Half Dome Hike

On our visit to Yosemite in the spring of 1998 my son decided he wanted to hike to the top of Half Dome. For those who are unaware, this is an all day hike (average time 11 hours) that is honestly rated as strenuous. You are hiking mostly uphill from the valley floor to over 8000 feet on a trail that hasn't really been maintained for years. The ONLY location for potable water (in spite of what another Web page asserts) is the drinking fountains near the restrooms on the bridge with a view of Vernal Fall just above Happy Isles. You should take along a giardia rated water filter pump for fill ups on the way, recommending the river at or just above Nevada Fall, and in spring one small stream closer to Half Dome. While a wilderness permit is not necessary, you are technically in the wilderness area of Yosemite National Park and you really are on your own. Restrooms are available at three locations along the way, one at the bridge at Vernal Fall, one just beyond Nevada Fall and the last being the backpacker's campsite (the last two being of the wilderness composting variety). No flush toilets beyond Vernal Fall.

The hike is a rough 16 miles round trip, and that's from the trail head at Happy Isles. Add the extra 2 miles back and forth to Camp Curry and that's a good 18 miles, maybe more, and the longest hike I have ever attempted. I used to think that a 5 mile hike was a lot--not any more!

Notes from our June 2006 trip: Well I attempted it again, and actually did not get as far this time as last time. My son, daughter and son-in-law did make it to the top, after waiting in line (yes, a line), a very slow climb to the top and return. I stopped this time just before the "switchbacks" and was amazed at the continual line of hikers, group after group. The round trip time from this point that day was two hours! There were so many hikers on the trail that Saturday morning that dust was in the air. It seems that Half Dome has become a right of passage for many visitors to Yosemite, but many were just happy to make it to the point where I stopped. Even with a thunderstorm approaching they kept on coming, but luckily it was short lived as many did not pay attention to the warning signs advising against a climb during a thunderstorm. And the number of ill prepared hikers is troublesome. We were filling our water packs using our pumps at the little stream mentioned above, and helped out one hiker who had one small empty water bottle. Try again? Perhaps, but next time do something completely different, stay overnight at the backpacker's camp and go up from there. Now that's a future adventure!

View of Nevada Fall from the trail. If you don't want to go any farther than this, I would recommend the effort anyway. There is a great place to sit on the far side of the falls, over the bridge, with a stunning view back down towards the valley floor. In the upper right of this shot is a view of Little Yosemite Valley.		After Nevada Fall you enter what is called Little Yosemite Valley. While you are still going uphill this area is an easy hike. There is an overnight backpack camp and wilderness pit toilets here, but NO potable water. This photo is a view of the side of Half Dome, deceptively close by.
This is part of your first challenge. You are by now at about 8000 feet elevation. This photo is at a point after the first cable, a single cable to assist hikers up the slick granite, after a series of steps cut out of granite. Yes, that's snow at the top of the photo, at this time of year there is still snow in the higher elevations but the air temp is nice on a sunny day. The tip of Half Dome is in the distance.			The view from the fist level area, past the first cable climb and over the snow bank of the photo above. Despite the altitude, birds were constantly buzzing us. You can see for miles from here.
From where I pooped out due to exhaustion and the elevation you have to cross a rock spine to the base of the final leg of this hike, the main cables up the slick side of Half Dome. These cables are usually loose and in spite of wood cross pieces (some of which were missing) the climb up is more of a pull yourself up. Soft soled hiking boots for a good grip and a good pair of gloves is a must. The granite is smooth and slippery here. Hikers have fallen to their deaths at this location and a death in 2007 is prompting the NPS to review the situation and survey the preparedness of hikers.			A view from almost exactly the same location in June of 2006, courtesy of my daughter. On this Saturday there were apparently hundreds of hikers from the base of the switchbacks, to this waiting line, to the the top itself. I was told the climb from the base of the cables to the top was taking 45 minutes due to the crowd.
Nope, those are not ants on a rock. That's what the climbers really look like from a distance on the final set of cables.			Again, a view from almost the same spot from June 2006, showing the difference in the number of climbers.
The snow pack on top of Half Dome, courtesy of my son. This was at the end of June after the El Ninio rains so there was still quite a bit of snow on the top. This area is at least the size of a football field.			A view of Yosemite Valley, also courtesy of my son. Is it worth an 6 hour hike to see this view? I'll let you know when I make it the next time. By the way, be careful of that edge, its a long, LONG way down!

All information and photos Copyright © 1998-2007 John R. Powell

updated 7/12/2007