30 miles in
three days with two cameras and two tripods (This includes hiking up
and down the canyon, and going back and forth between the lodge and
the falls). In the past, tourists were able to see four astonishing
falls, namely, Navajo Falls, Havasu Falls, Mooney Falls, and Beaver
Falls. Unfortunately, a flood in 2008 destroyed Navajo Falls. And
since then the trail to Beaver Falls has not been maintained. As a
result, our team could access Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls only.
Havasu Falls is very accessible, but it is challenging to reach Mooney
Falls. Hikers must climb down the cliff by grabbing chains and going
through a steep tunnel. Nevertheless, it is a once-in-lifetime
experience.
