Everybody got up early today. As much as we hated leaving the canyon, we wanted to get as far up the trail as possible before the sun finally came over the rim. So a quick breakfast, a cup of coffee, the requisite group picture, and we were on the way by 6:30 local time. For the first half of the hike out, we met up with many groups of rim-to-rimmers heading down. They often travel in large packs and, since they are traveling light, are moving fast, especially on the downhill. I was glad when they thinned out. We were not moving fast, but we kept a steady pace, stopping occasionally for a drink of water and handful of nuts. I also tried Power Gel for the first time on this trip in an effort to
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