Reunion on the Summit of Half Dome

(karen)
We like to think that we're active people. However, many thought we were taking matters to extremes when we agreed to join our friends in Yosemite to hike to the top of Half Dome, just a couple of days after returning from our epic adventure. Really though, what better way to recover from jet lag than a grueling 12-hour hike? All told there were 14 in our group staying in the nice but incredibly crowded Curry Village in Yosemite Valley. One couple was staying in tent #669, if that tells you anything about the size of this small city. We started early in the morning after a meager night's sleep to ensure that we would summit before the atmospherically unstable afternoon hours, and so that we might be back to our cabins before dark.


Anyone residing in California knows it's been hotter than blazes recently (no kidding, cows have been dropping like desiccated flies) and although temperatures have cooled somewhat we still found the mercury rising uncomfortable early. Steve and I each had two liters of water but it wasn't nearly enough. It wasn't miserable though, and at least the sky was clear of clouds that could bring an afternoon thunderstorm.


It was a cheery hike since it was a big reunion for many in our group. Our members came from as far as Los Angeles, Palo Alto, England, and Down Under. We spent much of the time catching up on recent adventures and making plans for the future. And with every step our rocky summit loomed closer. Finally the trail changed from a steady but mild uphill grade through pine forest to a very steep, rocky path that left me gasping for breath. We had just climbed the final knob of granite before facing the dreaded cables to the summit of Half Dome.


The park service has installed a set of cables and evenly spaced wood planks to assist climbers on their way to the summit. The rock here is so steep and so slick that it would be impossible to attempt going solo. We'd seen literally hundreds of people throughout the day so it was no surprise when we faced a queue at the cables. It was frustrating, though, because the combination of less agile hikers and people scared out of their wits made the ascent painfully slow. And I do mean literally painful because as you cling to the cables, your feet are bent back to match the extreme angle of the granite face, stretching your calves to their limits. Finally several of us gathered our nerve and swung to the outside of the cables, enabling us to bypass the static crush of people in the center. By being on the outside you weren't able to use the wood planks, but we hung on tight and got to the summit at least 20 minutes faster than those we'd left behind.


At around 1:45, 7 hours after departing, we all reached the top of the 8,400 ft dome. The view from the top was spectacular and we drank it in as we ate our lunch in the bright sunshine. There was many a peanut butter and jelly sandwich consumed on the mountain that day.


After lunch we explored the vast granite top. The most thrilling part was to go to the edge and look over into Yosemite Valley, a straight drop 5,000 ft. below. It's humbling to imagine these mountains filled with glaciers, slowly carving out the landscape we know today. Then again, it might have been easier to look down if there was a river of ice within reach!



As much as we wanted to stay we knew that our hike was only half over so we began the descent of the cables. I found the way down to be a bit trickier and scarier than the way up, but regardless I again went to the outside to get down faster. When the rest of the group was reunited we began our trip back to the valley floor.


It was a fairly smooth trip back, but unfortunately some people developed sore knees and took a long time making their way. I preventatively used an Ace bandage knee brace and that seemed to keep my bum knee in check. The duct tape on my heels kept blister at bay as well! One treat on the way back was taking an alternate route for the last couple of miles by following the Mist Trail. This took us past both Nevada Falls and Vernal Falls which were both gushing water despite being late in the season.


Sunday morning found many feeling as though they "had been beaten", and a couple others feeling a bit sick. Steve and I were certainly sore but not too worse for wear. We departed our friends with promises to reunite in LA, then drove over to Tuolumne Meadows for a few hours. We spent a lovely time in this less crowded area just soaking up the beauty. After all our travels I can truly say that there are few places on earth prettier than the alpine meadows of the high Sierras. There's a reason John Muir fell in love with these mountains, and I thank him and others for their work to preserve them.