Half-Dome Excursion

I took a little trip to Half Dome in Yosemite a couple weeks ago. On the bright side, it wasn't very buggy and there weren't a lot of tourists. That might of had something to do with the rain, though. :) Still, I had a pretty good time even though I was sore for a week afterwards. The hike is a little over 16 miles round trip and there are a LOT of switchbacks. It was pretty decent most of the way up and we just missed some rain/hail before we got to the end climb which would have made it impossible (too slippery). But by the time we got there it had dried. It rained/drizzled on the entire hike back, though. :(

Anyway, here are the pics...

My son and a friend the day before the hike. We checked out some smaller waterfalls. California had a mini heat wave the week before so there was a LOT of water in the falls. :)
http://www.superiorserpents.com/PubPics/y1.jpg

Another waterfall.
http://www.superiorserpents.com/PubPics/y2.jpg

Big waterfall on the trail to half dome. One or two people die every year by getting too close to the edge. You can see the people near the edge in the picture.
http://www.superiorserpents.com/PubPics/y3.jpg

Nice view of Yosemite valley. You can see half dome in the distance to the left.
http://www.superiorserpents.com/PubPics/y4.jpg

"The cable" on the last stretch. Many people will hike all the way up to the base and turn around right there. My son made it about half way up but had to turn around because he freaked out. I was actually surprised he made it that far up because he's afraid of heights. It's a pretty steep climb. :weirdface
http://www.superiorserpents.com/PubPics/y5.jpg

Another view.
http://www.superiorserpents.com/PubPics/y6.jpg

It was a wee bit foggy (or is that cloudy?) on top. Didn't see much, but I kept reminding myself it was the journey, not the destination. :)
http://www.superiorserpents.com/PubPics/y7.jpg

About all we saw from the top. It really is a nice view when it's clear. This was my second trip up and hopefully I can make it again when my other son gets big enough.
http://www.superiorserpents.com/PubPics/y8.jpg

Thanks for looking. :D

beautiful pics. that ladder thing is gnarly looking

Wow, that looks like a spectacular time! I havent been there since I was a small small child. Would love to see what you saw.

Thanx for the pics man!

nice pics, my dad and I are supposed to hike the back of half dome as well in two weeks. From what I was told it was strenuous but not dangerous, from the looks of the pictures it looks mighty dangerous. Looks like we will have a last minute conversation on whether we are going to make the trip.:confused:

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Originally Posted by DSGB

beautiful pics. that ladder thing is gnarly looking

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Thanks! It looks worse than it is, although it looks scarier in person. ;)

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Originally Posted by Patrick Long

Wow, that looks like a spectacular time! I havent been there since I was a small small child. Would love to see what you saw.

Thanx for the pics man!

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It was gorgeous, I just wish we spent more time on side treks. It was just a weekend trip so we pretty much just did the half-dome hike and came home.

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Originally Posted by 420boa

nice pics, my dad and I are supposed to hike the back of half dome as well in two weeks. From what I was told it was strenuous but not dangerous, from the looks of the pictures it looks mighty dangerous. Looks like we will have a last minute conversation on whether we are going to make the trip.:confused:

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It is pretty strenuous, but get an early start and take your time and you should be fine. Take at least 2 quarts of water per person. There are streams along the way that you can purify, but there are some horse camps and backpackers so the water can still be a little nasty. :weirdface The last climb looks pretty scary if you're not used to climbing, but as long as you hold on to the cables and rest on the boards/poles you should be fine. Oh, and remember to bring some work gloves for the cable. They have a bunch at the base that you can borrow, but it's a good idea to bring your own. I freehanded it, but it would have been a lot more comfortable to use gloves (the ones that were there were soaking wet so I decided not to use them).

wow! looks amazing! I've only ever driven right through Yosemite and REALLY wanted to stop. I was with my parents at the time and they didn't wanna! :(

Amazing! Someday I'll have to get out there.

awesome!!!!

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Originally Posted by python.princess

wow! looks amazing! I've only ever driven right through Yosemite and REALLY wanted to stop. I was with my parents at the time and they didn't wanna! :(

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That's a shame. :( I think Yosemite is one of the must-see places in the U.S., or even the world for that matter. ;) They have a LOT of short, easy hikes that take you to some breathtaking places. If you do get a chance to go again, try to make it in the Autumn. It's not as buggy or touristy, and the Fall colors are amazing.

I need to get out there again. I crossed the ladder, and it was AMAZING...