Half dome

8842 feet

October 2005

We had reservations for the whole family at Yosemite, but Laurie and the girls ended up going back to Texas for a visit.  So, I headed out to Yosemite myself and hiked Half Dome.  It was the last weekend the cables were up and the trail was crowded up and down (although apparently not as crowded as it gets during the summer).  I parked near Curry Village and headed up with a large camelback as a daypack.  Later I was to learn a lesson about filling it with water after it was packed with stuff...

The hike up was through some pretty country, minus the annoying pack-mule droppings everywhere.  I moved quickly and only took short planned rests every hour.  I ran out of water before I got to the top.  Once I got to the cables there was a solid line of people, some of whom looked like they were out for a day at the mall (and I'll give them credit for making what was maybe a 14 mile round trip hike).  I went outside the cables (rather than between them) and so walked past the line.

On the way down I lost the trail and ended up doing a little cross-country bushwhacking (would it be me if I didn't?), but I re-found the trail suffered the rest of the way down (past and over waterfalls) in thirst.  The stream runs right through several campgrounds, so it is definitely not safe to drink.