649pm - Camp Sweet Camp?

I am at my campsite below Monument Point. I had a heck of a time getting out here and down here but I made it. I just finished dinner of half of a small pizza from Frateiili's in Flagstaff. I had a chocolate peanut butter cookie from Jacob Lake for dessert.

I left Flagstaff at 9am and made a brief stop at the Cameron Trading Post and then another at Navajo Bridge. I got to Jacob Lake around 130pm and had my lunch there. I talked with the ranger at the Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center there and asked about the roads out to Monument Point. The best route seemed to be AZ-64 to FR-22 to FR-450 to FR-292 to FR-292A. Originally I thought FR-450 would go to FR-292A but it got really bad just after the FR-292 junction so I turned back. FR-292 was good but FR-292A got ugly. I made it through with only a few rocks bouncing around below. Hopefully she's OK. I am not looking forward to the first mile going back.

I arrived at the Monument Point packing area at 330pmand talked with a guy who had just come up the trail. He and his wife had gone down to lay some water caches for a multi day trip starting tomorrow. They confirmed that there is no water at all in the potholes down on the Esplanade.

I finally started down the trail at 4pm. I had forgotten about the little "up" it throws at you first. The section along the rim was OK but there is lots of lose rock and I had to go slow with all of the weight I was carrying. The down part was just as nasty as I remembered but that's done now thankfully.

I arrived at the location I was hoping to camp and found a spot that is OK but not terrific. There are not many flat sites and lots of sharp rock. I decided for forego the air mattress for fear of puncturing it so it is not going to be a comfortable night.

There is also a strange problem with my Big Agnes tent and I could not figure out how to set it up properly. The main pole that runs along the top seems too long. I know I have used this tent before, though only once, and I do not remember having this problem. It's up and it should be OK but it is definitely not perfect.

I am out at the spot where I had dinner and I am just waiting for the sky to get dark enough to take some photos.

750pm - Not going so well

I am trying to get some shots but there are many very slow moving clouds that are making it difficult. The night is beautiful and there is a light, cool breeze and I can hear crickets chirping. I hope I will be able to sleep and I think I will just leave my hiking clothes on and stretch out on top of the sleeping bag.