spaulk1: It is not uncommon for hikers to take 9 hours and longer to get down. When I was there 8/27 and 8/28, there was a stream of headlamps shining up on the trail well after dark.
It sounds like you were waiting for word from hiking friends. I hope they made it out ok. 99.9% of them seem to make it without any issues, often taking longer than expected.
