Clouds Rest to Half Dome

There are few places on earth that can stir the soul and evoke emotions like the natural beauty found atop Half Dome.  Getting there is enough of an ordeal that the accomplishment alone (at least for old farts like me) justifies the trip.  However, Half dome sits a the junction of three canyons, Yosemite, Little Yosemite and Tenaya Canyons.  The views down each is unobstructed and awesome in scale.  Kind of makes you want to view the pictures, huh...

This signal day started as ordinary as the others.  Cold in the AM, though perhaps 10deg warmer than Friday or Saturday, heating up to perfect hiking temperature, around 60deg.  We broke camp and pretty much moved off as a group.   Andrews and Martha led the way.  Not 200yds from our camp site came surprise #1, an exposed plateau with a view of Half Dome and all of Yosemite Valley... Ddaaammmmnnnn!!! We could have camped here instead of the makeshift, hillside site we settled for the night before.  Oh well, mental note for next time...

1. Descend Clouds Rest. 
2. Go 2mi , not 1.9mi. 
3. Pitch tent at drop-dead view spot.

The trail from the overlook -- damn, I REALLY don't believe we missed overnighting there -- to the next camp was mostly through deep Forrest but offered a number of views toward Half Dome and down into Yosemite Valley to Basket Dome and El Capitan in the distance.  Our group had succeeded in making enough noise in camp that the only other campers in the vicinity decided to take a powder and move.  We thought it was a grand coup... until we saw where the moved...  way coooool... another missed opportunity, damn!  After setting up shop at the next camp we headed for the Half Dome trail.

The path to Half Dome is monotonic, unrelentingly, upward.   And just for good measure, the steepest part is, of course, last.  Would you believe 800ft, hand-over-hand on cables, straight up!  As my long departed father used to say, "That boy has no common sense.  He's going to kill himself someday."  So much for the nurture component of the nature-nurture child development formula.

Day 3 Hike Agenda