After breakfast I packed up camp and prepared to leave. There was already a mass exodus of people heading for the river. The campground had been about half-full which is a lot of people and I'm sure there were a lot of people in the dorms and cabins as well. I passed most of these people in the first mile or two of the trail and then, near the river resthouse, ran into the people I had been talking to at the cantina the night before, a really nice couple from Phoenix. We hiked most of the way out together and talked along the way. It was interesting having hiking companions again after 3-4 days by myself. We stayed together up until Indian Gardens and then they decided to take a longer rest than I was interested in, so we said our goodbyes. I told them that I would probably see them at the top but never did.

I was back on top at around 11:45 which I am sure is not a record, but it was for me. I dropped my pack and headed over to the Bright Angel Fountain for a cup of hot chocolate as it was quite cold up there. The trip was over and I had covered a lot of miles and felt really good. One blister for all that walking is nothing to complain about and it would be gone in a couple more days anyhow. The hike was awesome and it is going to take something really spectacular to out do it.