I've been back in the area for a little longer than an hour already but I am just now having my beer and pretzels... screw the lemonade. The first order of business when I got here was cleaning up. Man, that last stretch of the Utah Flats route was rough and hot. I soaked my head under the cold water spigot at the Bright Angel campground and then washed my hair. I feel human again. This beer is probably going to go right to my head, if not the second one will for sure.

I was up around 6 this morning... slept in even later. I had a nice leisurely breakfast while watching the sunlight flood into the inner canyon. I am really liking that PB & jelly with hot chocolate for breakfast. The PB is just about gone now but the jelly container is still about 1/3 full. I'm going to hate to have to pack that out again, but...

I broke camp around 8 and headed down the creek to my hard-shade rock hangout to watch lizards and dragon flies for a while before starting the hike back here. There were lots of lizards hunting along the creek and I tried to shoot some short video segments using the camera. I keep forgetting that the camera can do that.

I left the creek at 10 and started up the trail. It was deathly quiet once I left the creek and was very strange---no birds, no flies, no wind... no nothing. When I hit Utah Flats I finally started hearing some locust buzzing but that was about it. It was a hot hike back here without any wind. I hid in out in a couple of shady spots for short rests but did not waste too much time on that. The trip back only took me a little under 4 hours, whereas it took me a little more than 5 to go the other way.

The afternoon ranger program is about condors again but I may just go anyway, just to hang out in the shade. The cantina closes at 4 anyway and it's too early to make dinner yet. Yummy dinner tonight though, black beans and rice with chicken.

I don't know if I am even going to bother with the tent tonight, I may just sleep on the picnic table with my sleeping pad and bag. That will save some time in the morning and I do want to get out of here early. I am not going to even bother with breakfast, I've got a couple of Clif bars left for the trail and that will have to do.