The view down stream as the sunset. I searched all the vegetation along the stream, along the trail and up the slopes. In the dark as I searched each plant with the narrow beam of my headlamp I realized that most of the vegetation here was exotic - guava, ginger, and citrus (probably growing from seeds spit out by picnicking hikers). Funny how your perspective of an area changes as the light changes. During the daylight, this area seemed like a rich diverse lush green forest. Then as I examined this forest with the narrow beam of a headlamp in became a monotonous parade of guava and ginger.

I searched this valley from dusk until 1 am and then decided I should begin the return hike home. A couple times in the valley I followed the wrong 'trail' and had to backtrack to figure my way out. Once to the beach it was very easy as the Na Pali trail is quite distinct, even in the dark. I continued my search at every point where water flowed over the trail and the vegetation was thick. This slowed my return home. I also sat on the trail without any light to admire the amazing stars overhead. The warm pacific air felt wonderful and the Milky Way looked spectacular. I continued on my way, search almost every large plant I passed on the trail. At about 2 am I see glowing white forms on the trail ahead of me and realize it is the same couple I had passed 7 hours earlier leaving the falls. They got trapped on the trail at nightfall and where attempting to sleep using their towel as a blanket. I offered them some flashlights and they where happy to make their way home. They were in very good spirits considering they must have been laying on the hard dirt trail for at least 5 hours before I came across them.

Turns out her stylish sandal could not take the stress and broke which made her doubly slow on the way out. We did not get off the trail until 4:30 am, 11 hours after I started. I found no D. raptor, I was exhausted, frustrated and annoyed (not at them, but at my inability to find a stupid green spider. I fear that if I do find this spider I will be so annoyed I will squash it instead of capture it.)