But in between all of that , I ’m start the daunting labor of downloading , browsing , and editing all my exposure from the last week … a few hundred of them off my camera and the hub ’s camera , from our entry trailhead at May Lake in the High Country all the way of life to our exit trail head at Happy Isles in the Valley . ( More from those in a few weeks … ifI’m lucky ! )
The impetus for this slip was my friend finding out back in April that she ’d won the Half Dome lottery to rise the cable . We were unrestrained but hesitating about the 16 - Swedish mile hike … while completely doable , it did n’t vocalise very appealing to hightail it in and out of the valley in a brace of 12 hours . So Will and I decided to reverse the opportunity into a tripper we ’d always wanted to do : one workweek in the Yosemite backcountry , culminating in the rise up to Half Dome .
We would camp down in Little Yosemite Valley ( the airless starting point to Half Dome ) and have a leisurely hike to the cables the next daytime , reducing our round - head trip total to just 7 miles rather of 16 . And , we ’d have the exemption to go at any sentence of daytime , rather than being limited to a sunrise start time like most other citizenry doing the in - and - out in a day .
On a Monday good afternoon , we were improbably lucky to be the only unity on the cable length and have the whole covered stadium to ourselves . After make it to the top and back , I ’ll be the first to accommodate : I highly underestimated Half Dome .
I live a few supporter who ’d climb the transmission line , and I ’d remembered reckon depiction of kids clamber up the side and ultralight tramper assume their “ barefoot ” shoes on the approach , all of which made it seem like Half Dome would be a walk in the parking area .
But I also retrieve quite a few multitude bail on their permits , or reach the base of the noggin and then turn back . If anything , the hike up the subdome seemed far more straining than the cables themselves .
There was n’t a ranger to check over our permits that day ( at least , not that late in the day by the metre we got there ) and it seemed like everyone was coming down the same moment we were going up .
The first haulage up Half Dome ( on a section called the subdome , top 7,900 foot ) was a series of steep switchback step carved out of the granite , some of them over a foot grandiloquent .
While channeling our inner mountain Capricorn , we had opinion over the entire eastern side of the park , include a peek at our premature campsite on top ofCloud ’s Rest .
About 500 feet of vertical later , we reached the base of the cables . In front of the road lay piles of old leather workplace gloves , free for the borrowing .
The cables loomed 400 groundwork up a granite slab , endure suave from thousands of hikers ascending this same route over and over again for the last 90 - some years ( when the cable were first installed ) . Looking up , my first thought was … What the f@%k ! ?
The route seemed to disappear straight into the sky , at a much usurious slant than I ’d expected . I ’d feign the cables were only in place as handrails of variety , but with the slope angled at 45 ° to 50 ° , you definitely ask to employ the cables to mount the whole way ( and good , grippy gloves are a gravy ) . Not only that , wear smashing shoe and trust your feet … and possibly do a few chin - ups or push - ups to prepare yourself , because that ’s passably much what you ’ll be doing for 400 feet .
Every 10 feet or so , pole were put in lieu with flimsy little wooden plug-in on the granite to help you gain some terms . Climbing the cables take a fate of upper body strength , but if you focalise on just take deep breaths , move from one board to the next , pinning your feet against the poles for reenforcement as you ascend , it was a achievable feat . ( Some people harness up and clip in to the cable as they climb — via ferratastyle — but I do n’t think it ’s necessary unless you ’re really afraid of heights . )
I ca n’t imagine what the cables must have looked like in the first place in the 24-hour interval when throngs of tourists were move up and down the dome , or what the route used to be before the permit scheme was in place . To climb the cables with hundreds of other hikers in front of you and behind you seems like a nightmare . I ’d show stories of hikers getting aggressive or impatient , or trying to pass the sluggish hiker , or even climbing outside of the cable length — earnestly ? There are no mistakes on Half Dome . find cocky on the cablegram is a sure way to take yourself out or even worse , take someone else out .
So with our chemical group of seven , I was so grateful to be the only people climbing up the road that time of Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . We took our time , giggled and chew the fat , and savour the opinion over the park . All of us made it to the top with a final exhilarating scramble to 8,840 feet above the existence !
It ’s rather unbelievable thatno onewas on the peak with us , and we still had a few hours to spare before sundown . We had Half Dome to ourselves ! What amazing luck . We rest , snacked , took pictures and made friends with the nonmigratory marmot .
This slight cat ( one of many yellowed - bellied marmots in Yosemite ) was rummy and mischievous , and you could severalize he was used to human interaction . He walked right up to us , posed for pictures , and we even found him snooping in one of our packs . We gave him some water and nominate him Hal F. Domé . ( Cheesy , I fuck . ) He in spades postulate his own Facebook page !
After spending a couple of hours at the top , we commence making our manner down the cable television with plenty of light left in the day . Because of the precipitousness , it was much easier extend down rearwards . By the clip we reached the last 30 foot of cable , we could turn around and just take the air down the slab facing onward .
We much skipped back to camp in Little Yosemite Valley , and just after the sunlight set , we bemuse ourselves into the ( very cold but very refreshful ) Merced River for a celebratory soak .
Half Dome … success ! Another one to bilk off the life list ! ( And if you ’re count to cross it off your own list , this is the bestmap and guideI’ve found that key out the lead and its chronicle . )
Trail map : Click hereSegment log:7 miles with 5,380 feet meridian changeNext segment : Little Yosemite Valley to Happy Isles and home plate sweet place
Read the full “Epic Yosemite” series:
