I do think you made the correct decision. Playing the wind is always crucial and you seemed to have avoided being upwind as much as possible. That says a lot right there.

As far as how fast you go depends on a few factors. The slower the better. Once you are in those deer woods, your main goal is to shoot a deer. In order to do that, you must see him before he knows you're there. I know this is simplified but it's something I always remind myself of.

There is absolutely no need to worry about time. Don't be concerned about what's over that next ridge or beyond those hardwoods. You should be doing more stand hunting than walking. If you think you're traveling too fast, you are. If you think you're traveling slow enough, you're probably not. Remeber slow is good,slower is better and slowest is best. Most guys I know travel waaaaay too fast when still hunting. They see a lot of deer but they don't shoot a lot of deer. I also remind myself, walk fast, see deer; walk slow, shoot deer.

Good Luck!!