Havasupai

Havasupai feels almost unreal.

Hidden within a side canyon of the Grand Canyon, its famous turquoise waters owe their color to the high concentration of dissolved minerals, creating a striking contrast against the deep red canyon walls. For landscape photographers, it is nothing short of paradise.

The real challenge, however, was not finding the scene. It was finding the solitude.

With hundreds of visitors passing through each day, capturing these iconic waterfalls without people in the frame can be nearly impossible. Fortunately, a stretch of cloudy, chilly weather worked in my favor. The cold water and lack of sunshine kept most swimmers away, leaving brief moments of stillness among the cascades.

Those quiet hours allowed me to capture both classic compositions and fresh perspectives of Havasupai's azure waterfalls, where silky blue water tumbles through limestone travertine pools carved over centuries.

Havasupai Indian Reservation
AZ USA

A National Park Journey - Grand Canyon National Park

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They say never to visit the Grand Canyon in the peak of summer unless one had a deathwish. And yet, that was exactly what I had done. Lacking any travel experience in the desert southwest and foresight to temper my hubris, my foolish brain assumed that Grand Canyon would be perfectly ok to hike in June. It took a deathmarch down and back up the canyon to realize the foolishness and audacity of what I was attempting.

My first glimpse of the giant gaping hole was jaw-dropping. In front of me was a canyon larger than what I had imagined, gouged by a excavator of stellar proportions. It was only later I realized that this impressive geological spectacle was the the result of flowing water acting on a land that was rising slowly over millennia. My brain tried and failed at making sense of the immense number of sandwiched layers that formed the terra-firma over which I was standing.

Hiking down the canyon helped provide an even better sense of perspective, primarily because the slow slog back up gives you plenty of time to admire the layered terrain on which the trail was laid down on. It can be easy to get lost ensconced in the rich topography, but the stench of fresh mule dung fermenting in the hot sun will snap you back to real life, and you will discover newfound energy that will help you scurry past those unforgettable droppings.

On my return visit to the park, I carried with me those experiences, and that helped me time my hikes properly, including setting up at the right location for sunset. This is one such view from the rim of the Grand Canyon, looking down at the river still carving its way down the canyon.

Grand Canyon National Park
AZ USA