Havasu Falls

Havasu falls, 30.5m (100') drop. No jumping... ya think?
This is pretty close to the classic shot you may see in a book or calendar.

Meet "The Captain"

I first met him on my way back from Mooney falls. He asked me for a cigarette, I told him I had none. "Got any tobacco?" he says as he produces his own rolling papers. "Don't smoke, gotta go." He seemed a bit off... high maybe or perhaps brain damaged in some way. I stopped in at my camp to grab a quick snack on the way to the next falls & we met again near Havasu falls. He was with another native in a ranger uniform. Typical of all the locals I met except for The Captain he seemed shy & said nothing as the same routine was repeated as though we'd never met, then The Captain asked me to take his picture. I figured he'd want money so I said "Why, are you famous?" & he said "I might be! I've been to San Francisco ...etc etc he went on about his travels & about how great he was. I set up the tripod. "Take my picture, you gotta take my picture." I looked at the ranger & was starting to get the idea that perhaps this dude was being escorted out of the campground, so I said "Sure, stand in front of the falls." Well he got all serious, took off his jacket & posed for me. Then he shook my hand & made me promise to come back with all my friends. "Tell all your friends!" & with that they left.

Initially a last group of swimmers & then I had Havasu Falls to myself.




I got wet almost to the waist crossing the stream on one of the lower falls so I hung out as the light faded, drying out & watching the bats.
A few parting shots & off to make dinner.
While making dinner I had a visitor. Two glowing eyes on the bank clearly belonged to a ringtail. Relative of the racoon, about the size of a housecat, he watched me from the darkness. I told him where he could find a nice juicy scorpion.

I stretched out on the picnic table and looked up thru the cottonwood tree at the stars... not a bad way to end an eventful day.