We are up at 3:00 just as planned, but it takes a lot longer than we thought to get around, eat, pack, and leave.  A rustling in the bushes is a skunk, but he departs after seeing us.  Our goal is to reach the top of the redwall by noon.  We eventually hit the trail at 5:15 with our headlights on.  Needless to say, we are being extra cautious about making sure we are on the correct trail.  We only make one or two minor slipups, but we quickly discover our errors, backtrack, and correct our mistakes.  It is really pleasant to be hiking when it is not hot and an added benefit is that our water consumption is way down.  We reach Surprise Valley just after sunrise and soon come to the southwest trail junction.  We turn northeasterly and head toward the redwall.  They don't call it the redwall for no reason at all.  Tough at any time of day, it is nice to be going up the redwall when it is still cool.  We reach the top about 10:00 just as a group of five and another group of six head down.  We don't envy them.  The view looking back at Surprise Valley is as pretty as ever. 

     We walk a little ways until we reach the same place where we had lunch coming down the first day.  Having made such good time, we unroll our sleeping pads and take a nap for an hour or so.  After that, we have lunch and then I am determined to find the Lionshead rock.  I know it is in this area, but even after a thorough search, I do not find it.  Time to move on.  We pass the mushroom rocks, pick up our water cache, and eventually reach the flying saucer rock.  Art says the weather forecast is for increasing clouds today with a chance of rain tomorrow.  I am skeptical since it is crystal clear right now.  I can tell that Art wants to make camp here, but I insist that we go a little farther.  In just a little while, we reach the drainage where we made the first trail miscue and set up camp there.  The wind has begun blowing some, so I pick a site about fifty yards from Art's snoring that is protected from the wind by a large rock wall.  Art picks a sandy site more in the open.  With his keen skills of observation, Art points out an interesting feature of the two large rocks behind his tent.  Some industrious hiker has gone to a lot of effort to place two small rocks inside the concentric circles on top the two larger rocks to resemble certain female body parts.

     Our plan is to leave early again tomorrow.  We are concerned about navigating tomorrow in the dark around this large drainage where we are camped, especially since we accidentally went through it on the way down.  Fortunately we watch two groups of hikers walk past our camp, go around, and eventually come out on the other side of the drainage.  As dark approaches, a few clouds appear, but this is about all the evening sunset can muster. 

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