Half Dome
Half dome should be toward the top of your list if you enjoy summitting mountains! Half dome lies within Yosemite National Park and towers over the valley with a jaw dropping 360 view! The cabled section at the top will definitely give you a thrill!
I hiked this as an offshoot of the John Muir Trail. You can stay at little yosemite valley if you get the right permit, but since I already had the Lyell Canyon Eligible Wilderness pass, I was able to stay even closer to the summit just past the clouds rest junction. This meant I had to backtrack about 1/2 mile, but still set me up closer than LYV (Little Yosemite Valley) campground.
I woke up at our camp long before sunrise, eager to summit this iconic peak, but still too early to start hiking! Finally I could tell that the glow on the horizon wasn’t just the stars, the sun was coming up. I forced myself out of my tent (it was cold). I then picked up most of my heavy gear and bear bagged it over a tree branch. I didn’t want to be carrying 50lbs of equipment up the steepest mountain I would be climbing.
I basically just had my backpack with some snacks and water in it while I ran off to summit half dome.
I started hiking with my headlamp on and could still only barely see light coming from the horizon. This was pretty freaky as I was alone and every branch or sound made me think it was a bear or mountain lion searching for some creature to be it’s breakfast (me).
After about a mile and a half of hiking it was finally light enough to turn my headlamp off.
I kept powering forward with excitement. I hadn’t seen anyone else on the trail yet, which made me a little nervous.
I got to the base of half dome where I heard a Ranger usually sits to confirm you have your Half Dome pass. There was no one there. I thought maybe I was just wrong on where they might be and I would find them further up on the trail. I did not.
I scrambled up sub-dome. This was sketchy too as I lost the trail and was sliding down a few times, which in some places was pretty high risk. Keep sliding and i would be dead. I still had not seen anyone at this point so no one would even be around to hear me scream for help. If i survived any kind of fall.
I tried to hurry up sub-dome because i wanted to reach the top of half dome for sunrise. I was just a bit late. I reached the top of sub-dome just as the sun peaked over the horizon. This was just as good. The view was absolutely stunning. To this day is one of my favorite sunrises.
From the top of sub-dome it is only maybe 100 ft to the start of the cables which help you ascend half dome. I have still seen no one. No rangers, no hikers, nothing. As I stare up the cables I mentally consider if this is a bad idea. This looked pretty sketchy and there would be NO help if I need it. I quickly push the fear out of my mind. I came this far. ‘Let’s do and it” I think to myself.
About 1/2 or 1/3 of the way up the cables it’s legitimately probably a 60 degree incline. I’m leaning back and basically using my arms to pull myself up. I get into a rythm, still a bit freaked, but with an adrenaline rush that has a perma-grin painted on my face. I’m exhausted but loving this! I noticed I was getting a little to comfortable in my stride as I nearly missed grabbing the cable. That made my heart skip a beat. I had to pause for a second. Had I missed that I could have fallen and very possibly to my death. I decide I need to slow down and be a little more deliberate about each step or this could literally be the last thing I do.
I returned to camp to pack up my tent, pick up my gear, and continue along the John Muir Trail. Becky, John, and Nathan had continued on the trail a couple hours ago but they left me a surprise note in the dirt :)
