CarrieLee said:

May is the perfect time... the weather is heavenly and the nights are mild within the canyon. If you like crowds, go on the weekend... if you like a bit more solitude... go during the week.



This was my first hike within... there are several different hikes. Many say this the most diverse, for you get the canyon, green foliage and breathtaking waterfalls. The canyon in every direction holds it's own treasures. Although many who have hiked the canyon say the Havasu Canyon Trail is one they can never travel to enough.

Mooney Falls was an ultimate dream.

We awoke on Saturday (birds singing, silence emcompassing natures awakening and the quiet stir of explorers starting their day) to explore Mooney Falls, which is located a mile down from our campground. The camp site and Falls literally exist between a narrow space between the Canyon Walls. Almost impossible to climb out of unless you are some crazed rock climber.

Forgive me, I just could not stop myself.

The water along our campsite which runs into Mooney Falls.


Mooney Falls, someone stated it's height to be about 90 feet high.





We had to rock climb down (nearly straight down) through some small open caverns. Chains and metal holdings were within every reach. A small slip could be tragic.









I lost my breath, literally... like when you get punched in the stomach, similarly drastic. I'm a nut.


Nearing our final steps within paradise.





We made it!




Actually much of our group did... this was the only time we all united in one place. I believe there were 26 us total within this group (some not shown), all whom work in the hospital setting.






I am intoxicated with the color of it's true nature.





There was a wedding ceremony taking place just to the left of this picture... they did not want to be disturbed... how fareekin beautiful is that. Awe.






Our climb out... I did not want to ever leave. There is only one way in and you must take the same way out, unless you wanted to hike another 6 miles to the Colorado River and boat down somehow, possible I suppose... and I shall one day soon.

We had to send a message up to the top (telephone, nature style) to stop more from coming so we could climb back to the top.

Back to our campsite.



Off to Havasu Falls, where we spent many hours just relaxing in the sun and a magnificent picture view of nature before us.




The water was quite cold, although I was the first one in. Dork!






I spent about two hours right here where I took this picture, just me and my book... now this is what I call relaxation at nature's best. I did a lot of thinking and reflection at this time as well. Life, I tell you... it all flashed before me.




[Edited 5/16/05 14:43pm]

Simply amazing!!!
/peace Manki

nakedpianoplayer said:

It's beautiful full of life!
/peace Manki

Our hike back to society and our daily lives. We woke around 5:00 a.m. and began our hike out at 6:30 a.m.



A poisonous flower, deadly if digested. I can't recall it's name.




Bless their beautiful souls.


Absolutely Glorious...












Final picture taken just moments upon reaching the top of this life changing Havasu Canyon Trail journey of my souls existence. Estimated time... around 11:30 a.m. Going up was not an easy task... but worth every moment and ever single step.


Enjoy Everyone!

,
Julie

Time to clean house and unpack my bags.

~Endless Hugs...

Too cool!

I was there when I was 16 yrs old. We only rode horse/donkey along the rim of the canyon.
I would love to take a trip down and hike.
My husband & I got married in Grand Teton National Park, we had a few days to hike there and we honeymooned in Yellowstone. I would love to go back to Grand Canyon & Yellowstone just to hike and take the back trails.
Awesome pics, thanks!

I'll say it again. These pictures are truely amazing. Great eye girl. It's really strange but I can see faces in some of the rocks and stuff. Is it my imagination or past souls lay to rest there.


M

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

Spirits I believe. Just imagine all time and all the souls who have directly/personally encountered such a beautiful Wonder.

I asked some of my fellow hikers if they believed in spirits... they seemed to have wanted to leave the discussion alone. Silly people.

Thank you Miguel.

Freespirit said:

You're very welcome. You have inspired me to take this exact tour. The only thing is that most of my friends are lazy as hell and will not hike to get a drink from the fridge.


M

Great Pics!!!!

WOW! Those are some GREAT pictures!! thanx so much for sharing them!
My husband (BF at the time) took a 2 week road trip from NH to California in June of 97! We stopped all along the way starting with Niagra Falls but...Nothing beats the Grand Canyon....we saw hoover damn, mount rushmore, yellowstone (which is a close second)...all kinds of places but...the Grand Canyon is where it's at! We didn't go down in but I wish we had. Thanx so much for the birds eye view!

Shorty said:

Thank you for sharing as well Shorty. So nice to feel your presence, truly.

You are very welcome in return. All of you here.

~Hugs.

.
[Edited 5/16/05 14:28pm]

WOW! These pictures are breathtaking!

Thanks, Jules!

wtf? It's too...I don't know, spacious.

And what's with all those rocks?

Thanks Freespirit!

I'm hope to go to the Grand Canyon in 2007, when my son has more hiking experience under his belt.

WOW Freespirit..

these ARE some AMAZING photos.


I went to Las Vegas with a good friend of mine in June of '96..
in our package deal there was a free car rental for a day.

being the out-of-towners that we were, we decided that we would take this rental car & drive to the Grand Canyon from Vegas..
then
we were told that from Vegas to the center (most frequented) part of the Canyon was a..
SIX
HOUR
drive..

eh, we decided to go anyway.
we left late that morning, & drove east towards the Canyon.
looking at our map, we figured out why it was a 6-hour drive to the Canyon-
you could not drive "in a straight line" to the Canyon,
it was more like driving a "semi-circle"..

about 3 hours into the drive,
in the BRIGHT HOT sun,
with NO a/c in the car,
& nothing but sand & a few Joshua tress around us,
we re-thought our plan.
we found what we thought was a "shortcut" to the western edge of the Canyon,
& we went that way, figuring we could still see the Canyon
but cut out at least an hour of driving..

we followed our little map & made the turn at the appropriate spot..
onto a WINDING
VERY "s-shaped" dirt & gravel road.
this road was SO WINDING
we could only drive at 10mph tops.

so we ended up driving over another 90 minutes anyway,
STILL
in the bright, burning hot June Arizona sunshine, then FINALLY
we come upon a little log cabin (run by a local Native American tribe, if I remember correctly..) where we pay $2. to park the car, then we drive a little further..

& then..


well,
I can only say - very humbly - that to see the Grand Canyon like that,
to actually be there..

there are no words for it.

I will say this, however :

if I ever doubted the existence of God
(& no, I never have)
if I EVER doubted the existence of God
this doubt was

ABSOLUTELY
COMPLETE
TOTALLY
OBLITERATED

forever
& a week.

I just basically sat there. for an hour.
with my mouth
wide open
most of that time.
& alternately shaking my head in disbelief.


right after we left the Canyon, our rental got a flat tire.
THANK GOD there was a spare in the trunk.
about 3 hours later, our little red rental overheated,
so we parked the car somewhere near the Hoover Dam (I think)
& simply rested, let the car rest & watched part of a girls' softball game..


we FINALLY got back to Vegas in our dusty, worn out rental car.
maybe delirious from the heat, we somehow thought we would give the car a little "shower" by driving it back & forth through some sprinklers that were on
in the lawn of a local Wendy's restaurant..


what a day,
what a day..
in more ways than 6.


the moral of this story is:

unless you have a REAL "sense of adventure"
& a car full of well-rested drivers..
THINK TWICE before you drive to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas

even though you will be BLOWN AWAY by what you see..


yeah, Freespirit..
seeing you BEAUTIFUL photos makes me want to go right back to Arizona & Nevada..


also, this thread of yours.. has inspired me..

Beautiful, Julie!



And you already know my Grand Canyon story!

mltijchr said:

I truly laughed and cried tears just now reading your shared words. I loved your shared journey... and I literally journeyed right with you... way back in June of 1996. I have made a similar road trip with Madartista (Chris) and Milton just last summer from Las Vegas.


I absolutely loved your way of expression through words... I truly can visualize/feel what it is you must of felt and seen. Your journey there, within yourself and back to.

Thank you for sharing mltijchr.

...

Please never hestitate to share more.

THANK YOU, Freespirit..
for your Grand Canyon thread in particular
&
for your beautiful spirit & positive energy as usual..!

madartista said:

If ever inspired to share again Chris. I can always relive it over and over again.

U.

Amazing, very beautiful pictures Julie

Incredible photos Julie!!!

i really need to move out of this state! nothing close to that here.

i believe this flower is the same as the one in your pic above. it's name is Datura inoxia. they bloom at night and have an intoxicating fragrance. it can be deadly, it can also be a teacher with the right shaman.

Wow Julie, the pics are breathtaking , you really have an eye to capture the beauty of nature . That must have been an incredible experience, both spiritually and also physically when I think of the routes you had to climb . Thank God the horse survived , when you watch something like that happen I guess you really feel the power of nature even more. Everytime I have the opportunity to spend time in an environment that is "pure powerful nature" (sorry my english is not good enough to describe it better ) it comes so clear suddenly how small we are no matter how many big cities we build or how often we fly to the moon. Like in the Sting song "How Fragile We Are". Moments like that make it somehow easier to accept life with all the sufferings and pain it also brings. Thank you so much for sharing, Julie

i wanna go, i wanna go!

Serious said:

So true Martina, about how fragile and uninhibited life can be. Each day I totally live in this awareness, that within each breath we take, no matter where we are... literally anything can happen in this world.

I adore you and Peter, please tell him I send my hellos.

~Endless Hugs... All the way to Austria.

mltijchr said:

Nice!