The group heads off for day hike down to the river right after breakfast. Robin and I get a late start because of slow pump problems and I make a mental note to myself to take a good look at it when I get home. We end up leaving camp at 9:15 and get to the river around noon - a little after.

We catch up with the rest of the group while they are taking a rest break. Pat turns back at this point and heads back to camp. Bil says we are about halfway to the river. Lynn continues on with the rest of the group.

A little further down the creek we spotted a neat arch high up in the cliffs on the left bank. In talking with Mike and Bil I mentioned to them that the sun would have been shining right through it about an hour ago and that would have been nice to see. Mike goes exploring to see where the sun is shining through it now. He finds the spot and it is pointing right at an old foundation. Bil thinks it is a kiva and he thinks it is a new and undocumented discovery. Way Cool! After taking some photos and looking around a bit more we continue our hike down to the river.

We reach the waterfall obstacle just before 11:30, after about another hour and a half of walking, and rest a while before continuing. Everyone gets past the waterfall and no rope is needed. Robin was worried and did not want to try but we all helped her down. I was surprised at how easy it actually was going down and going back up was even easier.

We all had lunch down at the river and hung out there for about a half an hour. We started back to camp around 1:00 ad arrive around 4:00. Mike and Bil split off from the rest of the group to take another route and headed over to and up Zoroaster Canyon to the Clear Creek Trail. They get back around 4:30.

Shortly after we return Pat discovered a tarantula in her campsite and calls us over to look at it. It seems a little smaller than I would have expected it to be and I wondered if maybe it was a juvenille. It was very neat in any event and I get to take some cool photos.

I made macaroni and cheese for dinner and we also have some summer sausage with it - those sack lunches from Phantom Ranch can be stretched a long way.

After cleaning up from dinner amd talking a while we retreat again to the tent to read a little and go to sleep. A had a tough time getting to sleep and didn't sleep well until after midnight.