Half Dome 9/12/09 (pics added)

So wife and I headed up to Half Dome for a hike yesterday.  Difficult, long and a real PITA.  

Not sure how I did it, but I made it up and back even though I have cr** knees that balk up on me just walking one mile in my neighborhood.  Somehow I made it about 16 miles yesterday and 4500ft in elevation.  I did it even though I'm fat, out of shape and ugly (yes I know that being ugly doesn't hurt your ability, but it don't help neither   ).

Was it worth it?  Probably not.  But at least I can say that I've been up there.
I told my wife the only way that I would have considered the trip worth is if there was a nice pond on top filled with 5lb trout.  Needless to say there wasn't =)

I'm sore in the knees but seem to be improving quickly.  I guess that means I will be fine to go to work tomorrow. Another negative there

At least I've built up enough WAF to go camping/fishing for three straight weekends!!

Here are some of the pics, took a while to get them uploaded
Took the John Muir Trail up and stopped at the Nevada falls on the way



Me at the top rockin' the Albion Tee

Wife, a little tired

Wtf am I pointing at?

A few natural rock formations at the top

Well there's her shoes, but where's my wife?

Ah yes, there she is:

This is us after coming down, as you can see, there was a long line -it stretched back another 100 yards or so


And finally, proof we both made it together!

I'm jealous ben.  I would loved to have gone last month when my trip got cancelled.  Want more details.  How long did it take?  Were you scared at hte cables?  Did you have to take a dump along the way, in which case what did you do??

Hey Ben, did you have to carry a gun? Just wondering because of bears. WTG on
making it up there and back. Glad you didn't give up so easily.

Jedmo

I'm jealous ben.  I would loved to have gone last month when my trip got cancelled.  Want more details.  How long did it take?  Were you scared at hte cables?  Did you have to take a dump along the way, in which case what did you do??

it took us a long time, 16 hours total but that was due to a few things - #1 we hit the trail around 4am, so i was dead tired/sleepy/dizzy on the way up and was taking my time since i felt i might fall off the hill.  we also took quite a few stops and had to wait ON the cables for about 1 1/2 hours to go up since some folks were going up a little slow (plus some wait time at the bottom) and it took us an hour to get down since some of the people in front of us were scared/nervous/freaking out.  I also took about a half hour nap.  someone in good condition and without much of a wait could do it in about 8-10 hours including an hour spent on top.

took us about 4-5 hours total to get down since my balky knees were just killing me - i think i overdid it when i was young and now my knees are always just terrible whenever i do something that is impactful on my legs.

not scared at the cables at all - the cables were actually really easy since it was so slow going up. i am not even remotely scared of heights so that might be part of it too. did not need to take a dump on the way, i took a dump before we hit the trail.  the last place with a bathroom is at little yosemite valley, about 4 miles from half dome, so you could do it there, or go off the trail and do your business and bury it.

jed, no gun.  black bears really aren't much of a concern to me and we did not see any on our trip.

Congratulations Ben that's quite a hike I have done it twice but both times we camped in Little Yo Valley. Doing it from Happy Isles is Big Time. My son tried it twice this year and gave up when they got to the Cables,1 time it was really smoky and a couple in the party got extreme headaches and the other they just didn't want to fight up the cables it was packed. Where are the photo's

Nice pictures!  Thanks for sharing the trip with us Ben.

Thanks Ben awesome pictures the one with you two and the Cables is Super

Cool report - that place is world class.  I was there 20 years ago camping in Little Yosemite Valley around Thanksgiving.  We day-hiked up to the 'Dome and I was the only one in our trio that tried to go up the cables.  They are down that time of year, so it's a matter of lifting them and pulling yourself up.  I hit a patch of ice at the steepest part and my mind made the instant decision:  turn back now! 

Thanks for sharing your trip and refreshing old memories.   

Good job, Ben. Gotta love Yosemite.    Props for stickin' it out & making the round trip despite the knee issues . . . from when you were young . . . cuz you're so old now . . .   

pretty cool hike!  any other tips you would like to share?  take gloves?  plenty of fluids?  etc.

You looked like you have lost at least 10lbs. Thanks for sharing some great pics.

Jedmo

Congrats Ben - that's a long hike from Yosemite Valley, especially when your lungs are used to that thick Central Valley air. Thanks for the report and pics - brought back some good memories.  Used to camp in Yosemite Valley and do that hike. Back then you could also camp on Half Dome. Did a few solo trips up top timed with the full moon rise over the eastern Sierra - a mind-blower as the high country lit-up under the rising moon. The image still lives in my mind - thanks for the reminder and congrats again on the hike!

Congrats on bagging Half Dome!!!!! I have done it 9 times, I say I am never going to do it again and then someone will ask me to go and I say sure. Bring lots of water, more than you think you can drink, cut up fresh fruit for snacks. It is a view that is amazing!!! I had a friend that wanted to go and when we got to the cables he got up about 75 feet and froze. Took about a 1/2 hour to get him off the cables!! I think cables are very safe if you are not concerned with heights!!  Ben great pics and great post!!!!!!!!

pretty cool hike!  any other tips you would like to share?  take gloves?  plenty of fluids?  etc.

yes, do exactly as badog said. lots of fluids. you can get water at little yosemite valley if you have a filter. remember that's only half way up so from there its about a 8 mile round trip.  lots of lightweight high energy food like energy bars.  start early or even better go on a weekday.  cables will be pulled down on columbus day so you might have to wait until next year if you're not ready to go soon.  if you see thunderstorms a comin get off that hill. imagine sitting attached to 400ft long wire cables half way up when lightning strikes.

the cables themselves were not that bad - you should bring some gloves with good grip.  if you happen to forget them there are literally hundreds of gloves at the base of the cables left from previous climbers, but they will likely not match and fit you properly so bring your own if you can.  if you are afraid of heights, try not to look down too much.  it really isnt that high up if you ask me, but like I said before i'm not afraid of heights at all so YMMV there.

Man I love that place...I was training to do half dome back in the mid 80's and I was about your age than... I remember reading this guide book describing it as a "sea of stone" looking down the face... WTG on getting it done...I never did Half dome but have did a few climbs there with my bro... The "Nut Cracker" and if u climb it u will know that its aptly named...

My bro lives in Oakhurst...freaking lucky guy...

bet u dropped a few pds on that hike...thx for sharing...

PS I want to know what happened to the pic of mama...after the boot pic...says deleted or moved...dude did u get her to do some flashing...