King Snake at Havasu CreekWalking along Havasu creek on our hike back from Beaver falls I stumbled across this beauty. My fear of snakes is very minimal and I actually screeched with excitement when I noticed it. I first noticed him coiled up under the jutting root from the tree pictured. Knowing they feel the vibrations of the earth I decided to give a couple heavy stomps from a distance to see if that provoked it to move so I could hopefully capture a better image.A few moments after my stomps I noticed movement..About 10mins went by and it started to slither towards the creek and my vision for the photograph came to life! A long, slender, harmless snake, the common kingsnake reaches lengths of approximately 3¼ feet (100 cm) in Arizona, although rare specimens reach 6 feet (180 cm). In most of the Sonoran Desert it is a dark brown or black snake with narrower bands of yellow, white, or cream going around the body, widening on the belly. However, there is considerable variation in pattern throughout the range. In some parts of the range (southern Arizona) the common kingsnake is entirely dark with no light bands, while in other areas the bands degenerate into a speckled appearance. The inviting blue-green waters of Havasu Creek, and the popular Havasu Falls, in the Grand Canyon create an eye-popping desert oasis between towering red canyon walls in this tributary of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River.The Havasupai ("people of the blue-green waters") guard these waterfall gems in their remote canyon village, roughly 8 miles down from the trailhead on the rim. Getting to the trailhead itself is a feat given the vast distances between populated cities in the southwest. But the reward of Havasu Falls, Mooney Falls and Navajo Falls beckon many adventurers to pay the permit fees to the local natives, or to tour guides willing to get you there. Please note that in order to see Havasu Falls and the other upper waterfalls of Havasu, you must make a reservation directly with the Havasupai Tribe.