JPG Magazine: Stories: Photo Essay: Havasupai

Havasupai

By Portia Söderberg

14 March 2008

Three thousand feet deep into the Havasu Canyon (part of the Grand Canyon), lies the land of the Havasupai. The only way to get to Havasupai is by foot (over 11 miles, which isn't really that bad unless you're going over sand and lose rocks and gravel which is what you'll see plenty of there), by mule or by helicopter. We were there in October and took advantage of the "milder" weather.

Ha (water), Vasu (blue), Pai (people). The people of the blue water are well known to be the only permanent residents of the Grand Canyon. They have descended from the Yuma tribe and have inhabited the canyon for over a thousand years. This is their land and it was spectacular. People described it as the "Shangri-la of the Grand Canyon", "Eden of the Desert", "breathtaking", "unforgettable" – they're all true.

This is my all time favorite backpacking trip. Unfortunately I was only able to get a handful of pictures with me to share in this essay (my husband did all the photo-documenting). Enjoy!