Last night it was a lot warmer than the previous in that it only got as cold as 26 degrees. Last night right before going to bed I happened to find a large puddle of water that I could use to help rehydrate, having long left the snow line. I was excited about using my UV water purifier (Steripen) though when it got only part of the way through the cycle before shutting off with the error light I got a bit worried. I tried it several times, yet it just wouldn't stay on long enough for me to feel comfortable. It took me a while to figure out, but I finally remembered stuff from chemistry in that decreased temperature really slows down chemical reactions, of which a battery depends to provide energy. I took them out and left them in my pocket as I did other things around camp and by the time I was ready to use the purifier again, they were warmed up enough to provide perfect operation.
I got a decent start this morning and was glad to realize that most of my hiking would be downhill. I was finally excited about seeing all the desert life and various species of cactus, especially the tall one for which the park gets its namesake. The trail is the main one used by area day hikers, so I wasn't surprised to see a few hikers heading up to Tanque Verde Peak from the main park entrance. The descent was uneventful though there was many points where I paused in order to take a closer look at the different plants. I almost wish I carried my macro photography extension tubes and lens, but I already thought I was carrying too much gear at the start and nearly left the camera in the car, though am certainly glad I decided to take it along anyway.
After about 6.6 miles of hiking I made it to the trailhead. Although I tried thumbing a ride, no one passing by, not even park ranger, would give me a ride to the park entrance, so I still had another mile and a half of paved road to make it to the park headquarters. I got back a full day earlier than I had planned, so no one was really around or able to come by and pick me up, so after going through the interperative displays for a bit, I started heading towards downtown Tuscon. About a quarter mile down the road a guy stopped by the roadside and gave me a ride the rest of the way into town as he was running some errands. I learned that he lived in the area most of his life as he actually resided at the foot of the mountains that I had just spent walking. It was actually nice to share a few stories and learn a bit about the history of the area and his experiences as we drove the next four miles to his stop. 
After parting ways I grabbed lunch at the Panda Express for some fresh food that I didn't have to rehydrate! since it was still relatively early and the weather was nice, I decided to just walk the last 4 miles to Executive's house. she was still a bit out of it from the surgery and drugs and her brother had the car anyway. I enjoyed just taking in the scenery and checking out the various shops and such along the way. I finally got back to her place and promptly crashed for a while on the couch.Later when her brother brought back the car we went to meet some of the local hashers to watch a University of Arizona basketball game and enjoy a few local brews before finally heading back for some well needed rest. Executive was worried that I might be a little cold since they didn't use the heat too much, but I assured her I would be perfectly fine since it would unbdoubtedly be at least 45 degree warmer that the previous two nights. From the campsite to her place, I hiked just about 12 miles, though half of it was pretty much over flat terrain and rode about 4 while hitchhiking.
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