Re: Half Dome cables are up for the season!

Hot weather predicted for the weekend, if you go, take at least a gallon of water if you don't have a filter and are unwilling to drink from the Merced at Nevada Fall. If you are a 'dip and drink' person, still take at least a half gallon (more if it's hot) when leaving the Nevada Fall area, and drink your fill before leaving.

Generally 12 hours, 17 miles with nearly a mile of elevation gain (and a mile of descent), the last mile of which is very strenuous, at high altitude, and without shelter from the hot sun.

The hike: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/halfdome

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Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo

Don't forget electrolytes

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dqniel
Don't forget electrolytes

Ot alternate choice of trail.

Jim

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tomdisco
Ot alternate choice of trail.

Is there something wrong with the trail?

I think it's a fantastic trail. The Mist trail past Vernal and Nevada falls in the early morning, then a nice leisurely walk by open forest and river, then a change to a rocky forested trail, leading to a view of the Dome and Tenaya canyon that's hard to describe adequately. I suppose Satan's staircase could be more pleasant to ascend, but the views...

And then there's the peaceful feeling that always seems to be present at the top of Half Dome, there's something in the air up there that's tough to describe. And the view....

Maybe if you go to get away from people it's not a good choice, and I've never been up on a summer midday so I don't associate it with crowding or unpleasantness, nothing but good feelings, and a good family endeavor.

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Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/15/2009 07:39PM by Sierrafan.

According to Trail.com, Half Dome is the 13th best hike in North America. I would have rated it higher.

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

The trail to Table Lake must be in there somewhere.

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Old Dude

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mrcondron
The trail to Table Lake must be in there somewhere.

I didn't find it listed: http://www.trails.com/toptrails.aspx

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

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Frank Furter

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mrcondron
The trail to Table Lake must be in there somewhere.

I didn't find it listed: http://www.trails.com/toptrails.aspx

Those are the most "popular"... not the best.

If it was the best "experience" then Loch Tablae would be in the top 20 easy.
Only bad thing was the last time I was there an old guy kept getting in
my pictures and giving the "thumbs" up signs. Damn tourists!

eeek,

Nothing wrong with the trail itself. I was just being a smart-ass about difficulties on the cables. I have been on the beautiful Mist trail to Nevada Fall and LYV a number of times but never to Half Dome. Personally, the variety of problems one can encounter with people on the cables is not something that would appeal to me at all, regardless of the view. To each their own. For me the views from Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome, North Dome, and Clouds Rest will suffice. I'm just one of those particular people who prefers to avoid crowds and bottlnecks most of the time. It does not always work out that way but that's the plan.

Jim

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tomdisco
Nothing wrong with the trail itself. I was just being a smart-ass

And I wasn't?

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tomdisco
Nothing wrong with the trail itself. I was just being a smart-ass

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eeeek
And I wasn't?

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I can offer an impartial third opinion on the subject....

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2009 09:56PM by Bee.

No more favorite photos of Half Dome?

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

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Frank Furter
No more favorite photos of Half Dome?

The Chick-On scared them off....
(note noone else on the dome... )

The post was just for information, since I didn't see it posted that the cables were up, and I thought some may want to know. Not intended as an endorsement of the hike, or a claim that it's better than any other hike or that you'll like the people you meet if you take it, or that there aren't much better places to go.

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Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo

This is "dangerous" territory as this is a commonly photographed subject and I am not much of a photographer, but I would like to see others' favorite Half Dome photos. Here is one of mine:

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

At one time I had a picture of me lying on that hanging slab. Too bad it vanished a few moves ago.

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eeek
At one time I had a picture of me lying on that hanging slab. Too bad it vanished a few moves ago.

That seems to be the final act of daring on Half Dome-- making a cell phone call, catching a frisbee or football there, or dangling legs over the edge. Reminds me of that old photo at Glacier point with the Model A (?) perched on the precipice with people hanging off the car.


In case anyone cares, you can see some examples of the old Glacier Point overhanging rock photos in postcards on page 6 of this pdf: http://www.postcard.org/sfbapcc2004-02-s.pdf

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/16/2009 08:08PM by Frank Furter.

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Frank Furter
That seems to be the final act of daring on Half Dome

It looks worse than it is. That slab isn't going anywhere (at least not soon) and you don't even see the overhang when you are on it.

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eeek

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Frank Furter
That seems to be the final act of daring on Half Dome

It looks worse than it is. That slab isn't going anywhere (at least not soon) and you don't even see the overhang when you are on it.

It's probably more the Freud thing regarding heights-- not that we will fall but that we will do something bizarre like jump. It is amazing to me how little fear is associated with looking out the open doors of an airplane at 10k feet but present when one stands on the edge of a two story building.

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

Oh...Yeah....

Mist Trail, Nevada Fall, and me

Is that the Bronco just clearing the top of the fall?

I kinda like looking at older photos of me. I was significantly less grey in 2005 when that photo was taken. I'm significantly more black and white now.

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Vince
I kinda like looking at older photos of me. I was significantly less grey in 2005 when that photo was taken. I'm significantly more black and white now.

Don't complain if you still have hair!

The official word:

Half Dome Cables in Place in Yosemite National Park (2009)
Date: May 15, 2009

The cables allowing trail access for hikers to the summit of Half Dome are up and open for the season today, May 15, 2009.

The Half Dome hike is a round-trip hike of over 17 miles and is considered extremely strenuous. Hikers gain 4,800 feet of elevation along the hike that passes highlights such as Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall, before reaching the cables on Half Dome’s steep granite shoulder. A series of metal cables are placed along the steep shoulder of the dome to assist hikers to the summit.

Visitors are advised to take appropriate precautions when planning a hike of this length and difficulty, and to be prepared for changing weather and trail conditions. Thunder and lightening are common occurrences in the High Sierra during the summer and fall; hikers should not to attempt to summit Half Dome around or during thunderstorms and are advised to use extreme caution when the rocks are wet.

Jim, most people take photos of the cables because they're crowded (man bites dog=news, dog bites man=no news), but if you think outside the box and go when school is generally still in session, and pick less crowded days of the week, they're not always like that.
(noon, a couple of days after Memorial day 2006:


Frank, I'd hardly ever turn down a chance to post some favorite pix, but just don't have time to find them now (leaving in the morning). Here's one similar to yours from the other side, looking toward Tenaya Canyon:


As for hanging over the edge, a lot of people do; I don't like the feeling, though the little cave opening called the 'king's chair' didn't bother me a lot. I wouldn't do what this guy was doing:


Incidentally, the next couple of days doesn't look good for Half Dome treks; very hot, and thunderstorms threatening. Being a strenuous hike, it can be pretty unpleasant when the temps rise.

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Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo

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Sierrafan
As for hanging over the edge, a lot of people do; I don't like the feeling, though the little cave opening called the 'king's chair' didn't bother me a lot.

What is the King's Chair?

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

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Frank Furter

What is the King's Chair?

The King's Chair is what some call the outer window of the rock cave below where that red guy above is standing. Under the rock he's standing on is an angled slab, and under that is a talus cave (you can see the entrance in the photo). The cave has a 'window' where you crawl over an abutment and can sit and look straight down to the valley and Tenaya Canyon. That's the King's chair:
http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/image/63142132
( didn't sit with my legs dangling over, but did get a good look)
http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/image/61298401

I really wouldn't suggest doing the above without somebody behind the abutment with a good hold on something strong enough to hold you...belt, rope, etc.

The cave is where they holed up to watch the lightning storm in the book "Shattered Air", and the King's Chair is where the guy fell off after the first bolt hit. I wasn't sure I wanted to go inside after reading the book, but I didn't see any 'evil spirits' hanging around in there 8^).

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Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo

AMAZING!! Thanks much. Those photos make it very clear. My next question was going to be if anyone knew of someone falling off the top of Half Dome (I know there have been fatalites on the cables. Didn't know that the lightning strike fatalites had fallen off the top.) I need to get that book.

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

One other point, in your photo at http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/image/63142132 there appears to be a window to the north or west also. Have you explored that also? Does that other spot have a name?

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

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Frank Furter
One other point, in your photo at http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/image/63142132 there appears to be a window to the north or west also. Have you explored that also? Does that other spot have a name?

The opening on the near side is actually the cave entrance; I didn't notice any way to get to that window to the other side, perhaps being a talus cave it's just a narrow gap. I've never seen or heard of anyone being in that other 'window', but suppose a marmot or ground squirrel would be at home there 8^).

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Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo

Frank,

I'm not aware of anybody falling off during that episode. The TV show that covered the "Shattered Air" incident never mentioned it. The re-creation on TV had the entire party huddling in a sort of depression on top, most of them sitting or lying down against the side of that depression. The one member least hurt was the one on the move trying to reposition himself so he was therefore the least grounded. Apparently the book claims one of the party fell off?

Jim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2009 08:46AM by tomdisco.

Yes, one (Frith) was out on the ledge (king's chair) and wasn't initially knocked off, but was hit with the first strike and having violent convulsions. They tried but couldn't hold on; he was recovered from below. I didn't see the TV one, but the book goes into a lot of detail of the whole trip and the background of the people involved.

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Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo

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tomdisco
Frank,

I'm not aware of anybody falling off during that episode. The TV show that covered the "Shattered Air" incident never mentioned it. The re-creation on TV had the entire party huddling in a sort of depression on top, most of them sitting or lying down against the side of that depression. The one member least hurt was the one on the move trying to reposition himself so he was therefore the least grounded. Apparently the book claims one of the party fell off?
Jim

Some of them exited the cave when they realized it was a lightning magnet, not protection. Esteban, I believe, got out and huddled in a low depression, and perhaps others that weren't incapacitated.

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Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo