Don't beat yourself up too much, dragracer. I'll bet most of the folks on this forum have made a comparable, ahem, lapse in judgement.
Mine was similar but while hiking near Mount Rainier. The scenery was just too good to give up so I didn't turn around till sunset and was woefully w/o a flashlight (not a good idea in cliff country at night). After regaining my senses, I realized I was going to have to bivouac under a tree until daylight or else find my way back using the Braille method (a really bad idea when the trail borders on sheer cliffs). An hour after getting uh, comfortable, a full moon came up and I was easily able to see where I was going as I trekked back to the car by moonlight. Can't count on that kind of luck all the time though.
Keep riding dragracer, but with a light next time please?