Five days backpacking in Havasu Canyon, mostly shoeless

I just spent a fabulous five days backpacking in Havasu Canyon, on the Havasupai Reservation in northern Arizona. While I needed shoes for the roughly (and I do mean rough!) five miles of gravel, the rest of the 10-mile trail from Hualupai Hilltop, through the village of Supai, to the campground on the shores of Havasu Creek, was very pleasant without shoes.

Other than the two times I hiked up from Cottonwood Camp (on the North Kaibab trail in Grand Canyon), this was the most barefoot backpacking miles I'd attempted . . . and with a far heavier pack than for my only-overnight Cottonwood stays.

There's more words and pictures about it on my blog (link below). Happy (barefoot) Trails!

https://theagavin.wordpress.com/2014/10/12/barefoot-backpacking-at-havasu-canyon
 
Fantastic! As you can probably tell from my avatar I'm an avid backpacker... well sort of avid... my schedule this year and the weather didn't allow me to go out for a single bag night all year. :( I had actually just had a 2 week break that I planned my longest hike yet, but didn't go.

Some day I would like to come out west. Your pictures are so foreign to me, the color of the dirt, stones, water, is all different. But wonderful looking!

My last trip (actually from my avatar) I did mostly all barefoot. I didn't have any wounds after, though I did stub my pinky to on my left foot... 3 times (same toe all three times)! The first 2 times were around camp while preparing supper, and I stubbed it on one of the large rocks that are there for make shift seats, and even before my barefoot lifestyle might have been barefoot there anyhow. Thought I was going to tear off the nail, but fortunately the toe was fine (but didn't feel all that great).

Thanks for sharing! I love reading about backpacking adventures and I look forward to getting the book that you and John have participated in.
 
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Thanks, Tristan, for the nice note :)

I've had that happen too . . . it's so strange that once you stub a toe (or step on a sharp rock), there is some "law of barefooting" that decrees you will then attract at least three more stubs/stabs to that same place in the next 24 hours.

So . . . come West! We've got beautiful rocks for your feet to feel, and you're right . . . the colors of dirt and rock and sky and water are all too wonderful. Who knows . . . we could end up with a barefoot backpacking adventure (Rick in Utah . . . are you ready to set something up for next summer?) of BRS folks . . . that way we could be the ones who outnumber the big-booted folks, and we could be the ones all staring in disbelief at their feet and making comments like, "how do you manage to hike like that? don't those shoes hurt?"

In the meantime, any time outdoors without shoes . . . up to and including taking out the trash . . . is a good trip.

Happy (barefoot) trails!
 
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Hi Thea, I have added your beautiful report to the home page. (Feeling jealous!) Thanks for sharing here!