Backpacking Half Dome in Yosemite National Park

[Sable]

Half Dome is on just about every hiker's and backpacker's bucket list. It's so different from our New England trails (so many switchbacks! so few rocks! but wait, how am I supposed to hike on sand with a 35-pound pack???)

I got to take a quick break from my beloved White Mountains and backpack Half Dome, hiking 6 miles of the John Muir Trail in the process. For the full trip report and dozens of pictures, follow this link: https://wanderwitnesswonder.wordpress.com/2018/09/25/backpacking-half-dome-in-yosemite-national-park/

 

[Billy]

Great report. You described it just as I remember it from three years ago.
Glad you got the permit for the cables. My biceps were toast when I got to the top
of the cables due to going as fast as I could with a pack loaded with water and camera
gear. First and only time my biceps got tired from hiking.
You're right about the beach sand, but there are other sections where the rock
work is amazing...the footing was so clean it almost felt like I was cheating.
Also, great job going out in the summit ledge despite your "love" of heights.

 

[Jazzbo]

Thanks for inspiring some fond memories of trip to Yosemite back in 1976 (Bicentennial Year) where we camped out on top of 10K' Clouds Rest for two nights. We had set up our tent down in the park like forest west of summit and went up summit to see the sunset when we found a group from Bay Area had rendezvous for weekend party. We promptly decided to descend to break down our camp and transport it to summit. We spent the entire next day on summit just hanging out enjoying views and new found friends. That evening we watched sun set in the west and full moon rise in the east without a cloud in the sky at any time. Times have changed since then I imagine. I doubt very much anyone could get away with such shenanigans today. We had a great view of Half Dome from our perch. We started our trip in Twoleme Meadow and descended by Half Dome and passed by Nevada Falls that being mid-June was roaring from snow melt. I have a set of slides of that trip that must be converted to digital one of these days. I bought a cheap slide scanner couple of years back, but it only produced junk. Have to take them to professional I guess. You photos make up for this to great extent as views haven't changed much since then.

 

[Sable]

Great report. You described it just as I remember it from three years ago.
Glad you got the permit for the cables. My biceps were toast when I got to the top
of the cables due to going as fast as I could with a pack loaded with water and camera
gear. First and only time my biceps got tired from hiking.
You're right about the beach sand, but there are other sections where the rock
work is amazing...the footing was so clean it almost felt like I was cheating.
Also, great job going out in the summit ledge despite your "love" of heights.

Thank you so much Billy! I hiked up with all my water too -- didn't mention it in the trip report, but somebody behind us on the cables left his water at the base and started cramping halfway up. That was my biggest fear! Hauling 3L of water up those cables wasn't the most fun thing I've ever done but I was glad I had extra water at the top.

 

[Sable]

Thanks for inspiring some fond memories of trip to Yosemite back in 1976 (Bicentennial Year) where we camped out on top of 10K' Clouds Rest for two nights. We had set up our tent down in the park like forest west of summit and went up summit to see the sunset when we found a group from Bay Area had rendezvous for weekend party. We promptly decided to descend to break down our camp and transport it to summit. We spent the entire next day on summit just hanging out enjoying views and new found friends. That evening we watched sun set in the west and full moon rise in the east without a cloud in the sky at any time. Times have changed since then I imagine. I doubt very much anyone could get away with such shenanigans today. We had a great view of Half Dome from our perch. We started our trip in Twoleme Meadow and descended by Half Dome and passed by Nevada Falls that being mid-June was roaring from snow melt. I have a set of slides of that trip that must be converted to digital one of these days. I bought a cheap slide scanner couple of years back, but it only produced junk. Have to take them to professional I guess. You photos make up for this to great extent as views haven't changed much since then.

Oh man, just the thought of that experience is giving me chills! I hope you can get your pictures converted to a digital format. I'd love to see them. My only regret is that we didn't have time to go to Cloud's Rest! I'm already planning a return trip to California -- I want to check out Tahoe, Joshua Tree, Death Valley... plus see the rest of Yosemite! Nevada Falls was amazing but just a trickle compared to the spring/summer, from what I've heard.

(And I just saw you're in Waltham! I'm in Needham! hey neighbor!)

 

[Jazzbo]

Oh man, just the thought of that experience is giving me chills! I hope you can get your pictures converted to a digital format. I'd love to see them. My only regret is that we didn't have time to go to Cloud's Rest! I'm already planning a return trip to California -- I want to check out Tahoe, Joshua Tree, Death Valley... plus see the rest of Yosemite! Nevada Falls was amazing but just a trickle compared to the spring/summer, from what I've heard.

(And I just saw you're in Waltham! I'm in Needham! hey neighbor!)

I just noticed your response. In re-reading my post and noticed I said west of summit when I should have said east of summit. We were coming from east. Not unusual dyslexic error especially after so many years. I was just going from memory you see. Being from Needham I noticed you visited Noanet Woodlands. Nice place to romp around when you can't make it up north! I came across some digital photos I took of the stone dam and waterfall recently. One of the victims of advent of digital photography is the demise of the camera store. I'll have to look one up to scan those slides before they disappear altogether.

 

[Jazzbo]

Inspired by Sable's Half Dome report I did Google search for slide scanning services and came up with new business called EverPresent sounded very much like just the ticket for slide scanning. They started in Boston area and have grown quickly and now have franchises all over. I threw together 140 slides and brought them over. Low and behold after 3-4 weeks I have digitized copies of 42 year old sets of slides. Very glad I did. My photo set of my trip to Yosemite in 1976 far exceeded my expectations. Being able to view these slides is like discovering some long lost secret room.

Here is view from Clouds Rest of Half Dome and Yosemite Valley.

View to the east.

Nevada Falls camera couldn't grab whole thing took two shots top & bottom

and the bottom. Note the tiny people down in lower left corner for scale!!!

 

[RichS]

There's lots of great detail in analog film. Thanks for sharing.