Wed night - Fri am

We spent wed night at Hualalupi Hilltop, awoke early to a beautiful canyon view we could not see the night before in the dark. After a hearty Breakfast we started out early. It was very cold. (All the places we have been that you expect to be warm or hot have been maybe 75 during the day and 35 at night.) The first part of the trail descended 1500 feet
Of the 2000 foot descent, along a winding path carved into the cliff face. The rest of the 8 mile trail to the village wound thru beautiful canyons that ended in a lush green canyon
With 700 foot walls all around, and beautiful clear water stream flowing thru it. Now for the rest of the story. We searched for all the information we could on this area before we left, but as you will see things don’t always turn out as you plan. We headed out a 7:00am and arrived in the village at 1:00pm. The beautiful natural scenery all around the village was a magnificent setting for the seemingly out of place school, post office and church. There was a center arena where they would have village rodeos and roundups,
Which doubled as a helipad where they would airlift supplies, people and goods in and out of the village? The humble village abodes were built all around this center of activity. Once we arrived we knew we had to check in to get a permit to be on the Reservation. So we stopped to do so, and to reserve an outgoing flight, which we read to be available until 3:00pm. The Attendant who took our money said that the Helicopter stopped flying at 1:00pm, so we asked if there were horses available. No, so we asked if there was lodging available, all booked up. We knew we could not make the journey back
With the girls, which would have been mostly uphill and we were fearfully dreading sleeping in the cold desert air. So we were at a lose for what to do. The first thing we did
Was promptly and earnestly and pleadingly Pray. The second thing we did was talk to somebody else, who called and checked on lodging, still nothing; he then directed us to the helicopter attendant, who we were fortunately able to book one of the last flights out of the village with. (In case you hadn’t noticed there are only 3 ways into this village hike, horseback, or helicopter, so our options were very thin, and our desperation was rising.)
So why the reason for coming here, to see one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, and we now only have 1 hour to treck the final 2 miles to the Waterfall, but we were all bone weary. We knew it would be close but we had to risk it, so we started down to the falls, but when we had traveled as far as we could in a ½ hour and had not arrived at the falls we disappointedly had to turn around because we could not/ would not miss the helicopter.( So, we decided that Randy and Brandon go on ahead to at least get some pictures).The Kids and I turned around and headed back, we made it to the Helipad with a few minutes to spare. I was very nervous that the boys would not make it back in time. I knew Randy was not leaving until he saw the falls, I kept watching down the road for a sign of them and finally here comes Brandon, but I don’t see Randy. I ask Brandon where Daddy is and he said he started heading back because he had run out of time and Daddy went on ahead. About 2 minutes later I see Randy coming and he looks about to die, but my first question was did you make it there? Yes. Good. Now the next though is with all our heavy packs are we going to be too heavy for the helicopter? So, we start going thru our packs and deciding what we could live without, in case we have to dump some weight. There was no need, we were fine weight wise. Randy and I were concerned with
How Adriana would do in the helicopter, (she has a newly acquired fear of heights) see the beginning and end pictures of the helicopter ride. The ride was breathtaking and very scary. I am not usually afraid of things but I felt very insecure in that thing. I remember
When we got off at the landing pad and the RV was a short walk away and tears came to my eyes because I was so thankful to be back up here. We drove a couple miles down the road to camp for the rest of the night with a beautiful canyon view. There were no other people around for miles, we cooked hotdogs on the campfire and rested for the rest of the evening and went to bed early so we can head to Nevada tomorrow.