At the base of Mooney Falls
While i have shared a lot of stories and experiences freely, there is one adventure from 2015 that I have never shared. This story was 7 years in the making as i went on this adventure at the ripe old age of 29. I still had not started photography at this point in my life (all the pictures are cell phone pics), so by and large this was all about the adventure. This was the final week of 2015 and I wanted to take a big trip to focus on myself, hyper-analyze my life, and where I was headed in it. I was living in San Diego at the time and i was running out of big mountains to climb in the area, so i needed to up the ante for myself.
i truly believe i have the best birthday in the world in relation to myself. i was born on January 1st, so the most meaningful week of the year to me is the week prior to new years day. the chaos of Christmas has settled down and it offers the perfect time to reflect on the year that was introspectively and compile plans to grow and evolve my life going into the new year. January also happens to be named after the roman god Janus, who is the god of new beginnings and transitions, for which new years is perfect for. sharing my last name with this god is more than coincidence for me, i truly believe my life is grounded in continual transformation and becoming the greatest version of myself constantly.
I started doing a ton of research on places that i could drive to from San Diego. I settled on Arizona when i found havasu falls, which is also known on havasupai falls since it is on the havasupai reservation. this was much before havasu falls ever became famous on Instagram so even though i was late to the game in planning this adventure, i was able to make it happen. i had to call ahead to book a 2 night permit since the reservation does not allow day hikes due to the strenuous nature of the hike. i had to call for hours to get a hold of someone to book the permits which at the time it was $30 a night (They’re over $100 a night now due to the popularity). since most people have no desire to camp in the middle of winter, i had no problem obtaining permits.
I had no idea what i was doing when i started planning my pack for overnight camping. I knew a lot about day hiking preparation but this was a totally different experience planning for a multiple night backpacking trip. I was googling a ton of information but by and large I was winging it and trying to figure it out on my own. I put the best pack I could together and my resulting equipment list ended up looking something like this:
50 Liter backpack
2 person tent
Hiking poles
100 ounce water pack
Water filtration kit
First aid kit
Sunscreen
journal
headlamp
flashlights
Multiple layers, jacket, and pants
20 degree sleeping bag
Sleeping pad
Multiple knives
Paracord bracelets
Ready to eat meals
Granola bars
Propane stove Burner
Propane
Instant coffee
scent blocking odor bags
Lighter, matches, and fire starter
Backpacking pots, silverware, and mugs
My backpacking gear
There’s a lot that I do differently on backpacking trips now but this was actually a really good starting point. This all weighed about 50 pounds since I didn’t take weight into consideration with my gear. Since I wasn’t used to the weight, this would also lead to my first hip flexor injury on the way out of the canyon which made it absolute hell for the last couple miles.
HAVASU FALLS IS A TEN MILE HIKE (EACH WAY) AND A COUPLE THOUSAND FEET OF ELEVATION GAIN FROM THE FALLS BACK TO THE TRAILHEAD. THE HIKE IS NEARLY STRAIGHT DOWN INTO THE CANYON WHICH MAKES IT SEEM EASY ON THE WAY IN, BUT AFTER HIKING AROUND DOWN THE CANYON, IT IS A BEAST TO GET BACK OUT DUE TO THE STRENUOUS LAST FEW MILES UP HILL. THERE IS ALSO A LOWER FALL CALLED MOONEY FALLS WHICH ADDS ANOTHER COUPLE HUNDRED FEET OF ELEVATION GAIN AND ANOTHER MILE WHICH I DID AS WELL.
I headed out from san diego on December 28th, 2015 and drove all through the night to get to the parking lot of Havasu Falls. The road was covered in snow and ice as I got closer to the trailhead which made me anxious driving. I also almost hit a cow since the land surrounding the falls is free range which added to the anxiety of driving in the black of night. By the time I parked, it was after midnight but I was starving so I tried to make a meal… and then realized i forgot my matches and lighter at home for the propane burner. I knew there was a convenience store down in the canyon so I knew I could pick those up, but i went to bed hungry. overnight the temperatures dropped down to about 20 degrees which woke me up since i was shivering trying to sleep.
i headed down into the canyon first thing in the morning and i felt like this was already a whole new experience for me. i was so excited and there was no one on trail with me. the sandstone mountains lined both sides of the trail and there were some wild horses that started showing up as i got further into the canyon. eventually there would be some tribe members riding donkeys with supplies into the canyon since that is how they get them down there.
Wild horses in the canyon
THe weather was chilly and it was cool in the canyon with all the shadows the canyon was throwing. this continued on for a few miles until i got my first glimpse of the turquoise blue waters of havasupai. the blue was very faint at first but it made me so excited for what was to come.
I eventually made it to the village of supai and managed to buy the lighter and matches i had forgotten at home AT THE GENERAL STORE. THERE WAS A HELICOPTER FLYING IN FROM A TOUR GROUP WHICH WAS PRETTY COOL TO SEE IN PERSON SINCE THIS WAS THE CLOSEST I HAD EVER BEEN TO ONE. i went a little further and finally headed past the lodge, WHICH i knew MEANT i was getting close to the falls.
Helicopter coming into Supai
Navajo Falls was the first waterfall i came across. it was so amazing seeing the lights and shadows of the canyon, with the water flowing into the turquoise blue waters of the river. it literally looked like a scene straight out of a movie. this was the moment i had an extreme gratitude hit me from all the planning and execution of visiting such a majestic place.
Navajo Falls
I finally made it to havasu falls and i was so ecstatic. the waterfall was one of the most beautiful i had ever seen up to that point in my life and the water was absolutely mesmerizing. there were people wading in the water down below and flanking the ridge i was on to take pictures of the falls and it was so cool to see so many people just taking in the beauty of this waterfall.
When i first started this trip i had the attitude that I was going to keep to myself and think completely introspectively the entire time. i was totally wrong in that mindset. just after this photo, i started meeting the nicest people from all over the world and had amazing conversations with so many of them. a lot of people knew i was on my own so it made it that much easier to strike up conversations with them. i even met a couple that got engaged right before they met me in the water of havasu falls which was a really cool experience to share with them.
Havasu Falls
Havasu Falls
after i enjoyed havasu falls for a while i headed to find a campsite. i wanted to be as far away from people and as isolated as i could so i found a spot that nestled up near a mountain wall surrounded by brush. i had to cross a makeshift ladder to get across the water to set up my campsite. I literally had no one around me, no one could even hear me scream (which would be a problem later). i set up my campsite and ate some food before i headed down to Mooney falls which was only another half mile down the trail.
The ladder to get to my campsite
My campsite
Mooney Falls was probably my favorite part of this entire experience. the falls are named after D.W. James “Mooney” who was a miner and fell to his death at the falls in 1882. getting to the falls was an adventure in itself. you have to climb down through a cave where the exposed area of rock unveils Mooney Falls to you for the first time. You then have to climb down some chains and a sketchy ass ladder to get to the base of Mooney Falls. this is the point where many people turned around.
personally i loved this experience. the mist of the water was flying off the waterfall as it hit the ground and it sent it toward you as you climbed down the chains. the rust from the water on the chains could be felt on your hand and smelled in the air. the chains were super slippery as was the wood you felt sliding underneath you as you climbed down the ladder. the view at the bottom was amazing and completely awe inspiring. I met some awesome people at the bottom that took my picture after they coerced me into it for which i was grateful. i took theirs as well and one of my favorite parts of these trips is taking pictures for people to cherish for a lifetime.
The cave leading to Mooney Falls
The ladder down to Mooney Falls
Looking out to Mooney Falls
Mooney Falls
after Mooney Falls I headed back up and did a few more miles hitting havasu falls and Navajo Falls again. it was great taking time at both of these and just taking in more of the experience. i loved the isolation i was able to experience while still being able to meet so many great people. i went back to the campsite, ate again, and wrote in my journal. i wanted to remember this experience forever (even though i have no idea where the journal is now).
i laid down shortly after this in the 20 degree weather or so with the tent open so that i could stare at the stars as i had never seen anything quite like them. it was pitch black in the camping area which made the sky that much brighter and i said some prayers afterward being so thankful for an experience i could have only imagined in my head. i zipped up the tent and was ready for the most peaceful night of sleep i have ever had in my life… or so i thought.
i was laying asleep for about a half hour, that point of sleep where you feel like you’re half awake and half asleep. all of a sudden i heard some sniffing on the outside of the tent, it reminded me of a dog trying to get some food. about 10 seconds later i heard a huge rip in the tent and felt something hit my beanie since my head was right next to the area that got ripped open. i shot up and grabbed my flashlight. i was only in shorts so i was freezing my ass off instantly trying to figure out what the fuck was happening.
i sat in the tent for a minute looking around everywhere until i saw where the rip was in the side of the tent. i put on all my clothes and grabbed my knives, headlamp, and flashlights before i dared to get out of the tent. i opened up the tent slowly to look around. i was looking everywhere around the river, ready to jump in if some crazy shit went down. i went and looked at the rip which ended up being about the size of my hand. i couldn’t figure out what did this and then i pointed the flashlight towards the brush at the mountain and saw instantly where the hole in the tent came from.
The tear in my tent
there were 4 sets of eyes staring right at me. they all kept moving around in the brush back and forth seeming to get more aggressive towards the edge of the brush. i started yelling and grabbed my knives to start clanking them together but this did nothing but pissed off whatever was in the bushes. i said “fuck this” after about 5 minutes, grabbed everything in my tent, threw it in the bag, and booked it over the ladder across the river. i didn’t know what i was going to do but i remembered a compost bathroom that was at the start of the campground so i booked it toward that.
as i ran through the forest i felt like i was in the making of the blair witch project. everywhere i passed i saw eyes all around the forest, near other tents, just lurking in the darkness. i kept trying to keep my mind from going to the dark places but it was pretty hard. i finally made it to the compost toilet, ran in, and slammed the door shut behind me. my heart was racing and the waft of shit instantly hit my nose. i did not know how but i was prepared to sleep right next to the shitter that night. i looked over and there was a utility closet that had the door open slightly. i opened it and saw there was enough room for me to throw my sleeping bag down and sleep in there.
the utility closet was far from the ideal resting place. the top area was open air so the 20 degree chill was seeping in the entire night. i had to sleep on my left side because whenever i rolled over to the right the smell of shit became so intense it would wake me right up. needless to say, i did not sleep well all night thinking about the rabid animals that attacked my tent. i woke up at the ass crack of dawn in order to walk out of the toilet with my dignity in tact, hoping no one would see my walking out with my bag and sleeping bag.
The compost toilet
The utility closet
I went back to my campsite in the morning to assess everything and saw no sign any wildlife in the morning. i packed up my tent as fast as i could before heading back out of the canyon. i made it through the night of hell on my first solo backpacking trip and i could not be more ecstatic. my personal feeling on the animals was that it was a small pack of raccoons which have a tendency to be aggressive, especially around food. it would also explain why i saw them through the forest and around other tents as well.
as i headed back out of the canyon that morning all i could do was live in gratitude for my experience and having made it out alive. i met amazing people, conceptualized the year that was, and made new plans to change my life. i had never hiked 20 miles over 2 days backpacking before which was an new experience for me.
Donkeys carrying supplies into Supai
about 6 miles into the hike back out of the canyon my hip flexor started feeling terrible. it made it super hard to stay concentrated on the beauty around me as i focused more and more on the excruciating pain i was feeling. the last few miles were hell as it was all uphill but that is the hardest part of backpacking trips, the nagging injuries will definitely pull you down. i made it through with the help of some other backpackers that were struggling as well.
i hope this story inspires you to get out and have your own adventures. i did not grow up in the wilderness, i have had to learn, grow, and teach myself everything i have done over the years. i am not special, i just have a drive and passion for the outdoors that keeps me pushing forward. you can accomplish anything you want to in life if you have the right mindset, preparation, and tenacity to get it done. i wish you nothing but the best in 2023, even if that’s sleeping next to a shitter so you don’t die at the hands of rabid raccoons!
Cheers,
Jeremy Janus
The end of my first solo backpacking trip