600am - Havasupai Garden

I am not where I had planned to be this morning but at least I did not have to hike all the way back to the rim yesterday. I had a hard time getting to sleep last night but once I did I slept well. It was very windy at times with some pretty strong gusts. I did not bother setting up the tent and just rolled out my air mattress and sleeping bag on top of the picnic table. I had thought about going out to Plateau Point to try and shoot some Milky Way photos, but the wind put an end to that idea. It was probably even worse out there and I really don't have enough layers to stay warm if I am just standing around in it. The wind could very well have been a problem up on Utah Flats as well. It has been pretty crazy.

I was up at 5am and packed everything up, had my breakfast and am pretty much ready to go. I am just finished up my second cup of coffee and will hit the trail shortly.

742am - Three-mile Resthouse

I left camp at 642am so I made pretty good time getting up here. Just taking a short break to slug down some water.

850am - One-and-a-half -mile Resthouse

Taking a longer rest break as my shoulders are beginning to ache a bit. I have been watching a NPS helicopter flying in and out. They have emptied the contents of the toilets from the resthouse into huge barrels and they are flying them back to the rim three at a time.

1135am - Maswik Lodge cafeteria

I was back on the rim at 1050am and waited for the shuttle to take me back to my car at the Visitor Center parking lot. I changed out of my three-day old hiking clothes and into some clean clothes I had left in the car. I am enjoying a huge taco salad, some onion rings and a beer for lunch.