The Land of the Blue Green Water - HAVASUPAI 2019

Two years ago, I fell in love with a beautiful waterfall. It was perfect and seemingly untouched, and even though my feet hurt afterward, hiking the 10 miles to see it (one way!) was worth it.

After the trip, however, my sister lamented not being able to go, so I told her that I would find a way to make it back to Havasu Falls. One day, on a lunch date with my buddy Bryan in 2017, I randomly called the Havasupai Lodge and got through. I asked them for their first available date, and booked the Havasupai Lodge for 2018! What luck!

But weeks before we were set to go on the trip, we found out that flash floods had washed away most of the trails. I was so sad! The blue-green water changed to brown, and our trip had loose ends that couldn't be canceled. So Bryan, Caroline, Joyce, and I went to Utah instead and I moved our trip out another year.

Fast forward to last weekend. Joyce bailed (marriage takes a lot out of you!) but Bryan was still in. We recruited Suly, our childhood friend, and were joined by Matt, Alice, Rob, Nino, and Nidia.

Matt and I drove in from San Diego (Comic-Con waits for no one!) and met the rest of the crew at the Grand Canyon Caverns Inn. We stopped at Joshua Tree and took a scenic tour before heading on our way.

After JT, miles and miles of road separated us and our destination, so on our stop in Kingman City, I called up my third grade teacher, Mrs. M - and we made a pit stop in Lake Havasu to see her :)

I've known Mrs. M for many years - but we've been pen pals for 23! It's always so nice to hear from her, and fantastic to see her in person! The last time I saw her was right before my Ironman in Arizona 2 years prior.

We didn't stay long, but we were able to catch a glimpse of the original London Bridge! As the sun set, we pulled into the driveway for the Grand Canyon Caverns Inn - the closest hotel to the trailhead (about 65 miles away).

Clearly our only option.

We said hello to old friends and met new ones, but turned in early as we had set 3:30am as our departure time.

Matt and I took the lead, Bryan and Alice behind us, and Suly, Nino, Nidia, and Rob in the last car. In the dark of the night, we drove the two-lane pass up to the trailhead and came across many furry friends!

Deer in the headlights! We also came across a few cows that we had to stop for. So surprising to see what goes on when the lights are off... :)

We were stopped by security around 4:45am, and the men who were there asked us to get out of the car. They told us that Shamans had descended on the Falls to bless it, and that they were in the process of evacuating the falls to ensure that everything would be okay. They said it could take up to a week for them to be able to do so.

I felt so bad. Bryan and Alice had flown in, and even though Nidia, Suly, and I had been before, no one else had.

Luckily, the guys were kidding. "We were bored! The last group before you cried. You all handled it well!"

Relief! We pulled into the parking lot, got ready, and started our hike at 5:36am.

It was majestic.

We got to the lodge early - so early that we couldn't check in, so we left our bags and left for Havasu Falls.

I can't even begin to tell you how gorgeous this place is.

Havasu Falls was everything I remembered it to be.

Two weeks prior, Beyonce had graced the falls with her presence - shutting down everything for a few hikers and inconveniencing many people who had planned (likely for more than a year) the trip itself. Me? I embraced my inner Beyonce:

The lodge opened back up at 1pm, so we went back around 5 and got into our rooms (bet you didn't know you could stay in a hotel instead of camp at Havasupai!). I crawled into bed around 6 and didn't wake up until the next morning.

Day 1:
- 8 Miles to the Lodge
- 2 Miles to the Waterfall
- 2 Miles back to the lodge

Total: 12 Miles


We spent the next day at three waterfalls: Havasu Falls, Mooney Falls, and Beaver Falls. We made a pit stop at Navajo Falls, but didn't stay.

Day 2:
- 2 Miles from the lodge to Havasu Falls
- 1 Mile to Mooney Falls
- 3 Miles from Mooney to Beaver Falls
- 6 miles back to the lodge

Total: 12 Miles

Day 3 was very short - we got up at 3 to hike out at 3:30, and we were out of the canyon by 7am!

We had breakfast at Grandpa's Kitchen in Kingman AZ, and parted ways.
Matt, Bryan, Alice, and I stopped in Vegas on the way home, but I spent most of the time in the hotel room catching up on sleep. Not the best way to end a weekend, but the sights and sounds from that beautiful mountain eclipsed any other kind of feeling I felt driving home the next day.

Day :
- 8 Miles out of the Canyon
Total: 32 Miles for the weekend



Til next time, Havasupai.

ALC Packing List - With Links!

Every year before ALC, I find that I am always buying the same items over and over again in preparation for the trip down the coast. This time, I'm getting ahead of it! Feel free to bookmark this link and revisit it a few months before the next ALC ride! Or stock up and buy now for the future!

Please note that I am an Amazon Associate, and that I may earn on qualifying purchases :)

I'm including things, even without links, in the event that you, the reader, just need a packing list to work off of :)

Clothes & Items for the Ride

• Helmet
• This is my helmet! It's Giro Foray MIPS Road Cycling helmet. The recommendation is that you get a new helmet every year if you ride a lot - the excess sweating, accidental drops, and the elapsing time ultimately harden and weaken the styrofoam in the helmet, so I always try to replace my helmet at least once a year. 

• Jerseys
• Socks
• Cycling Gloves
• Gloves make a huge difference when it comes to cycling. You want to have gloves that are not too tight and will not make you feel uncomfortable while riding those long hours. 
• I swear by these gloves! I have purchased maybe 20 - 30 pairs over the years, and I try to have a fresh pair of gloves each day on the ride. 

• Water Bottles
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I swear by these bottles. they have worked time and time again for me! I don't use any other bottles when I ride. 
• Arm Sleeves
• Every year, I purchase sleeves for the ride - they are reusable, but I use them in a disposable sense as there are almost enough for all riding days! The sleeves are not the longest, but they cover a lot and help block the sun. 
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• Sunglasses
• Cycling Shorts:

• The worst part of the ride usually happens two to three days in, when your perineum is inflamed and your skin rubs against itself and starts to get irritated. The best way to curb this is to find the right shorts. If you have a little bit of money laying around, think about getting the DeSoto 400 mile cycling shorts! It was designed by someone who rode 400 miles over 4 days - and did it comfortably! Worth it if it means saving that taint. 

For the Ride:

• Medical Insurance Cards
• ID
• Credit Cards
• Cash
• Saddle Bag
• Spare Tubes
• CO2 Cartridges (please note that you can't fly up north with these!)
• Binder Clip or Route Sheet Holder
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• This route sheet holder latches onto your handlebar and holds your route sheet for every day on the ride

For your sleeping accommodations:

• Sleeping Bag
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• Everyone has their own sleeping preferences, but I try to find a sleeping bag that will work for all seasons so that I'm not just using it for ALC once a year. As such, I have a Marmot Mummy bag because I like knowing that I will stay warm while the weather changes on the ride. 
• Sleeping Pad
• For two years prior, I had been sleeping on what I thought was the best mattress pad around. This year, however, I took a risk as I was tired of this mattress pad taking up so much space. I bought an amazing sleeping pad that folded up very nicely and only took up a small amount of space. It worked out perfectly!
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• Head Lamp
• Headlamps are great when you want to be hands free - especially in the port-o-potties! I usually hang a really good headlamp (like the one below) in my tent as well, and it doubles up as a tent-light in the evening as well. 
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• Binder Clips for your laundry
• I won't link anything here, but take a few from work or ask around to see if others can get a few for you to dry your laundry on your tent in the afternoons!
• Baby Wipes
• Those that don't know me don't know that I. HAVE. AN. OBSESSION. WITH. BABY. WIPES. I use them for everything - to wipe my hands off, to clean everything when a bathroom isn't close by, and to wipe my face after a long day on a ride. 
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• Grocery Bag for Bike
• No one really talks about this, but I didn't realize how smart this was until I tried it on my first ride. I take two of these on the ride - one as my bathroom bag and one as my bike bag. The bike bag means that this holds my helmet, gloves, sunglasses, and sunblock anytime I am off the bike for the day. The bathroom bag holds my towel, shampoo, and fresh clothes when I head to the mobile showers. You can go in on these bags with someone else or keep them all to be environmentally conscious! 
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• Roller Bag
• The bag that ALC allows you to bring is any size up to 70 pounds... You want one that is over 32 inches and has wheels for the terrain you will be dragging your bag through. I like one that has outside pockets so that my shoes are easily accessible. 
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• Chargers
• I bring three of these on the ride but truthfully, I think I only need one. You are allowed to bring these onto your carry-on, which is great! I charge both my Garmins and both of my phones for the week on one of these. 
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• Don't forget your actual charging cords! iPhones, Garmins, bike computers!
• Toiletry Bag
• This bag is the one I keep my tooth brush, floss, and night creams in. It's compact and holds everything! You can use any kind of cosmetic bag for this as long as it holds your toothbrush!
• T Shirts
• Underwear
• Flip Flops
• Find flip flops that are super comfortable that you want to wear all the time while you are in camp. I trust my Adidas Slides and have a few pairs of these at home - 
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• Pajamas
• Quick Dry Towel
•  Honestly, the larger the better. I love towels that will dry before the sun sets, and I use these towels for my triathlons in addition to ALC week. 
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• Toothbrush
• Deodorant
• Shampoo and Conditioner
• Because we check in luggage, I buy myself shampoo that I am happy using for the week: shampoo that makes me feel like I'm rewarding myself for a long day! I choose a shampoo and conditioner that I don't normally use, so that it feels like I'm getting pampered during the week, even though I'm not!
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• Sunblock
• Sunblock is life's antidote. I swear by it! I also swear by good sunblock - for the face and for the body. 
• For the face: I use: 

Neutrogena Sport Face. I use it as chapstick on the hot days that make my lips feel like they are burning as well. 
• For my body, I use:
• A spray! I keep this in my back pocket as I'm cycling and use it every 2 hours. The sun has no mercy sometimes. 
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• Odor Spray
• I usually never talk about this part, but there are some DANK smells on this ride sometimes. I bring Odor-X foot spray to spray my shoes after the day is over! If the tent smells musty, Odor-X. If people smell musty, Odor-X. Just kidding about the last part but don't test me...
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• Carmex
• I am a Carmex fiend. That is, I have over 10 tubes of Carmex in my car, a few in my bag, 2 at my desk at work, and a ton of them laying all over my apartment. My lips are always moisturized! Same goes for the ride. I can't live without my Carmex!
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• Face Masks
• Finally, as my last packing item, I want to recommend face masks! Face masks are great to relax with and help with re-moisturizing your face after a long day in the sun. 
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Any packing suggestions to add to the list? Let me know in the comments below!