I've gone up and/or down the Mist Trail before, but this time I'm doing it with a toddler who might need to be carried sometimes. I previously did it with normal hiking/backpacking boots. I know it might still be a bit slippery in mid-June.

I just ordered a pair of Five Ten approach shoes with their sticky dotted rubber sole. I'd be hesitant to wear those on the paved portion because I understand that wears it out this kind of sticky rubber quickly; they claim it's durable, but reviews note that there's a tradeoff of stickiness for durability. But otherwise, would this be a good idea for the Mist Trail? I seem to recall it's mostly granite slabs that were either carved out or put in place as stairs. I'm generally worried about losing traction because of being top heavy carrying a kid. My wife is probably just going to wear her everyday pair of Merrells with Vibram hiking soles and using poles. With a kid in one arm, ir might be difficult for me to bring along poles.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/2014 05:54PM by y_p_w.

Never tried those but I'd say the Mist Trail is a lot like a paved trail (just uses granite instead), and I really like have lugs on my soles for those steps.

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eeek
Never tried those but I'd say the Mist Trail is a lot like a paved trail (just uses granite instead), and I really like have lugs on my soles for those steps.

The shoes I ordered aren't exactly lugged. It's a different mold using their climbing rubber formula. Five Ten makes a lot of stuff just beyond climbing and approach shoes. They have a lot of casual bike shoes, and even if they don't specifically call them that, they've got product that's popular with free runners and parkour enthusiasts. This is the resole kit they sell using the type of sole I mentioned:



A lot of the approach shoes I researched had flat soles like climbing shoes.

I agree with eeeek. I think those soles are going to get a lot of wear and tear on them. You would be better sticking with Vibram hiking soles. Don't want to be a party pooper but do you really want to take a toddler up the mist trail when it probably is going to be very wet and slippery?

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parklover
I agree with eeeek. I think those soles are going to get a lot of wear and tear on them. You would be better sticking with Vibram hiking soles. Don't want to be a party pooper but do you really want to take a toddler up the mist trail when it probably is going to be very wet and slippery?

My plan was actually to wear a pair of ordinary sneakers up the paved portion and switch to the sticky rubber shoes. I figure that's a mile round trip tops. I've already bought them, and for the most part I don't have that many uses for them. I thought this would be ideal.

These are the shoes I got:



I recently took my kid up a difficult place with somewhat damp conditions. It was a granite staircase, but not quite as "natural" as the Mist Trail.

I have those. They are good for granite gripping - going up steep slab. I wear hiking shoes (Trekstas or Keens) on the Mist Trail without issues. Good lugs on the sole are all you need - just stay away from street shoes and you'll be fine.

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AlmostThere
I have those. They are good for granite gripping - going up steep slab. I wear hiking shoes (Trekstas or Keens) on the Mist Trail without issues. Good lugs on the sole are all you need - just stay away from street shoes and you'll be fine.

I heard this kind of shoe would be ideal for going up the Half Dome cables. I was wearing Merrell backpacking boots with Vibram hiking soles when I did that.

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y_p_w

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AlmostThere
I have those. They are good for granite gripping - going up steep slab. I wear hiking shoes (Trekstas or Keens) on the Mist Trail without issues. Good lugs on the sole are all you need - just stay away from street shoes and you'll be fine.

I heard this kind of shoe would be ideal for going up the Half Dome cables. I was wearing Merrell backpacking boots with Vibram hiking soles when I did that.

that's Half Dome.

The Mist Trail is steps, not steep slab o granite. Making sure you place each foot well enough will do.

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AlmostThere

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y_p_w

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AlmostThere
I have those. They are good for granite gripping - going up steep slab. I wear hiking shoes (Trekstas or Keens) on the Mist Trail without issues. Good lugs on the sole are all you need - just stay away from street shoes and you'll be fine.

I heard this kind of shoe would be ideal for going up the Half Dome cables. I was wearing Merrell backpacking boots with Vibram hiking soles when I did that.

that's Half Dome.

The Mist Trail is steps, not steep slab o granite. Making sure you place each foot well enough will do.

I've fallen down before, and it wasn't fun. I fell down several times on the Upper Yosemite Fall Trail, but only when going down and there was wet sand on the slabs. I understand that a lot of people make it just fine wearing normal hiking shoes/boots, but I'm looking for an absolutely sure grip given that I might also be carrying a child. I mean - my kid loves seeing new places but sometimes it gets to the point where it's "carry me".

As long as your kid enjoys doing these things go for it but just be extra careful. My son has been hiking ever since he has walked but we were always careful to make sure he was enjoying it and soon as he wasn't we stopped to rest and then either continued on or turned around. My comment stems from seeing some miserable kids whose parents kept going even when it was evident to everyone else that the kids were not having a good time and also seeing someone with a child in a backpack carrier slip on the mist trail and was saved from falling off the trail when another hiker grabbed his arm. I also found with my son that gummy bears are a good incentive to go a bit further. Have to say they help me too. LOL

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parklover
As long as your kid enjoys doing these things go for it but just be extra careful. My son has been hiking ever since he has walked but we were always careful to make sure he was enjoying it and soon as he wasn't we stopped to rest and then either continued on or turned around. My comment stems from seeing some miserable kids whose parents kept going even when it was evident to everyone else that the kids were not having a good time and also seeing someone with a child in a backpack carrier slip on the mist trail and was saved from falling off the trail when another hiker grabbed his arm. I also found with my son that gummy bears are a good incentive to go a bit further. Have to say they help me too. LOL

Understood. I noted we recently did something similar with the kid. It was Huangshan National Park in China. We didn't really go that far (maybe a mile from where the cable car stopped). We changed our plans to stay at a hotel on a peak because of the fog (wouldn't have been worth it since there would have been no views). This area was steeper than the Mist Trail. Kid loved it, but wanted to be carried every now and then. Our kid's only hesitation was to initially get on to the aerial gondola; after getting used to it there was no issue going down. It was this Swiss made ride (with Swiss-made cars from CWA) from Doppelmayr - the same company that's building the new Oakland Airport connector from BART.



And the irony is that well-to-do Chinese tourists look pretty much like Americans. We saw some who made it down from the top (have to stay at a hotel with no camping) carrying fancy gear from The North Face and other foreign brands. Not just jackets and shoes, but multi-day backpacks.

Nice pic. That was quite an adventure for anyone of any age. My feeling is that the best thing to do with kids is to gradually get them used to what you like to do at a young age. My son''s first trip was to Yosemite at 3 months and three weeks later we flew to PA at 9 months we went to the Grand Canyon. We love long car trips so he got used to them very early on and had no issue sitting in the car for 12 hour days as long as we had things to eat and to entertain him and stopped along the way to run around or see something. I had to laugh when one of my neighbors once asked me if I thought her 8 year old was ready for a 4 hour driving trip. I told her she was asking the wrong person since we had been doing things like that starting at three months. Your child is already a world traveler and will have some really great experiences.

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parklover
Nice pic. That was quite an adventure for anyone of any age. My feeling is that the best thing to do with kids is to gradually get them used to what you like to do at a young age. My son''s first trip was to Yosemite at 3 months and three weeks later we flew to PA at 9 months we went to the Grand Canyon. We love long car trips so he got used to them very early on and had no issue sitting in the car for 12 hour days as long as we had things to eat and to entertain him and stopped along the way to run around or see something. I had to laugh when one of my neighbors once asked me if I thought her 8 year old was ready for a 4 hour driving trip. I told her she was asking the wrong person since we had been doing things like that starting at three months. Your child is already a world traveler and will have some really great experiences.

BTW - that's not my photo, but just one taken of the aerial cars. Kid freaked out briefly ( "I'm scared" ) but calmed down within seconds when we got going. I think the old Disneyland Skyway was scarier since it wasn't completely enclosed.

Our last trip was planned haphazardly. I blame my wife. Seriously though - it involved multiple flights, several buses, and the international flights were between 11 and 14 hours long. Kid did freak out once on a plane, and a few other passengers were giving us the stinkeye. We've been on cross-country flights together and driven to Southern California. We've done trips to Tahoe and flights to Vegas and Seattle. Our kid is so used to staying in hotel/motel rooms that occasionally our kid requests to go to our "room" - meaning traveling somewhere and staying at a hotel room.

A 4 hour driving trip is nothing compared to what we've been through. It would have been preferable since you can always stop for a potty break. For the most part we traveled on shared transportation. No means to stop unless already planned, although they have lavatories on planes. I guess they would have stopped for a medical emergency.

My big worry is that I reserved a campsite. Worst case scenario is that our kid gets uncomfortable and we need to find something with a roof on short notice. We've camped as a family once, during our kid's preschool camping trip at a local group campground. It went pretty well, but there was a lot of help.

I made a comment on the other thread about my son being fearless. With what all you said on this and the other thread, maybe you should make this trip a more relaxing one and don't get too caught up in trying to do a lot of hikes. With your concern about camping, the worse thing would be to have a kid being really fussy after days of long hikes and ruin the camping experience. Take some time just for playing.

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parklover
I made a comment on the other thread about my son being fearless. With what all you said on this and the other thread, maybe you should make this trip a more relaxing one and don't get too caught up in trying to do a lot of hikes. With your concern about camping, the worse thing would be to have a kid being really fussy after days of long hikes and ruin the camping experience. Take some time just for playing.

I'm thinking Mist Trail might be the most difficult thing we might do. Definitely no long hikes.

As for that trip to China, I was serious when I said there were hotels at the tops of the peaks. One of the jokes I made a few years ago was that if Yosemite were in China, there would probably be a hotel built on Half Dome and aerial gondolas to the top.

I have seen some other pictures of those hotels. I remember once there was all kinds of talk about a gondola to the top of Half dome but no one was really serious about it. At one time in Yosemite there were two hotels at Glacier Point and one in between Vernal and Nevada Falls. If you search the threads here, people have posted pictures and information about them. As for the Mist Trail, it is not so much the length of that section because it is not that long but how narrow the trails is in places, the drop offs, the height of the stairs and how slippery they can get. That last section before you get to the top of Vernal where is is so narrow and has the railing always scared me because I don't like heights. It does not help that some people are not considerate of others who hike slower and push by them. Just remember the water is very cold at that time of the year and kids can't regulate their body temperatures as well as adults so do everything you can to prevent hypothermia. Even with the low amounts of water this year, in June you may still get really wet. I can remember one time the water went down into my waterproof boots and down inside the back of my raincoat. It was not very pleasant.

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parklover
I have seen some other pictures of those hotels. I remember once there was all kinds of talk about a gondola to the top of Half dome but no one was really serious about it. At one time in Yosemite there were two hotels at Glacier Point and one in between Vernal and Nevada Falls. If you search the threads here, people have posted pictures and information about them. As for the Mist Trail, it is not so much the length of that section because it is not that long but how narrow the trails is in places, the drop offs, the height of the stairs and how slippery they can get. That last section before you get to the top of Vernal where is is so narrow and has the railing always scared me because I don't like heights. It does not help that some people are not considerate of others who hike slower and push by them. Just remember the water is very cold at that time of the year and kids can't regulate their body temperatures as well as adults so do everything you can to prevent hypothermia. Even with the low amounts of water this year, in June you may still get really wet. I can remember one time the water went down into my waterproof boots and down inside the back of my raincoat. It was not very pleasant.

There are a lot of things that might have been possible years ago, but these days it would be near impossible to do those things in US national park in a place that's as valued for scenery as Half Dome. The thing about what's up with China is that they don't quite have the same concerns about damage to the natural environment, and the contruction they've done is fairly recent and possibly hasn't ended. A lot of people have noted that there's no way the Half Dome cables could be contructed today if they weren't already in place.

I do remember going down the Mist Trail in mid-June 2007. It frankly wasn't terribly misty, and this year has even less water. We're going to be doing it about the same time of year. Of course I realize we're going to need to take it easy.

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y_p_w

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parklover
I have seen some other pictures of those hotels. I remember once there was all kinds of talk about a gondola to the top of Half dome but no one was really serious about it. At one time in Yosemite there were two hotels at Glacier Point and one in between Vernal and Nevada Falls. If you search the threads here, people have posted pictures and information about them. As for the Mist Trail, it is not so much the length of that section because it is not that long but how narrow the trails is in places, the drop offs, the height of the stairs and how slippery they can get. That last section before you get to the top of Vernal where is is so narrow and has the railing always scared me because I don't like heights. It does not help that some people are not considerate of others who hike slower and push by them. Just remember the water is very cold at that time of the year and kids can't regulate their body temperatures as well as adults so do everything you can to prevent hypothermia. Even with the low amounts of water this year, in June you may still get really wet. I can remember one time the water went down into my waterproof boots and down inside the back of my raincoat. It was not very pleasant.

There are a lot of things that might have been possible years ago, but these days it would be near impossible to do those things in US national park in a place that's as valued for scenery as Half Dome. The thing about what's up with China is that they don't quite have the same concerns about damage to the natural environment, and the contruction they've done is fairly recent and possibly hasn't ended. A lot of people have noted that there's no way the Half Dome cables could be contructed today if they weren't already in place.

I do remember going down the Mist Trail in mid-June 2007. It frankly wasn't terribly misty, and this year has even less water. We're going to be doing it about the same time of year. Of course I realize we're going to need to take it easy.

IMO some of the things that have been and will be done in our parks can be questionable,but at least here in the U.S. thing are more carefully protected. Since the water is supposed to peak in mid May, it might not be very misty on the Mist Trail this year unless a big storm comes in. I have always thought t that what is more important is if you make it and not how long it takes you. One time I went up the Mist Trail after a injury in a full what I call Darth Vadar knee brace. Halfway up, the stairs got to be too much so I ended up crawling using my hands and feet. It took forever but I made it to the top of Vernal and got a standing ovation from the people on the top.

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parklover
IMO some of the things that have been and will be done in our parks can be questionable,but at least here in the U.S. thing are more carefully protected. Since the water is supposed to peak in mid May, it might not be very misty on the Mist Trail this year unless a big storm comes in. I have always thought t that what is more important is if you make it and not how long it takes you. One time I went up the Mist Trail after a injury in a full what I call Darth Vadar knee brace. Halfway up, the stairs got to be too much so I ended up crawling using my hands and feet. It took forever but I made it to the top of Vernal and got a standing ovation from the people on the top.

I'm sort of hoping that Vernal is nice looking, but not too wet.

As for what would or wouldn't be allowed, I don't think that Mount Rushmore would have been undertaken if it weren't already there. There's the HD cables. Certainly most of the trails look more "organic". The slabs set up for the Mist Trail don't look like a staircase that might come from a tall building. They've done some things in China that sort of make me uncomfortable, such as make carvings into the rock.



I understand putting up a building, setting up a trail/stairs, or even installing a gondola system. Those serve a purpose for visitation. But to me this seems like someone permanently disfigured a rock when a removable sign would have shown more respect for the natural beauty.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/10/2014 08:12PM by y_p_w.

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eeek
Never tried those but I'd say the Mist Trail is a lot like a paved trail (just uses granite instead), and I really like have lugs on my soles for those steps.

Did it. My wife wore running shoes - like what I saw from most doing it. I wore the Five Tens and they had phenomenal grip on the slabs. My kid only wanted to be carried on the paved portions. The slabs were like a fun scrambling exercise. My wife didn't like our kid hopping down though.

My kid wasn't even the youngest on the trail, although most were only walking on the way down.

I have an older version of that shoe. Yes, it is soft rubber and wears out faster than a Vibram sole, but you are certainly not going to see much wear just getting to the Mist Trail. I would only bring a second pair of shoes if needed them for other reasons (like blisters, having a dry pair to change in to, etc.)
They do stick very well...when dry. Anything wet will lose some effectiveness. But I think that those shoes will be as good as any, if not better.

One more thing, since I just looked at your shoe picture again, noticing the hard carbon-graphite-looking plastic support at the bottom in the arch area. I had a pair of shoes from a different manufacturer a while back that had a similar thing...most comfortable pair of hiking shoes ever, could go for days in them. They had great support. Problem was I often, when scrambling on talus, will land in the mid foot, and if you land on that hard surface you will just plain slide, rather than stick (I have the scars to prove it). Soooo, just be careful to take those granite steps with the ball of your foot, or the heel, and avoid making contact with that hard plastic thing in the arch area.

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Bearproof
One more thing, since I just looked at your shoe picture again, noticing the hard carbon-graphite-looking plastic support at the bottom in the arch area. I had a pair of shoes from a different manufacturer a while back that had a similar thing...most comfortable pair of hiking shoes ever, could go for days in them. They had great support. Problem was I often, when scrambling on talus, will land in the mid foot, and if you land on that hard surface you will just plain slide, rather than stick (I have the scars to prove it). Soooo, just be careful to take those granite steps with the ball of your foot, or the heel, and avoid making contact with that hard plastic thing in the arch area.

I've got several hiking shoes with plastic inserts in the center of the sole. I've gone hiking in places where there's rocks sticking out in the trail, and it does momentarily slip.

The one I ordered has the plastic off to the side though. There's tread for the entire length, although it does seem narrow between the heel and the front.

I don't know what to tell you about those soles but I'm happy to include a few pics of the Mist Trail. These are from mid-July, 2012. That wasn't a very wet year and the trail wasn't very misty. If there's sand on the rocks as there is in the second picture, that may pose a bigger traction problem than water would.

The time I took those Mist Trail pictures I was wearing Tecnica Hermano cross-trainers. I've since switched to Merrell Moab Ventilators. Either shoe gives me great traction under all normal conditions but nothing works under all conditions. I personally find sandy rocks more of a challenge than wet ones (but I'm also on sandy rocks more often than on wet ones). I'd think that wet rocks with sand or mud on them would feel different from clean wet rocks, and wet rocks with algae would feel different still.

Conditions on the Mist Trail are going to vary from place to place and from season to season. If you wore something that was ideal for clean wet rocks, you might have an even harder time than with ordinary shoes on sandy, muddy, or algae-y ones.

My favorite traction aid is trekking poles with carbide tips. The way I use poles on slippery stretches, I'm basically walking four-footed. When I have two poles firmly planted downhill from me, my feet are still likely to slip occasionally but I can take my time choosing the best places to step, and it's no longer critical if I do "skritch" occasionally.

The biggest problem I can see with carrying a kid is that you wouldn't have both hands available for poles. Even one pole (staff) would be better than nothing, though.

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gophersnake
The time I took those Mist Trail pictures I was wearing Tecnica Hermano cross-trainers. I've since switched to Merrell Moab Ventilators. Either shoe gives me great traction under all normal conditions but nothing works under all conditions. I personally find sandy rocks more of a challenge than wet ones (but I'm also on sandy rocks more often than on wet ones). I'd think that wet rocks with sand or mud on them would feel different from clean wet rocks, and wet rocks with algae would feel different still.

Conditions on the Mist Trail are going to vary from place to place and from season to season. If you wore something that was ideal for clean wet rocks, you might have an even harder time than with ordinary shoes on sandy, muddy, or algae-y ones.

My favorite traction aid is trekking poles with carbide tips. The way I use poles on slippery stretches, I'm basically walking four-footed. When I have two poles firmly planted downhill from me, my feet are still likely to slip occasionally but I can take my time choosing the best places to step, and it's no longer critical if I do "skritch" occasionally.

The biggest problem I can see with carrying a kid is that you wouldn't have both hands available for poles. Even one pole (staff) would be better than nothing, though.

That's close to what I've used when I've been on the Mist Trail. The first time it was some Merrell backpacking boots with Vibram soles, and only going down. I did like the poles to steady myself. The second time was round trip wearing circa 2006 Nike Air Zoom Tallac + hiking boots. These were odd looking (looked like you could play basketball in them) but did have a grippy low-wearing sole. They were actually like climbing rubber. On something like a tile surface they would make a sticking sound and I'd find lots of stuff stuck to them. My wife wore Merrell Siren shoes (she really likes them and doesn't like waterproof shoes).

As for my kid, we've still got a pair of kids' Merrell Moab Ventilators that should still fit by June. That's if the little guy feels like walking. They're not like the adult version. They use laces that can't be removed and that cinch with a toggle. They were cheap too - in the clearance section of a Stride Rite outlet store (Wolverine owns Stride Rite and Merrell).




Oh - I just got in the Five Ten Guide Tennies today. They fit pretty well, especially considering I've got wide feet. I noticed the laces extend really long - I guess like how climbers like it. The toe area seemed a bit hard at first, I'm wearing them around the house to try and break them in. I tried to see how grippy they are (and they certainly are). There's stuff from the kitchen floor stuck to the rubber, and when I just used the refrigerator door in place of a climbing surface, it left a black mark (came off with rubbing alcohol). The rubber also has a funky smell like brand new tires. It's also an older model with only the dot surface. I understand the newer models have a specific molded surface with a more solid front and "Stealth" molded into the rear.



I understand this is probably overkill for just the Mist Trail, but I'm not a climber and don't plan on doing a lot of scrambling. I always wanted a pair of these because I thought they looked cool.

Went up Saturday, on the way to the Diving Board.

By June there ain't gonna be no slippery... no worries.

Another note. I tried walking around the office with these things to break them in. Even walked to the car. Doesn't do much on carpet, but we've got typical industrial kitchen tiles, and they left skid marks when I tested how grippy they are (and they really are).

Since this is the same type of rubber that's used in climbing shoes, don't they leave marks on the rock? I seem to recall that at Arches National Park, climbers are required to use chalk that matches the color of the rock to reduce the aesthetic impact. I also saw some photos of climbing shoe rubber in different colors, including white. Seems to be popular with skateboarders.

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y_p_w
...Since this is the same type of rubber that's used in climbing shoes, don't they leave marks on the rock? I seem to recall that at Arches National Park, climbers are required to use chalk that matches the color of the rock to reduce the aesthetic impact...

You've got to be kidding. Your kitchen floor isn't covered with coarse, wet granite sand. Believe me, skid marks on the rock are no problem on the Mist Trail.

Maybe this will help: