Hiking Havasupai - Havasu Falls - Mooney Falls - Hike to Colorado River

Just spent the last three days in the Havasupai Indian Reservation exploring one of the most beautiful places in the world. I highly recommend that you add Havasupai to one of the places that you must see in your lifetime. Havasupai, outside the Grand Canyon, is famous for Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls which have been on the cover of every nature magazine known to man.

Anyone can do this adventure at different levels as there are mules to carry you and your gear from the parking lot hilltop all the way to Supai Village. For those that want to get some hiking in it is 8 miles from the parking lot to reach the Supai Village and another 2 down to the campsites.

For an added treat we did the hike into the canyon in the dark. We have an unbelievably bright full moon the hike under. The trip down to the Supai Village and campground is pretty easy so hiking in the dark wasn't a problem. I had my headlamp off for half the 10 mile hike and just used the moon light to guide my way. It was almost like daytime when the moon was directly overhead.

We passed the famous Havasu Falls which is photographed all the time for major publications in the dark so it wouldn't be until later that we would get a good look at it.

Up and ready to go the next morning, we were off to Mooney Falls and then to the Colorado River. Mooney Falls is breathe taking. I have heard it is any where from 200 ft high to 300 ft high, though needless to say it is big. The falls plunge into turquoise colored pools which you can swim and play around in. Limestone bleeding into the water makes give the whole place this crystal clear turquoise water that doesn't even look real.

To get to the bottom of the falls you take a chain linked fence which has a couple exposed areas near the bottom. You do have to be careful though I saw people of all fitness levels making it so with care you can make it down.

The Colorado River is 5 to 8 miles (no one really new the exact distance) of hiking, scrambling, and wading through Havasu Canyon. If you follow the canyon there are more cool waterfalls some bigger than others and many places to jump into the refreshing water.

With every mile the traffic gets thinner and thinner as most people can't make it all the way to the Colorado River and back in a reasonable amount of time. If you can make the trip is worth it. Besides the amazing waterfalls and the fun jumping off rope swings and boulders, the site of where Havasu Canyon's turquoise water mixes with the brown Colorado River is a site. Right before the Colorado River the canyon becomes a cathedral, which you scramble over and you see the two rivers converge and the Havasu Rapids of the Colorado River.

The Colorado River trip is an out and back so make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get back in the day light as you don't want to be climbing back up Mooney Falls in the dark, to get back to your campsite.

The other great attraction is Havasu Falls which we spent time checking out on our hike out of the canyon. Havasu Falls is another big waterfall which is definitely worth the time in advance it takes to get reservations to get into Havasupai Indian Reservation.

The only problem with the hike out is that as everything was downhill on the way in, everything is uphill on the way out. You have 10 miles of uphill hiking with the last mile being the toughest as it is switchbacks straight up to the parking lot. For added pleasure for us was a 30 mile per hour or greater wind that picked up as we reached the switched back which at one point almost blew me so hard that I started to tumble down the path. Luckily, I was able to re-balance though I did stumble a good five heart pounding feet before regaining my balance.

One tip I have is take extra precaution to not lock your keys in the trunk of your car, which we found out the hard way. There no cell reception and no radio at the parking lot. You are in the middle of nowhere. I also don't recommend AAA and would cancel my service immediately if you have them as they were called by no more than 5 people including one of our parties husbands and they never came. AAA was ok with just leaving us in the middle of nowhere standed with our keys in the trunk. I want to give a special thanks to the firefighters from Pine/ Strawberry who were amazing and were able to get into our car. Without there help I know I wouldn't be home yet and able to write this post. Thank You Very Much.

Piestewa/Squaw Peak Circumference Trail

I joined a local hiking group. Well before I could officially be a member I had to do a test hike with one of the group coordinators. The goal of the group was to have fit hikers and canyoneers, and I had to be approved. It was an interesting drive to the hike knowing I had never had to be approved to hike before, though I don't need approval to hike just to hike with the group.

To keep the little or no expense to an end I did make the cut. Basically if you can keep up with the group then you are in. If you couldn't hike with the group then I don't think it would be much fun to go with them anyway. I am excited to find a group of people who are fit and like to go canyoneering.

Our hike was the Piestewa/Squaw Peak Circumference Trail which was a 4.5 mile hike in and around Piestewa Peak which used to be called Squaw Peak. Piestewa Peak is in the heart of Phoenix which makes it a popular hike for tons of people. The trail we took is a longer trail than the summitt hike and we had most of the trail to ourselves. The great part of this hike is that most of it was in a shade, which was a great supprise since it was 90 degrees while we were hiking.

I look forward to joining the group on one of their next canyoneering trips.

Canyoneering Adventures Video Gallery

See cool videos of canyoneering trips including wading through narrows, finding our way through thick moss, rappelling slot canyons, and more.

Canyoneering Videos

First Water Canyon Narrows

Upper Fish Creek Canyon Moss Pool

Canyoneering Christopher Creek Canyon Video

Canyoning Sycamore Canyon to Mexican Border Video

Canyoning Agua Fria River Canyon Video

Buckskin Gulch Canyoneering Video

Cold Swim - Fish Creek Canyon

Start 25 min. swim - First Water Canyon

Sundance Canyon Video

Rappelling 180 ft Sundance Canyon

Havasu Falls Video

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Photo Gallery for Canyoneering Trips

See the collection of photos for canyoneering trips including the Jug, First Water Canyon, Upper Fish Creek Canyon, and more.

Canyoneering Trip Photos

the Jug Photos

First Water Canyon Photos

Upper Fish Creek Canyon Photos

Christopher Creek Canyoning Photos

Sycamore Canyon Canyoneering Photos

Peters Canyon Canyoneering Photos

Agua Fria River Canyon Canyoneering Photos

Buckskin Gulch Photos

Sundance Canyon Photos

Bear Canyon Photos

Crawdad Canyon Photos

Havasu Falls Photos

Neon Canyon Photos

Egypt 3 Canyon Photos

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Upper Fish Creek Canyon Canyoneering Photos

Good Solo Hiking Tent for Canyoneering

If you are like me when you go into canyons then carrying a heavy load is the last thing I am going to do. Once you start doing some day trips into canyons you are going to get the itch to go overnight at least one night any way. Extended stay canyons are one of the best ways to experience the amazing canyons of the southwest. One thing I always like is especially on overnight trips is that the experience is nothing you can do from your car.

I take the Iota tent by Sierra Designs. It is a light easy to pack solo backpacking tent that works with my minimal weight I want to carry. Though I do have a bivy sack I prefer to use a single person tent most of time. They may be more weight though I like having the head room which is worth a pound of extra gear. We are not talking 10 pounds just a pound over most typical bivy sacks. The other nice thing about the Iota tent is that it can handle being hit by a storm. I don't go into canyons during storm season, though I do take it with me on other trips. Riding out a storm in a solo tent is far more fun then riding it out in bivy sack.

I like the nice ventalation which keeps the bugs off me and lets me see the sky at night.

Alpine Climbing and Fitness

I have written before in this publication about indoor rock climbing and its fitness benefits. Now I want to turn my attention to the sport of "alpine climbing" and its variations, and how this activity can become a part of a fitness lifestyle that is truly in concert with what we call the "inner athlete." Another term for alpine climbing is simply "mountain climbing". Though most people would think of mountain climbing as something that would involve a very high peak and trekking through snow to get to the top, the purpose of this article is to show the value of participating even in less extensive climbs that test fitness and require some planning, but can be done in a short period of time or even over the course of an afternoon. As a personal trainer I was always looking for things that would effectively motivate my clients to adhere to a fitness program and reach their goals. Whether the goal was weight loss, building muscles, toning up their bodies or having more energy, I knew that the "Inner Athlete" that we mention frequently on our website exists in everybody, so it was up to me to find an activity that allowed a client's version of that inner athlete to come out. Training to get their body fit enough to climb a mountain was frequently the ticket. It is a very simple idea: get your body from the bottom of the mountain to the top, and once you are up there, enjoy the view and the fruits of your labor. A lot of clients were really intrigues by the idea, so we built their cardio programs and resistance training programs around it.

As I write this article, recently I have been riveted by the current Discovery Channel series "Everest, Beyond the Limit". The series follows the journey of a group of climbers led by a professional guide as they attempt to reach the summit of the world's highest mountain. In the series, viewers are treated for really the first time with EXACTLY what it looks and sounds like way up at those rarely traveled altitudes. In addition, a TV series has never before focused on the actual life these climbers lead as they spend almost 2 months on the mountain itself, getting used to the altitude and building the specific fitness required to achieve the summit. The hardship these people endure to reach their goal is almost beyond the understanding of most people, as the prolonged exposure to the increasing altitudes of Everest causes the climbers' minds and bodies to gradually shut down and stop working properly. It is enough to make even a pretty experienced fitness professional and adventurer like myself question the value of doing something that extreme to my body. Even having done some alpine climbing myself, including summiting Oregon's Mt. Hood (11,249ft) and Washington's famous Mt. St. Helens (8,364 ft), I still found it tough to imagine wanting to put my body through something so tortuous. The altitudes on the mountains I have climbed are only around 1/3 as high as those on Everest (29,035ft)

That's not what this article is about, however. Only a few thousand people in the entire world have ever stepped onto the summit of Everest, but virtually anyone can find a "climbing" adventure that suits their fitness and personality. The experience of the thrill of climbing is something that is realistically within anyone's means when actually trained for. Most people have just never really considered it possible or know where to start. Looking beyond the extreme nature that is present on Everest, the sport of "mountain climbing" can be participated in by almost anyone with a solid basic level of fitness. There some real and absolutely extraordinary fitness benefits that extreme climbers have achieved by the time they are done on Everest, and a version of those benefits are within the reach of "normal" people. These are people who may want the adventure of climbing a mountain to motivate them, but can realistically be achieved on a much smaller scale attainable by virtually anyone.

Physiologically, climbing is one of the most effective aerobic activities that can be performed. The steady state effort required to train for and perform climbs builds tremendous fitness in the heart and circulatory system. It is also typically low impact and easy on the joints which makes it an activity that virtually anyone can perform at some level.

Psychologially, climbing has a typically very simple appeal: getting to the top of a mountain feels good and is a very easy goal to define. "I made it to the top" is a very attractive thing to feel. Everybody wants to feel a sense of accomplishemnt in their lives, and too often our fitness success or failure is defined by the weight scale. All shapes and sizes of, people can climb, and the mountain doesn't care what size you are, it only cares if you made it to the top of it or not. So, best of luck in your climbing adventures, no matter at what altitude you finish!

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First Water Canyon - Arizona Canyon Lake

Just got done finding my way through First Water Canyon which is found running off from Canyon Lake in Arizona. First Water Canyon extends for miles though the part we entered is right after the first one lane bridge when you arrive at Canyon Lake.

Canyon Lake is beautiful county and if you get the chance it is a nice place for a picnic or sight seeing while in the Phoenix desert.

We started our adventure with a little climbing and scrambling as we found our way to the top of the cliff as we made our way from Canyon Lake to where the canyon starts to form. The route was thorny so we decided to get in the water earlier than needed. You are going to get wet entering Canyon Lake so might as well make it early.

To enter First Water Canyon it requires so swimming before a short wade. We added only a few minutes to our swim though it took 45 minutes to swim against the current until we were able to wade. It is absolutely beautiful while you swim your way zigzagging through the canyons walls towering above.

Once out of the water is a short hike of boulder hopping and sand. A few pools which are green and shallow which we climbed around.

A mile or so from getting out of the water is a cool narrows followed by a chimney made out of the rock. We played around the chimney area for some short climbing and then we the canyon opens more into the hot Arizona desert. This was our turn around point as the canyon goes for miles.

The swim back feels great on a hot summer day. I highly recommend the hike especially because you have to swim to get in which eliminates almost all people. Other than the swim the canyon is pretty easy to navigate with amazing canyon walls that tower above your head.

Reduce Pain & Tension Active Calf Stretch

Canyoneering the Jug Photos

Apache Trail Canyon

I just did the Apache Trail Canyon which is the name the guide book a read gave it. It is technically an unnamed canyon that was great. One of the best part of being an unnamed canyon is the we were the only people scrambling lower into the earth. The Apache Trail Canyon is about an hour or so outside of Phoenix.

The canyon didn't require any technical ability with ropes though you had to know how to climb to make your way through. The entrance has a short rappel at a waterfall though you can down climb into the canyon just a feet yards away. A chimney that we supposed to be able to down climb was too sketchy so I found an over hang that was manageable.

Once in the canyon it was great; in and out of pools and scrambling over boulders. A few spots required intermediate climbing ability. Nothing that any person who has climbed before couldn't handle though if you are just a hiker it could be overwhelming.

There was one pool that was over our heads and we had to swim. I always love those.

The only thing that sucked was we ran into another canyon on the way back to the car and had to down climb it and back up the other side to get to the road.