Half Dome

Half Dome! It was calling to me and when my friend Chad mentioned climbing to the top and having to use cables and that it was an epic 17 mile hike, I thought surely this was a good idea. Its gotten so popular that the National Park service implemented a daily number of passes to climb the infamous cable route to the peak. I put my hat in the lottery to win passes and asked a few other people to do the same. We were all losers except Chad. In fact, Chad was so good at winning this lottery, that we got passes for a Saturday and the Summer Solstice and a full moon. He said we had to start hiking at 4:45am and that it would take 12-14 hours and so we wanted to be back in time for Happy Hour beers. I was camping alone outside Yosemite Valley, so I woke up just after 3:00am and was driving an hour down to the trailhead in the dark and only passed one other car. Yosemite was a sleep Valley that morning. At the parking lot were several people getting ready for hikes. I remarked to myself how pleasantly warm it was that morning and ditched my thermal and pants, wearing shorts a t-shirt, my reliably new Keen boots and a backpack full of snacks and water. I loaded up on greek yogurt and a double espresso shot and set out to meet the gang at the trailhead. I could see silhouettes walking about but couldn't see Chad and I rushed around calling his name, hoping he hadn't set off without me. Then he and Brian appeared out of the darkness. We were still waiting for Lisa and Matt. I was excited that I was the first one there. And then we were 5 and ready to set out up to the top of Half Dome. Chad was an indispensable guide as he had made the climb before and offered great ideas and commentary along the way. He was so knowledgeable that I nicknamed him, Chad "We have a decision to make" because he was always giving us options. The sun still wasn't shining and we were passing 317 foot tall Vernal Falls as it draped over the smooth rocks. We ascended damp stairs cut into the granite, along the Mist Trail, past The Fern Grotto and to the top of the Falls. We weren't running into many people, another reason Chad told us to start early. It was still cool and everything was obliquely illuminated by the still hidden sun. Continuing on the Mist Trail up past 600 foot tall Nevada Falls and more steps. Nevada Falls rushed angrily over the precipice and cascaded in whites and blues to a sloping rock wall that gushed into a shimmering pool. We'd been on the move about 90 minutes and stopped to hydrate and snack. I started with an apple and almonds. A few more people trickled past us on the trail as this was where The Mist Trail meets the John Muir Trail, which we planned to take on the return, thinking it would be easier to not have to walk down all those steps with throngs of hikers coming at us. We were now in Little Yosemite Valley, which was wide and filled with pine trees and sandy paths. Small shrubs and a few redwoods dotted the scenery. We still hadn't really seen any wildlife and the sun was starting to shine down on us in certain stretches. It felt warm and soothing, since we had been gaining elevation and there was a slight chill in the air. After awhile, we came to another split where you could turn off to Clouds Rest and Lake Tenaya and Tuolumne Meadows and pretty much anywhere else you wanted to hike in the Park. Before entering all the switchbacks for this leg of the trip, we rested again and were passed by a large scout troop. Daypacks were standing on end in a colorful circle just off the path. These were backpackers who had spent the previous night in Little Yosemite Valley and were now headed out without all the gear. A deer suddenly appeared from behind a tall tree to investigate the packs. She wasn't finding much and after hydrating again, we continued on and came upon Sub Dome! What a name. This is where the trees start to clear and you get a startling profile of Half Dome. She looms in granite permanence and beckons at the same time. Sub Dome is where you meet the ranger, Danny, who had been there since 4am, with an iPad. He checks to make sure you actually have the permit and then allows you to continue on. If you weren't already feeling tired, the never ending granite steps of Sub Dome will do their best to zap your energy. Good thing we had hydrated and I had eaten a protein bar. Its basically switchback steps that are irregular and sway this way and that and are full of small lose pebbles. At this point, we were approaching 8000 feet but the altitude wasn't bothering me all that much and I powered though the torturous Sub Dome steps. It then began to round out and we were on top of the Sub Dome shortly before Half Dome began to rise above us. The path curves down to The Saddle and then you are staring at the infamous cables. The stretch up and looks solid and inviting. To the left is a large boulder with discarded gloves. Good thing Chad told us to bring our own gloves, and I pulled out an old leather pair that had belonged to my grandfather. We double checked our pockets to ensure all was secure and tightened our backpacks and gripped the cables. The cables have been around forever and are looped through 68 pair of posts that are resting in holes drilled into the granite. The posts are not secured to the Dome, but the cables are. And so the posts move a bit as you climb up, gripping for dear life onto the cables. This is why there are permits and a quota of daily hikers on the cables. Its very dangerous and crowds make us all nervous. Its two way traffic and somewhat terrifying to climb up, let alone have some climbing down and wanting to pass you. Another smart move Chad made by having us start early was that no one was coming down as we were ascending. I didn't really want to look to the left or to the right or look down, so I kept my focus on my feet and what lay above me. This is considered Class 3 climbing out of 5, something I knew nothing about, but was amazed that I could do something this dangerous with no training or supervision. And now the stress switched from my legs to my arms and hands as I gripped the silver cables, hoisting myself up, sandwiched between Infinity and Oblivion. At this point, its all me and if I make a mistake, I slide down the slippery granite rock for 4000 feet to Yosemite Valley. They said four people have fallen to their deaths from the cables since they were installed in 1919. Terribly sad for all those involved, but pretty good odds that we will all be successful today. And so I continued climbing up farther and farther. At times, the Dome was steeper than 45 degrees and at times it felt fairly easy. Gradually, it began to level out at the cables ended and I could stand upright and walk to the top. When I turned around, the cables disappeared below the Dome's horizon very quickly. I wasn't looking forward to the descent. The top of Half Dome was much larger than I imagined. In terms of square footage, it was massive and with about 30 people at the top it was very manageable to get around, take a nap, sunbathe, admire the view, read about John Muir, play Bananagrams, or eat lunch. We found a nice spot we called the booth and unpacked our lunches. Everyone was happy I had brought an avocado to the top and shared it to go with turkey or tuna wraps. I had also brought carrots, chips, hummus, a peach, a banana and more protein bars. I also brought two bottles of water but forgotten my Sigg back at camp. Luckily, Chad brought plenty of water to share. Using my binoculars, we could spot ski runs on the backside of Mammoth. We could view the entire Yosemite Valley below us. We could see Glacier Point shining nearby. El Capitan was visible and I thought about people who like to rock climb up the shear face. And then I spotted a fellow climbing up the face of Half Dome, but I couldn't look at him long because it started to fill me with anxiety. I'd say there were people from age 16 to 65 at the top to Half Dome. After lunch we walked around taking more pictures and dodging squirrels and marmots that were far more aggressive than I'd expected. We walked out to The Visor, which juts out a bit and give you a good view of Half Dome's face. Beneath The Visor is a small cave or gap on the granite slabs that make up Half Dome. Its said that hikers sought refuge in their during a Summer storm and were struck by lightning; its also said that lightning strikes Half Dome every month of the year. I was thinking about the ranger telling us that if we saw any clouds or chance of a storm, it was time to leave the Dome. You can't camp on top of the Dome. We stayed up there about 45 minutes and were beginning the descent before noon. By turning around and facing the Dome, I was going down the same way I came up. This gave me more leverage and saved a lot of stress on my toes. But the cables were filled with traffic coming to the top. But you stay friendly and chat with people as they are headed up. Some are in a rush to get to the top, some want you to pass first, some are having an anxiety attack and don't even talk to you. I would tell people they are going to love it at the top and how great is it that we can do something as dangerous and exhilirating as this with no training or supervision. Again, the gloves were so helpful at this point and I enjoyed the descent much more than I thought I would. I didn't looks much to either side or down, but focused on keeping a steady grip on the cables. And then I was back in The Saddle, gazing up at all the cable climbers. A young kid next to us said his hands didn't hurt that much without gloves, but they looked bloody and painful. I was a little sore from gripping so tight and my hands smelled like dirt since I normally use those gloves for gardening, but was otherwise unscathed. After pausing briefly and letting the adrenaline dissipate, we trudged onto the the arduous Sub Dome steps. In hindsight, those steps were the worst part of the hike and made my calves and thighs ache. We passed many people on our way down the trail, through all the wooded switchbacks and down to the junction with Little Yosemite Valley. It was here that we stopped to wash off and enjoy the impossibly clear Merced River. The water was just above freezing, but I hopped in and kept my legs submerged as long as I could. Someone had told me to soak my legs in cold water to help reduce cramping and soreness. After about 10 minutes, I had submerged myself completely in the river and swam to a big warm rock to dry off in the sun. And then I put my boots back on and we continued down to Nevada Falls where we connected with the John Muir Trail. It was swarming with day hikers and crowds stretched all over every trail route at this point. The trail sloped gradually down and past wet walls with ferns and water leaking onto the path. The sun was shining in full force and it was warm. Our energy was draining quickly and it was now an endurance test to stay polite and finish this damn hike. We paused less to take pictures, we talked with each other less, and stayed focused on keeping our wobbly legs from not letting us topple over. I heard tourists speaking German, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian, Japanese and American accents from the south and midwest. The heat increased and I reapplied sunscreen. I was placing our end time at the trail head at 4:00pm and we were making good time. Returning to the base of Vernal Falls and crossing the wooden bridge, it was now crushingly filled with people like Main Street Disneyland. In no mood to deal with throngs of tourists, we picked up the pace and landed back where we started just after four o'clock. With breaks and lunch and swimming, we completed the 17 mile, 4600 foot elevation gain and loss in about 10 and a half hours. Time for a beer! Chad and Brian were staying at the Ahwahnee Hotel and we all headed back there, cleaned up and enjoyed drinks outside the hotel, gazing at the tall trees, steep Valley walls, and of course, Half Dome, as it started to shimmer and shine with the setting sun. Brian had snagged us a reservation in the timeless hotel restaurant. What a treat! The restaurant is gorgeous and enormous, with exposed wood beams and extremely tall single sheet windows that allow diners to take in view of the jagged peaks surrounding the Valley. A great meal and crowd to cap off an epic journey on the Summer Solstice.