7:00 - Top of Redwall ravine

I did not have a good night. It was not completely miserable but it was by no means comfortable. I slept very little, at least not during those first several hours. It was just too early to sleep and I wasn't really that tired. And there was nothing to do. I did have to pull out the space blanket shortly after it got dark as the temperature started to drop and I could feel it. Those things work amazingly well though and now I need to pick up another one to keep with me for another such emergency. The only problem I had then was in the early hours of the morning when I could feel some cold coming up from the ground and there wasn't really enough space blanket to go around without turning myself into an immobile mummy. I think the space blanket is more meant for huddling in than trying to sleep in but it did ok for the most part. I did manage to get some sleep between midnight and 500 or so. I didn't get up until I knew I could start hiking as there just was no point. There was no camp to pack up, just throw a few things into the backpack and start walking. I did have a couple of brown sugar/cinnamon poptarts with me and that with some water with electrolytes was my breakfast.

I now have less than half of a quart to get me back to camp but that should be plenty. I plan to drink half of that when I get down through the Redwall and then the rest about halfway back to camp from there. It is cool but but not cold and there has not been much sun at all yet. There won't be any sun going down through here and probably not much until I start to get close to camp later this morning.

11:00 - Shady early lunch spot

I am just about ready to start the hike back to Bright Angel campground. I got back to camp around 945 and had everything packed up and ready to go by 1030. I stopped in some shade next to the big cliff for an early lunch. I can't wait to get back to a real trail!

7:30 - Bright Angel campground

I got back here around 630 or so. There were only two campsites left and neither one was very good. The other one didn't even have a pole for hanging my pack on so I took this one. They just cut down a very big cottonwood at this site though and the ground is covered with sawdust. I think I will just roll my air mattress and sleeping bag out on the picnic table tonight. I hope to be up and out of here reasonably early tomorrow.

On leaving Brahma-Deva I decided to try the route I discovered when I was exploring on Monday and not the way I came in. It started higher up so would technically mean less climbing. I don't think it was a human trail though as higher up I did not see any footprints but did see lots of hoof prints. Anyway... it did work and eventually intersected with the way I came in higher up. It still took almost an hour to get out of there though. It felt so good to be on a real trail again when I reached the Clear Creek Trail. It was just about 1245 when I finally got to the trail.

I actually had to do a little foot repair before leaving my lunch spot as my right foot had a blister I needed to take care of first. It wasn't a bad blister yet and I had been putting it off all morning but I figured it was best to take care of it before going any further.

It has been a long day and I probably logged about 15 miles---5 of that on backcountry routes and 10 on trails.

I had a bigger supper tonight to make up for not having one last night. I am going over to Phantom Ranch in a little while and have myself a couple of celebratory beers.

8:45 - Phantom Ranch

I had my summit beers and met a nice couple of guys from back east to chat with for a while. Both of them are avid hikers and were telling me of some of their adventures on the Appalachian Trail. They are not through hikers but have both hiked the entire length of it in sections.

I still cannot believe that I finally have Deva Temple under my belt. It feels very good! It's a little scary thinking about the trouble I could have got myself into during the prior two failed attempts if I had tried to go for the summit on those trips. I know I was woefully unprepared and could very easily have killed myself. At least this time I had what I needed with me to handle the overnight even though it was not exactly comfortable.