It was wonderful sleeping in the cool summer night.  I awoke early and wanted to head over to the falls for some early light pictures.  My head was really fuzzy and I was congested.  I had a low level headache that I couldn’t shake even with some Advil.  It appears I was developing one good head cold – great.  I packed my camera gear and walked over to the falls with a quick stop at the portable toilets.  Why did I mention this little fact – well, this is worth it.  The portable toilets are rigged with a special harness for being airlifted and they sit on a skid.  However they are not on level ground – you can tell which ones are occupied by the ones that are rocking back-and-forth violently.  Standing inside this thing was a real ride – trying to mate your butt to seat is harder than trying to get a payload pod to mate with the space station airlock!  I DON'T RECALL PUTTING A QUARTER IN THE SLOT FOR THIS RIDE.  HELLO!?!  And to think people actually pay to ride a mechanical bull! (Needless to say the reverse act was just as much as of a challenge). 

Anyhow – after that little adrenaline rush I meandered down to the falls and took some wonderful early light photos of the falls.  Afterwards I headed back to camp and had breakfast and popped some meds.  I then geared up and headed over to Mooney falls.  My plan for the day consisted of hiking down to both Mooney and then Beaver Falls.  Take some gloves with you they will help you on gripping the chain links down to the falls.  The decent is really interesting as you go down steep chain links tunnels, and ladders.  As I was descending Mooney Falls just above the ladder section a wave of fatigue and nausea raced over me I bit aback from nearly loosing it.  I back-tracked to a safe ledge and waited for the symptoms to pass.  The low level headache was now more pronounced – just wonderful – I'm sick.  My fear was that if I continued to get worse the last place I wanted to be was in the backcountry feeling like crap.  I turned around and climbed all the way back up the chains and headed back to camp.  I was pondering just packing out – it was already 7:45 which meant that if I could be on the trail by 0830 I would be leaving the Esplanade break around 1130 and in full day sun and heat.  I knew the trail stays mostly in the shade even in the late morning and I thought that if I could take it easy I would be OK.  Only the last mile or so would be in the sun. 

I decided to go for it – I was concerned that whatever I had would continue to worsen and I would then be even worse off and then low on supplies.  I packed out and headed up to Supai at 0830 – I made it through Supai OK and stopped at the general store to chug some Gatorade (conserve my own water/Gookinaid mix).  I had 150 fl oz with me, but I knew that with the dry heat and the fact I was sick I would need more water.  I headed up trail and I was making good time.  I passed several groups heading down from the Hualapai Hilltop.  I stopped for one last break under a ledge just prior to heading out of the Esplanade.  It was about 1130 and I had made awesome time, my sinuses were clearing except I couldn’t shake the headache.  I was still felling fatigued but other than that I was doing OK.  I sat and ate a little and then mixed the last 50 fluid of oz up with the Gookinaid.  I left the Esplanade break around 1145 and the full blast of the sun hit me like a truck.  As I headed up the small rise to the foundation I felt the nausea return, I noticed that I had stopped sweating.  My arms were originally glistening with sweat now were bone dry.   I was really starting to feel fatigued and dizzy.  By the time I reached the foundation I felt miserable.  Great – on top of everything else now I am getting smacked with heat exhaustion.  As I looked at the switchbacks I could see some of the corners still had shade – needed to press on and get to the shade.  I started to immediately scrutinize my decision.  That’s all I need is to become a statistic!  

I made to a little shady notch and dropped down – I was really feeling like crap.    A horse/mule train was heading down and the lead wrangle asked if I was OK – No way – I am really hurting.  He offered me one of his ice cold waters.  Wow, what an incredible act of kindness.  I accepted heartily.  My own water reserve was actually warm now and foul.  I chugged the cool water down and used the last remaining mouthful to pour on my head and on the bandana I had wrapped on the back of my neck.  I headed up to the next bend where I could see more shade and sat down on the rock wall.  After about a good 15 minutes of sitting and the ice cold water – I felt completely renewed.  It was only about a half mile up some easy switchbacks – slow and steady I pressed out feeling the worse for wear.