Tag Archives: Yosemite

Climbing Half Dome??

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Climbing Half Dome (the Dome) has NEVER been on my bucket list – not even for a second.   I have a ridiculous fear of going down hill and a fear of heights.  Until I went to Yosemite National Park this summer, I didn’t know what Half Dome looked like or really what the hoopla surrounding it was all about.

How did we get to the top?  I would say the whole thing was dumb luck and a little bit of insanity (on my part – Greg is the sane one). On what was supposed to be our last day in Yosemite Valley, Greg and I hiked up the John Muir Trail (JMT) to Nevada Falls. If you can find the strength, go about a half mile beyond the falls, there is clearing on the left where you can catch a glimpse of the Dome.

Just as we were about to head back down to the Valley and leave the park, a group of 4 burly, tattooed guys came to enjoy the scenery.  One of them had binoculars and was chatting away about how he wanted to climb the Dome but was always afraid to do it. He handed the nocks over to me and low and behold, I was instantly inspired to make it to the top (not sure why, I was stone-cold sober and there was no betting involved).  I could see people grasping on to cables, slowly inching to the top.

The most famous part of this hike is the cables that cover the last 700 feet of the climb to the top.    The cables are about 30 inches or so apart – wide enough for a death grip with both hands and just wide enough so 2 people can inch past each other coming and going.   Wooden boards have been strategically placed about every 10 to 15 feet so you can stop and rest if needed.  The incline on this stretch of the climb is anywhere between 45 and 60 degrees.  It is so steep in some areas, you literally have to pull yourself up to get to the next wooden board.

Insanity ensued and we immediately hiked down the Mist Trail, (a must do if you have the fitness to climb/descend stairs) determined to find a way to secure a permit.   As soon as humanly possible, we went to the National Park Service website http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/halfdome.htm to do more research on the climb and the permit process.  We heard from various climbers, you could get one through a lottery process 2 days prior to the day you want to climb.   What we found was this:  The website sucked (maybe we are just incompetent) and finding a way to apply for a permit on line was a ridiculous waste of time.  After a very long day of hiking, discouraging discussions with Park Rangers, and the website debacle, we had given up on our 3 hour dream to climb the Dome.

As we are literally driving out of the park at around 11 am the next day, we stopped by the Ranger Station to inquire about climbing permits for a future visit.   Coincidentally, at 11 am, they start issuing backpacking permits for the following day.   Before I knew it, the heavens opened up and we were issued a backpacking permit for the Little Yosemite Campground. Then I heard the most precious words.  The Park Ranger said, “And by the way, if you want a permit to climb Half Dome, it will be an extra 5 bucks.”  We quickly jumped on the offer, spent one more night in the Valley, packed up our crap and hiked back up the JMT to the base camp campground the next day.

Key Tip:  Apparently, if you can get a backpacking permit, you are automatically allowed to climb too assuming the allocated number of permits for backpackers has not been reached. In addition, Park Rangers are stationed at the base of the sub-dome trail head and track the number of climbers in a day – they have a list of people who have been issued permits.  Bring your ID with you, they will ask.  If for some reason someone has backed out of the climb, you may be able to take their spot.   This is risky but something you could try at the spur of the moment if you were so inclined.

The thing about this hike (outside of the fact that it will jack with your mind when you see how steep the final ascent is), is that there are many inexperienced, unfit people out there making the pilgrimage to the top of the Dome and many of them start from the Valley.  Starting from the Valley is a very ambitious plan – if you decide to do it this way, please don’t wear converse tennis shoes, flip flops, cotton shirts, or carry a little 16 ounce water bottle for the very difficult 17 mile journey. You will create a safety hazard for you and those around you.  I would also avoid climbing in the rain with lightening present.

Key Tip:  Bring A LOT of water with you, gloves with fingers else your knuckles may get shredded, wear the ‘stickiest’ shoes possible as the rock is very slick with overuse, and read the National Park Service website I noted above before you attempt this hike.   I would also recommend getting a campsite at Little Yosemite Valley so you can break up the hike – if you are in your 20’s, it probably doesn’t matter.  If you get a campsite, start early, this will give you the luxury of having the cables all to yourself.  It starts to get crowded about 11:00 am when all of the ‘Valley’ hikers have made it to the cables. Also descend backwards.   Some people recommended going down sideways – they must have been on crack – can’t imagine how that would be a good idea.  To each his own.

After we accomplished our dream of reaching the top of Half Dome and descending without incident, I realized that I can eventually overcome my fear of going down hill and if I go slow enough without panicking and remaining focused, I can pretty much do anything I set my mind to.   It’s part of the life bus philosophy – jump on the bus and enjoy!

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The Gypsy Road Trip – Yosemite National Park

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Let me start by saying this, I rarely (if ever) go on vacation without at least securing lodging reservations ahead of time. My internal logic believes it is not prudent to waste precious vacation time hunting for a place to lay my head at night. The last thing I am interested in is sleeping in the car or ending up in some sort of rent-by-hour motel. This road trip was different. In the spirit of the life bus philosophy, Greg and I decided to throw the lodging logic out the window and wing it like gypsies.

Let’s talk about Yosemite for a moment. This National Park is, as you would expect, a complete jewel.  Yosemite is by far, one of the most beautiful National Parks we have in the continental United States. Unfortunately, I am not the only individual with this opinion – I read a statistic that on any given day in the summer, there could be up to 20,000 visitors. Winging it in Yosemite is a risky endeavor.

Our gypsy road trip in Yosemite spanned 7 nights. As luck would have it, we found a place to bunk every night we were in town. Please do your research on the lodging in Yosemite as I am not getting to the nitty-gritty details of each location and there may be things outside of my opinions that will further entice you. The best place to go to for further information is the official Yosemite lodging  website via the following link: www.yosemitepark.com/lodging.aspx.  All of the options I describe below are outlined in more detail here.

In my opinion, pickings are slim if you want luxury, however, the Ahwahnee Hotel will deliver. We did not stay here, but, we ate nearly every meal here as much of their food is fresh and homemade – just an FYI, you do pay a pretty penny for that freshness, but your hips, heart and blood pressure will appreciate you in the long run.

Key Tip: If you are looking for rooms inside the park for a just in time reservation, go to the reservation desks at ANY of the lodges. They all have access to the same reservation system as the Yosemite lodging hotline. (Don’t call this hotline, they don’t pick up in a timely manner and you may starve to death waiting). You may pay a little more for a room or get one near the toilets or elevators, but hey, it’s a roof over your head.

Tuolumne Meadows Lodge – Loved, loved, loved. We were about to stop and pitch a tent for the night, when we came across this lodge. It’s near the East entrance and is often used as a base camp for backpacking trips. This is a tented camp setup which means it is rustic, but, the tents are spaced far enough from each other, they have cozy, wool blankies, and a wood burning stove. The restaurant on site is family style, so I found it to be a great way to meet some really interesting people and uncover tips on things to do. The dinners were so-so, but the breakfast was pretty awesome. If you need more togetherness with strangers, they have a fire pit in the middle of the property.

Key Tip: Ask for a tent along the river, or at the back of the property. Your chances of seeing a wild animal will increase and it will keep you away from the hustle and bustle of the shared, central bathrooms.

Curry Village – Oh what can I say about this place that will make it seem cool? Unfortunately, I can’t think of a thing except that it has been around since 1899. This was my least favorite spot in the Valley. Every time we walked on site, my skin crawled and I immediately was thrown into a funk. I think because it reminded me of a refugee camp (no offense to folks who have had that unfortunate experience). People everywhere, bad canned food, tents within 3 feet of one another – BOO. We stayed in one of the tented cabins that were so close together we heard every conversation going on around us. We were convinced that the brisket Greg had for dinner was labeled as meatloaf the night before.

Wawona Hotel and Spa – The guidebooks were right on this one. This quaint B&B located near the South entrance of the park is lovely. The wonderful thing about this place is that the property is quiet and you can grab a cocktail and/or a good book and relax on the porch. The potential drawback here is that half of the rooms have shared central bathrooms.  Unfortunately, we could hear we our 30 something neighbors playing video games at the crack of dawn. I think the lack of soundproofing in our room had to do with the fact that we did get the last room available and I am certain it was not the most desirable.

Housekeeping Camp – As you are driving down the main road to get to the end of the Valley towards Half Dome, you may notice a shanty town on the left hand side of the road. Well, that is not a shanty town people, it is the Housekeeping Camp. These places have 3 solid walls and essentially a plastic curtain used as a 4th wall. I actually really liked this place, despite the strange odor in the ‘tent’, the rampant beggar squirrels, and the fact you felt as though you were sleeping in a bunker. My affinity for it was most likely due to the fact that I thought it had character – it is located right on the Merced River, it has laundry facilities, you can cook at the campsite, there are fire pits, and you have your own covered seating area. It was like car camping without the tent as there was one double bed and a set of bunk beds included. If you don’t bring your own sheets, they have them for rent – cheap – like $2 to $5 a set.

Key Tip: Do request a ‘tent’ right on or close to the river and do not think you are going to get a shower at 7:00 pm at night. No way Jose – you will have to wait an hour in line – pick another time or go to bed with dirty feet.

When you go to Yosemite – and I think everyone should – ignore the crowds and find a way to enjoy the magnificent scenery at your finger tips. It is truly a special place. ENJOY!