Yosemite Part 2 - Half Dome

We awoke at 5:30 as we had a 12 hour hike ahead of us. The park allows 400 permits per day and still have to turn a lot of people away. We lucked out, they open 160 permits the day before at 7am online. The hike up to half dome is worth it even without being able to go up the cables.

Below is misty falls, this cold granite staircase of slippery doom equates to 3.5 cups of coffee.



Thankfully the park is accessible, scary but accessible.





We started at 4000 feet and went to 8800 feet. Brakes are nice.





We made a friend along the way, her name is Alex. She likes to travel, talk, and do crazy hikes on a whim, what imp. Another hidden gem of Yosemite.

This is half dome.






"Hey little squirrel, got you're little hiking boots on?"


These are the pansies that couldn't make it up the cables (Theo and Alex were almost two of these people). Notice the cables in the backround that prevent you from certain death, but do little to calm fears. Meanwhile, chipmunks scamper up effortlessly.

If everyone were not dehydrated, half would commence in wetting their pants, so take the pansy comment sarcastically, full grown men who wrestle grizzly bears to limber up for base jumping have been known to become weak in the knees and shed a tear, pregnant women have reported feeling their babies kick in an attempt to usher themselves back down.





We had to psych ourselves up.









The view (and the 20 minute all out physical push and mental consternation) will take your breath away.

No explanation...




































And then back down, way easier.








Yeah, they let people do that.

Location:Half Dome