Today was nice. I spent a couple hours hiking around and along Oak Creek before heading into Sedona for lunch. Lunch at the Oak Creek Brewing Company was fabulous. I sampled two of their brews, the pale ale and the nut brown, and both were very tasty. I had a pizza to go along with them... with smoked provolone, smoked gouda, sundried tomatoes, roasted garlic, carmelized onions, pesto and pine nuts. Mmmmmmm! After lunch I went for another hike---a 4.5 mile loop around Courthouse Butte and Bell Rock. It was nice and toasty down there and amazingly sunny considering all of the clouds in the sky. I just never seemed like the sun was ever behind any of them.

I am still thinking of doing that 24-mile Hermit, Tonto, Bright Angel hike tomorrow. My feet look and feel fine and the little hikes today were more or less a test for them. I will have the stuff I need with me in case a problem should develop and I may just put moleskin on the problem areas before I start... just in case.

I packed up everything I think I will need: two quarts of water, water filter, sunscreen, hat, headlamp & batteries (it shouldn't take that long, but...), extra socks and food. For food I have: half of a pizza from lunch today, a summer sausage, pita bread and 3 CLIF bars.

I don't see any problem with the first part of the hike, down the Hermit Trail and then along the Tonto Trail to Monument Creek. That's 8.5 miles and there some nice flat stretches in there to break up the descent. I can refill by water bottles at Monument Creek. The second segment from Monument Creek to Indian Garden is the big question... unknown. That's 10.7 miles but it's mostly flat, except for some small hills and brief climbs across and/or around side drainages. That will likely be the hottest part of the hike too since there is little chance of any shade along that stretch. Once I get to Indian Garden I can get more water and then also get more at the 3 and 1-1/2 mile resthouses. From Indian Garden back out to the south rim is 4.5 miles.

I really should get to bed as I need to get up at 3am again. I need to catch that 4:30 bus to the Hermit Trailhead. Hopefully I will be on the trail by 5:30 and at Monument Creek by 9:30. I am really hoping I can hold up to a 2 mile per hour hiking speed. Allowing 30 minutes at Monument to filter water and have a snack, and another 30 minutes for lunch somewhere, that should get me to Indian Garden around 4... 5 at the latest. From there it should be a about 2.5 hours back to the rim... so 6:30, maybe 7:30?