Last week's expedition to the summit of Half dome...

Yosemite is very overcrowded; I hadn't been in about 20 years, but it's worth saying that the park is as well maintained as it could be, considering the number of annual visitors. Crisp air glazes the thick greenery and clean trails. I planned this trip back in November and last week it came and went in the blink of an eye. The trail to the top of Half Dome takes you from the valley floor to almost 9,000 feet in 14 miles there and back. If I learned anything new about hiking, it's that you get what you pay for when it comes to boots (Keen, $170, the Land Rover Defender 110 of shoes) and you <i><b>can</b></i> bring too much trail mix, no matter how many M&amp;Ms you stir in.<div><br></div><div><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_0993.jpg" alt="image"></div><div>The trail head eventually leads you to the mist trail...</div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_0997.jpg" alt="image"></div><div>..where you'll get a good soaking hiking below and beside Vernal Falls. No worries, this counts as a bath...</div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_0992.jpg" alt="image"></div><div>...but you won't be this dry again for about an hour or so.</div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1005.jpg" alt="image"></div><div>Looking down from the falls.</div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_0995.jpg" alt="image"></div><div>And Nevada falls in the distance...</div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1024.jpg" alt="image"></div><div>A local.</div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1012.jpg" alt="image"></div><div>Up at Nevada Falls...</div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1020.jpg" alt="image"></div><div>...and from above, which follows a set of nasty switchbacks.</div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1029.jpg" alt="image"></div><div>An hour or so later, you get this: That's where we're headed.</div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1033.jpg" alt="image"></div><div>Getting ready to climb to the base of half Dome...</div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1044.jpg" alt="image"></div><div>Up to here, the last hour or so you are very much on your own recognizance and essentially rock scrambling with a trail in certain spots. It's awesome. You can also see the cables (gone during the winter and spring, and only installed the day of my climb, hence the timing of the trip...and the crowd of climbers). Here's where good boots come in. Leave your concern of heights at home.</div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1050.jpg" alt="image"></div><div>The reward. Yosemite valley below.</div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1047.jpg" alt="image"></div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1051.jpg" alt="image"></div><div>The Dome's shape allows you to get as close as you want to the 3,000 foot vertical drop. You can still see some snow on the back of the Dome.</div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1056.jpg" alt="image"></div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1058.jpg" alt="image"></div><div>Getting ready to head down, keep your eyes on your feet!</div><div><br></div><div>Five hours up, an hour of messing around on the summit, and four hours back; not too bad.</div><div><br></div><div><div>A view from Glacier Point on the way out (sort of): Counter-clockwise, Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls, and Halfdome.</div><div><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/Unknown-10.jpg" alt="image"></div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div> <br><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_0993.jpg" alt="image">The trail head eventually leads you to the mist trail...<br><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_0997.jpg" alt="image">..where you'll get a good soaking hiking below and beside Vernal Falls. No worries, this counts as a bath...<br><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_0992.jpg" alt="image">...but you won't be this dry again for about an hour or so.<br><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1005.jpg" alt="image">Looking down from the falls.<br><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_0995.jpg" alt="image">And Nevada falls in the distance...<br><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1024.jpg" alt="image">A local.<br><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1012.jpg" alt="image">Up at Nevada Falls...<br><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1020.jpg" alt="image">...and from above, which follows a set of nasty switchbacks.<br><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1029.jpg" alt="image">An hour or so later, you get this: That's where we're headed.<br><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1033.jpg" alt="image">Getting ready to climb to the base of half Dome...<br><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1044.jpg" alt="image">Up to here, the last hour or so you are very much on your own recognizance and essentially rock scrambling with a trail in certain spots. It's awesome. You can also see the cables (gone during the winter and spring, and only installed the day of my climb, hence the timing of the trip...and the crowd of climbers). Here's where good boots come in. Leave your concern of heights at home.<br><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1050.jpg" alt="image">The reward. Yosemite valley below.<br><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1047.jpg" alt="image"><br><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1051.jpg" alt="image">The Dome's shape allows you to get as close as you want to the 3,000 foot vertical drop. You can still see some snow on the back of the Dome.<br><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1056.jpg" alt="image"><br><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/IMG_1058.jpg" alt="image">Getting ready to head down, keep your eyes on your feet!<br>Five hours up, an hour of messing around on the summit, and four hours back; not too bad.<br><div>A view from Glacier Point on the way out (sort of): Counter-clockwise, Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls, and Halfdome.</div><div><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/Unknown-10.jpg" alt="image"></div>A view from Glacier Point on the way out (sort of): Counter-clockwise, Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls, and Halfdome.<img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/aranjaloca/Unknown-10.jpg" alt="image"><br><br><br><br><br><br>

WOWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...unbeleivable shots Ryan...you are definitely "THE MAN"

People look like ants climbing that rock!

My favorite place on earth, (so far) Great shots thanks for sharing. I have been going there since the late 50's back then they had an event called the fire fall, they would build a giant bonfire on the edge of the canyon, and after dark they would launch the coals down the side.<br><br>Like you said it is crowded and we are loving it to death, there has been talk of closing it for five years to let it recover. Besides the camp grounds being full, they bring in dozens of tour buses every day. For day users.<br><br>Most people don't know that there used to be another valley close to Yosemite, called the Hetch Hetchy, John Muir wrote about it, it said it was every bit as beautiful and magnificent as Yosemite, but they dammed the river and turned the valley into a "water tank" (his words) Michael<br>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is a reservoir in Yosemite National Park, about 65 miles (105 km) northeast from the city of Merced, California. The reservoir has a capacity of 360,000 acre·ft (440,000 ML) and is formed by the 364 ft (111 m) concrete gravity O'Shaughnessy Dam in Hetch Hetchy Valley on the Tuolumne River. After a years-long battle against the dam, led by John Muir, the dam was approved under the administration of Woodrow Wilson in 1913 and was completed in 1923. It is owned by the City and County of San Francisco. The primary purpose is to supply drinking water to the San Francisco Bay Area, where it provides 85 percent of San Francisco's total water needs. The water is transported from the reservoir by the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct. Hydroelectricity is also produced by Kirkwood Powerhouse and Moccasin Powerhouse, which have a capacity of 118 and 100 megawatts, respectively. Because Hetch Hetchy is a municipal water supply and its water is not filtered, swimming and boating are prohibited. Fishing is permitted only from the lake shore.<br><br>

Thanks for showing the pics.........VERY Cool.

Awesome shots!!!!

FANTASTIC!!<br>One of my "always wanted to do" things, but father time says "no"...<br><br>Thank you so much for posting this, one dynamite pictorial...<img src="http://www.ezboard.com/image/posticons/pi_thumbsup.gif"><br>

<br>"LBR Greatest Hits" thread "#1".<br>The mist trail shot my fave of the bunch &amp; rest make an all so close 2nd.<br>"Congrats" on a hellva feat/treat , I can only imagine your sense of accomplishment at the summit. <br><br>John

That is some solid work! I hope you toasted yourself with something from Stone Brewing afterwards.

cool! very nice pics. thanks

That looks like fun, but holy crap that's crowded......

<blockquote><strong class="quote-title">sverrefehn wrote:</strong><hr>That is some solid work! I hope you toasted yourself with something from Stone Brewing afterwards.</blockquote><br>I brought along a careful selection of microbrews for the best type of occasions: Hitachino Nest (live yeast), a few Stone IPAs and an Oaked, but the night after this adventure I stretched out with a Consecration Ale - a hard-to-find 22oz sour beer that's aged in the bottle from the almighty Russian River Brewery - under a quiet night sky. A day's end can be better, but not if you're alone.

Some awesome 1st hand shots and write-up Ryan.<br><br>
Beautiful~

OMG - The last time I went up the rope trail there wasn't another person in site, the top was all ours - if that's what it looks like now then I'm in very little hurry to go back.<br><br>
Did you sit in "the chair" and let your feet dangle?

Thanks for the great documentary of your trip, and good on ya!!

Indeed, take a step right out on the 'diving board' and have a seat. Strange; it's hard to gauge the distance anywhere from the summit...

Breathtaking!!!! <img src="http://static.yuku.com/domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/eek.gif"><br>Imagine the mighty glaciers carved that valley eons ago. It came out beautiful... very picturesque.<br><br>Thanks for sharing