I just exited the Ottoman Amphitheater and have stopped for breakfast below Demaray Point. I woke up at 5:10 and was packed up and out of camp by 6:20. By 6:50 I was at the top of the switchbacks at the end of the Clear Creek Trail.

The weather was very unsettled again last night and I did not sleep well at all. There was lots of wind, some rain, and the sky would continuously cloud up and then clear again. Pretty much what it has done all week... including this morning. It started to rain just as I was getting things packed up inside the tent this morning but then stopped by the time I got out. There were a couple of little spurts of rain as I packed up camp. There has also been some on the trail this morning and it got heavy enough at one point that I actually got my raincoat out, more to protect the camera than me.

There is a big blue patch of sky overhead right now but lots more clouds to the west. Hopefully I can get a little further before it starts up again. I can see Sumner Butte and Phantom is right behind that. I think I am about halfway there already and could actually make it by noon.

10:40 - Second breakfast

I just started down from the Tonto on the last leg to Phantom. It has been a nice morning---cool, very quiet, no more rain. There are still lots of clouds though. The air smells divine. I love the smell of the desert after the rain and I've been sucking in those fragrances all morning.

13:20 - Phantom Ranch

I got to the campground just a little after noon---less than 6 hours camp to camp. It started to drizzle again just as I found a site and started to set up camp but I managed to get everything set up and put away before the downpour came. It didn't last long, only 10-15 minutes perhaps, but it really came down pretty hard. The word here now is mud---mid mixed with mule crap to be more precise.

Before ordering my food for lunch, dinner and breakfast I decided to check and see if there were any hot meals available. There were three stew dinners available so I nabbed one of those. I am eating a summer sausage on a bagel right now, along with a Tecate, that's my lunch. Dinner is going to be fabulous.

18:00 - Waiting for the dinner bell

I went to the 4pm ranger talk "Ask a Ranger" and I could smell the stew cooking---it was intoxicating. I so lucked out in getting this meal tonight.

I met a couple from New Hampshire at the canteen this afternoon and they were disappointed they could not get the steak or stew dinner and the only thing available was the vegetarian (lentil loaf) meal when they booked. I told them there were two more stew dinners available and they excitedly grabbed them.

It has been cool this afternoon but no more rain at least. It could still rain tonight but it is supposed to be sunny tomorrow with highs in the upper 70s or low 80s. I hope to be on the trail heading out between 6 and 6:30 and will have breakfast on the trail again, either at the river resthouse or Indian Garden. I am looking forward to lunch on the rim before heading back to Flagstaff.