Today's route stats: 

Again we awoke to a cloudy and threatening day.  Since we all preferred camping up high rather than down at the River, we decided to skip going to the beach at President Harding Rapids.  Instead we opted to camp on the Redwall near Eminence Break. 

On the way we passed Buck Farm Canyon on the other side of the River and could see the exit route we used in 1995 to when we entered via Mitchell.  The weather turned colder and nastier the closer we got to Eminence Break, which we reached after about 3-1/2 hours of hiking.  It was pretty easy hiking until the last hour or so when we had to cross a couple of large faults.

We set up camp at the very edge of the Redwall on a flat point jutting out into the River above Eminence Break.  It was the most spectacular campsite on our trip.  We had great views up and down the Canyon, and across the River to Hansburough Point. 

I immediately set up my tent when we arrived, and was almost finished when an hour-long downpour, accompanied by spectacular lightening, was just starting.  Lightening was striking the rim and buttes all around us, and even the Redwall rim in the distance.  We were concerned enough about the possibility of lightening hitting us that that we climbed down into a ravine and waited for the storm to pass.  After it passed, it was pretty cold, so I climbed into my tent to get warm.  It was still raining, but the lightening had ended. 

Jim and Steve scouted a route into Eminence Break from the left side, so we didn't have to drop down into Eminence Break and follow Steck's route up the right side. 

Fortunately it was not my night for dinner.  Jim Finch and Steve braved the cold rain and called us out for dinner in the pouring rain.  We all went to bed right after dinner.