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Photo © 1994 & Page © 1999 by Wanda Hope Carter, all rights reserved. No duplication or downloading in part or in whole without express written permission.
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I've been lucky enough to see many beautiful waterfalls. Usually they are found in the midst of a dense rain forest or in other areas of lush vegetation. As we approached from the sparse, hot, dry canyon and rounded a bend of the trail, it was so suddenly that we found ourselves in an oasis, it literally shocked our senses! It was truly amazing to say the least. The pool below was the epidamy of the color AQUA. We were hot, tired and covered with dust and the anticipation of joining the twenty or thirty people who were already frolicking in the waters below became almost unbearable as we descended to the pool. "But wait," our guide insisted, "a short way ahead is an even more beautiful falls and almost no one ever goes there!" He promised we would stop here on the way back & there wouldn't be so many people!"
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It seemed impossible to go on, but our guide was insistent that we would not regret it . So with a great deal of reluctance we continued and as suddenly as we had stepped into paradise, we stepped back into the desert. The day was growing hotter by the minute and the air was so dry we could hardly breath. Our guide being a native indian, seemed to feel no discomfort with the conditions during the next half hour or so ride. In the middle of nowhere, we finally stopped and dismounted, only then did we discover there was also a hike ahead of us before we reached the next Falls. Okay, I hate to admit it but I was regretting I had bragged about being a mountain guide and being known as the SAFARI WOMAN in Hawaii earlier. Now I had to live up to my title, so without a whimper or complaint, (but after a short break to drink some most needed water) I adjusted the weight of my back pack and headed down the trail along with my companions.
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This is the fifth photo in a series depicting a visit to Havasupai.