Jenny asked me if I’d be down to go to Havasupai again this year. She is currently doing a LASH on the PCT. I dropped her off at the airport 2.5 weeks ago and she has been making her way north day by day. Last we spoke she was making it into Idylwild.
I met Jenny back in December when I first moved here. She said “I want to hike 1,000 miles of the PCT can you help me get ready?” I said “absolutely.” We spent all of January and February backpacking. We hit Big Bend and the Mexican border, Palo Duro, Caprock State Park, as well as 4/5 other state parks in Texas. Jenny being a native Texan and someone who went to school in Austin was my tour guide to the state, and in return I got to be her personal back country guide.
Jenny was like me, worked a normal corporate gig for a Fortune 500 company. Leading a team of finance nerds as a director of finance for one of the largest semiconductor manufacturers in the world. Like me however, she is burnt out with hitting every career goal, juggling friend and family and all while chasing her version of true happiness.
Considering I’ve been to Supai like 4… maybe 5 times at this point I know it very well. And for her being mid hike and getting off the PCT, it should be an easy hike for her. So I said sure why not and we scooped permits and booked flights. Luckily I had some AA miles I wanted to cash in also, so the flight was a freebie for me.
I rolled into work and told my boss I was going to Vegas baby, Vegas. To be honest, he didn’t care. We have absolutly nothing going on at work. We’re a defense tech start up that’s between funding rounds. We are being paid to hang around and look pretty.
Last week we played pickleball and then 3D printed beer bottle openers in the shape of mortar tubes. And then we drank the beer we tested the openers with. Productive? Oh yeah.
I wake up at 3:45AM 15 minutes before my alarm. My anxiety is thru the roof, but hey this is nothing new. Just need to make it to the plane. I leave my apartment and drive to DFW. 12$ a day to park so I say F it and skip the 45$ uber one way.
I get to DFW and walk right through security. Less than 5 minutes, how it should always be. A short 3 hour flight and then I’ll be in Vegas.
I board the plane, take my seat in 3F and sit back to rawdog this 3 hour flight. No entertainment provided.
I arrive in Las Vegas, Jenny got here an hour before I did. So she was chillin while I grabbed the rental car. Once I grabbed the rental car we were off. Straight to Arizona.
We drive past the Hoover Dam as we leave Nevada. I ask Jenny if she’s ever seen it she says no. Well today isn’t the day to either, you actually can’t see it from the road. They make you take the exit and turn in. Good business strategy.
After 3 hours we arrive at the GC Caverns Inn, the place is in my opinion a shit hole. The first time I stayed there we noticed they had placards being recognized as a paranormal activity site.
We check in to grab our permits and then take a short trip up the road to the Hualapai Lodge. A significant step up from the GC Caverns. Both hotels are owned by the tribe, and they essentially make it so you have to stay there the night before unless you want to hike in mid day. Me in Arizona hiking in mid day? Not happening.
We wake up at 4:30 and plan to leave by 5AM. 5 sharp we’re out the door, an hour drive down Indian road 18 where we saw a dozen cows, deer, rabbits and a couple of huge elk.
We arrive at the trail head at 6:05 and we’re on the move down the switch backs by 6:20AM. It’s 10 miles down to the campground, a path I know very well. If I was to complain, I feel like shit today. Hoping I’m not getting sick.
We arrive around 10:15AM and leisurely stroll the campsite to find a spot. We weren’t that lucky and grabbed anything we could. People move every day so we can grab a new spot tomorrow.
After we set up our tents and gear were off to explore. Uphill back to Havasu falls.
After spending a few hours there we head back to camp to hang out and chill for a bit. IMO Havasupai is a 2 day trip without the confluence hike. We are goin to skip the confluence this year and just hang around and learn to relax at camp. Last year doing the confluence with Seven was enough for me.
We cook dinner and slip into our tents for the night.
We wake up, me earlier than her. I hit the bathroom, then walk the campsite to see if anyone has left yet. I see one corner spots open and say yep, I’m taking that.
I walk back and wake up Jenny. “Hey, people left, let’s go grab a better camp site on the river.”
We move our stuff over. No big deal for a few thru hikers we are use to doing that every day. Me being courteous I let Jenny grab the better spot. Have to remember I am a Mouse anyways so I expect to sleep like shit. After we finish setting up camp we head down to Mooney falls.
Mooney falls ladder/ rope chain/ rock climb situation…. Well in my opinion it gets sketchier and sketchier every year. This year they added a 3 ladder and the grade is literally vertical. We take our time going down and reach the bottom.
From the bottom it’s 3 ish miles to Beaver falls. I suspect we’re the first people down here today. As we get 1/4 of the way there we run into a big horned sheep blocking our path. I politely ask him to move and he does.
After 4 water crossings and a few more ladder climbs up and down we finally see Beaver falls and the sign. We are the first people here and wow it’s beautiful.
We climb down to the base and I laid out my tyvek so we could both sit down comfortably. We enjoy the falls for a few hours and then pack up to head back to camp for some lunch.
On the way out we reversed our course and made it back to the base of Mooney falls. We climb up top, covered in sweat, heart rate high, but we made it. Nice.
We head back to camp and take naps and eat lunch. I took a 24 minute nap. Jenny slept for 3 hours….
I finally get bored and wake her up. “Dude, I’m bored as fuck, let’s go walk around and do something.” We head back up to the other falls and enjoy some quiet time. It’s like people head back to their camps by 4pm for fear of darkness.
We get back to camp and I feel like shit. I’ve been sick this whole trip and I’m running a 2 degree fever. Yaaay, on top of that I’ve just felt like I’m going to throw up all day. Luckily haven’t though, I walk around a bit and try to feel better and then force my self to eat something. After that straight to bed.
I wake up at midnight SOAKING wet in sweat. Sweet, now comes the shivers. I pop 2 ibuprofen, (I only took 8 total the entire PCT and I’m 4 deep already on this trip) and then strip all my wet clothes off. I lay naked in my tent waiting to dry off and toss and turn.
My alarms set for 3:30, I don’t think I fell asleep again so I watched 2 movies. Movies that if you’ve read this blog then you know I’ve seen them 1,500 times. First The Beach and then Captain Ron. Two classic.
My alarm goes off at 3:30 and I white high beam Jenny. “Yo, wake up it’s time to bail.” We’re hiking out today to go to Valley of Fire. So that means getting up early to beat the mid day sun.
We climb out of the canyon and make it to the trail head by 9:15AM. Now a short 3 hour drive to Valley of Fire where I look forward to sleeping in a bed today.
Valley of Fire was amazing. The red rocks and heat were amazing, I couldn’t imagine how hot it would be in the summer. Still feeling like garbage I didn’t take many photos, but after a few days exploring we headed back to Vegas for a night.
Vegas is Vegas, IMO it’s a 1.5 day town. Honestly I don’t really care for Vegas, the people, the fakeness, the no clocks. Just not for me. But we checked in, hit Din Tai Fun for some dumplings before flying back to Texas.
The Pacific Crest Trail 