Hiking Half-dome

I haven't given up yet. Yesterday the blisters were pretty much
converted to callouses, my muscles were no longer screaming at me, and
I bought a new pair of hiking boots (my old pair delaminated during a
training hike, and I thought the running shoes would be adequate). I
know the hike is doable in a day, although an earlier start is
indicated. I know it is 8-10 hours drive, know where to park, know
the safety gear I put together is adequate and appropriate, and know
to take more food.

So when? The cables are only up until Oct 11, and 8-11 are permit
days. I'm leaning toward a dual-purpose trip bracketed around the UC
Irvine at UC Davis soccer game on Oct 6, so Oct 5 or Oct 7 looks like
the way to do it - either hike 10-5, drive to a hotel in Davis after
for the 10-6 game, and home on 10-7, or drive direct to the game 10-6,
then to Yosemite after, sleeping in the car.

On Sep 26, 1:49*pm, Richard Henry wrote:
I haven't given up yet. *Yesterday the blisters were pretty much
converted to callouses, my muscles were no longer screaming at me, and
I bought a new pair of hiking boots (my old pair delaminated during a
training hike, and I thought the running shoes would be adequate). *I
know the hike is doable in a day, although an earlier start is
indicated. *I know it is 8-10 hours drive, know where to park, know
the safety gear I put together is adequate and appropriate, and know
to take more food.

So when? *The cables are only up until Oct 11, and 8-11 are permit
days. *I'm leaning toward a dual-purpose trip bracketed around the UC
Irvine at UC Davis soccer game on Oct 6, so Oct 5 or Oct 7 looks like
the way to do it - either hike 10-5, drive to a hotel in Davis after
for the 10-6 game, and home on 10-7, or drive direct to the game 10-6,
then to Yosemite after, sleeping in the car.

No one gives a flying ****.
Hey, as long as you are doing "dual purpose" trips, what happened this
weekend?
You could have shown up for your son's soccer game here, and talked
**** to my face.
You wouldn't even need a permit. Or new hiking boots.
You would need a set of balls, though. Forgot. You can't buy those
at REI.

In article
,
Richard Henry wrote:

I haven't given up yet. Yesterday the blisters were pretty much
converted to callouses, my muscles were no longer screaming at me, and
I bought a new pair of hiking boots (my old pair delaminated during a
training hike, and I thought the running shoes would be adequate). I
know the hike is doable in a day, although an earlier start is
indicated. I know it is 8-10 hours drive, know where to park, know
the safety gear I put together is adequate and appropriate, and know
to take more food.

So when? The cables are only up until Oct 11, and 8-11 are permit
days. I'm leaning toward a dual-purpose trip bracketed around the UC
Irvine at UC Davis soccer game on Oct 6, so Oct 5 or Oct 7 looks like
the way to do it - either hike 10-5, drive to a hotel in Davis after
for the 10-6 game, and home on 10-7, or drive direct to the game 10-6,
then to Yosemite after, sleeping in the car.

When sleeping in the car after a 12 hour hike vs sleeping in a hotel
after a 12 hour hike... seriously?! Hot shower, in room coffee pot, hot
shower...

I camped at a semi-remote beach the during full moon/equinox the other
day with my wife, full grown Chesapeake Bay Retriever , and ~150 pounds
of sand in a 4 (tiny, tiny) man tent. About 4am I was wishing that a
Ritz Carlton would magically appear around around me

On Sep 26, 5:42*pm, Dave Cartman wrote:
In article
,
*Richard Henry wrote:

I haven't given up yet. *Yesterday the blisters were pretty much
converted to callouses, my muscles were no longer screaming at me, and
I bought a new pair of hiking boots (my old pair delaminated during a
training hike, and I thought the running shoes would be adequate). *I
know the hike is doable in a day, although an earlier start is
indicated. *I know it is 8-10 hours drive, know where to park, know
the safety gear I put together is adequate and appropriate, and know
to take more food.

So when? *The cables are only up until Oct 11, and 8-11 are permit
days. *I'm leaning toward a dual-purpose trip bracketed around the UC
Irvine at UC Davis soccer game on Oct 6, so Oct 5 or Oct 7 looks like
the way to do it - either hike 10-5, drive to a hotel in Davis after
for the 10-6 game, and home on 10-7, or drive direct to the game 10-6,
then to Yosemite after, sleeping in the car.

When sleeping in the car after a 12 hour hike vs sleeping in a hotel
after a 12 hour hike... *seriously?! Hot shower, in room coffee pot, hot
shower...

I camped at a semi-remote beach the during full moon/equinox the other
day with my wife, full grown Chesapeake Bay Retriever , and ~150 pounds
of sand in a 4 (tiny, tiny) man tent. *About 4am I was wishing that a
Ritz Carlton would magically appear around around me

After mulling this over with my wife, she is not in favor of doing the
hike or waiting in the Valley all day, so I think we have a
compromise: Hike on the 5th, htel that night somewhere between
Yosemite and Davis, meet her at the Sacramento airport mid-day on the
6th, attend the game, and then we can decide whether to drive back
right away or hit a hotel one more night. So far there has been a
hotel stop on every trip back, and last time we just stayed another
night where we already were and left at 3:30 AM (had to wake up the
manager to check us out).

On Sep 26, 6:16*pm, Ted Waldron wrote:
In article
,
*Richard Henry wrote:

I haven't given up yet. *Yesterday the blisters were pretty much
converted to callouses, my muscles were no longer screaming at me, and
I bought a new pair of hiking boots (my old pair delaminated during a
training hike, and I thought the running shoes would be adequate). *I
know the hike is doable in a day, although an earlier start is
indicated. *I know it is 8-10 hours drive, know where to park, know
the safety gear I put together is adequate and appropriate, and know
to take more food.

So when? *The cables are only up until Oct 11, and 8-11 are permit
days. *I'm leaning toward a dual-purpose trip bracketed around the UC
Irvine at UC Davis soccer game on Oct 6, so Oct 5 or Oct 7 looks like
the way to do it - either hike 10-5, drive to a hotel in Davis after
for the 10-6 game, and home on 10-7, or drive direct to the game 10-6,
then to Yosemite after, sleeping in the car.

* Why don't you plan going to half dome next year, and just go on a
hike, like Pt. Reyes for example, or go to Tahoe and do plenty of hikes
around *there. * I don't see why you have to Half Dome again. * If you
want to do Half Dome, do at your leisure, not trying to cram it in.

I wouldn't be in the paradigm of "not giving up" but hike for hiking
sake. *If you weren't in shape for half dome, then just go on some hikes
under your belt, besides dealing with different weather conditions.

There are plenty of other places other than Half Dome.

It's a bucket list issue. I know I can do it physically now, and who
knows what my health will be next year?

On Sep 26, 7:03*pm, Richard Henry wrote:
On Sep 26, 6:16*pm, Ted Waldron wrote:





In article
,
*Richard Henry wrote:

I haven't given up yet. *Yesterday the blisters were pretty much
converted to callouses, my muscles were no longer screaming at me, and
I bought a new pair of hiking boots (my old pair delaminated during a
training hike, and I thought the running shoes would be adequate). *I
know the hike is doable in a day, although an earlier start is
indicated. *I know it is 8-10 hours drive, know where to park, know
the safety gear I put together is adequate and appropriate, and know
to take more food.

So when? *The cables are only up until Oct 11, and 8-11 are permit
days. *I'm leaning toward a dual-purpose trip bracketed around the UC
Irvine at UC Davis soccer game on Oct 6, so Oct 5 or Oct 7 looks like
the way to do it - either hike 10-5, drive to a hotel in Davis after
for the 10-6 game, and home on 10-7, or drive direct to the game 10-6,
then to Yosemite after, sleeping in the car.

* Why don't you plan going to half dome next year, and just go on a
hike, like Pt. Reyes for example, or go to Tahoe and do plenty of hikes
around *there. * I don't see why you have to Half Dome again. * If you
want to do Half Dome, do at your leisure, not trying to cram it in.

I wouldn't be in the paradigm of "not giving up" but hike for hiking
sake. *If you weren't in shape for half dome, then just go on some hikes
under your belt, besides dealing with different weather conditions.

There are plenty of other places other than Half Dome.

It's a bucket list issue. *I know I can do it physically now, and who
knows what my health will be next year?-

How about adding spewing your crap to my face to your bucket list?
Ooooops, that balls thing. You never have been physically able to do
it, and you're never going to be physically able to deal with the
consequences of stalking me in person.
Let me know how that lie to the cops thing works out. Really ****ed
yourself the last time you tried that sick tactic.

On Sep 26, 7:03*pm, Richard Henry wrote:
On Sep 26, 6:16*pm, Ted Waldron wrote:



In article
,
*Richard Henry wrote:

I haven't given up yet. *Yesterday the blisters were pretty much
converted to callouses, my muscles were no longer screaming at me, and
I bought a new pair of hiking boots (my old pair delaminated during a
training hike, and I thought the running shoes would be adequate). *I
know the hike is doable in a day, although an earlier start is
indicated. *I know it is 8-10 hours drive, know where to park, know
the safety gear I put together is adequate and appropriate, and know
to take more food.

So when? *The cables are only up until Oct 11, and 8-11 are permit
days. *I'm leaning toward a dual-purpose trip bracketed around the UC
Irvine at UC Davis soccer game on Oct 6, so Oct 5 or Oct 7 looks like
the way to do it - either hike 10-5, drive to a hotel in Davis after
for the 10-6 game, and home on 10-7, or drive direct to the game 10-6,
then to Yosemite after, sleeping in the car.

* Why don't you plan going to half dome next year, and just go on a
hike, like Pt. Reyes for example, or go to Tahoe and do plenty of hikes
around *there. * I don't see why you have to Half Dome again. * If you
want to do Half Dome, do at your leisure, not trying to cram it in.

I wouldn't be in the paradigm of "not giving up" but hike for hiking
sake. *If you weren't in shape for half dome, then just go on some hikes
under your belt, besides dealing with different weather conditions.

There are plenty of other places other than Half Dome.

It's a bucket list issue. *I know I can do it physically now, and who
knows what my health will be next year?

When I informed my wife of my Oct 5-6-7 plan, and the fact that the
team parents are planning a pre-game potluck chicken barbecue, she ust
asked "what time is the game?" and made reservations on Southwest for
Oct 6. So I guess I'm committed for Yosemite Oct 5.

I can see only a few factors that might hold me back:

-Weather (rain or snow in Yosemite on the 5th, or remnant snow on the
trail from an earlier storm)
-Injury (my son's torn quad kept him out of the Seattle trip (and no
one told my niece in Seattle (a Washington student) that he wasn't
coming, so she's sending everybody nastygrams on facebook) and we
don't know when he will be playing again)
-Automobile failure (but I have three to choose from, so it would have
to be on the road to Yosemite)

So today I am continuing the conditioning regimen by climbing the
Torrey Pines cliffs in my new hiking boots, and watching "Everest:
Beyond the Limits" on Planet Green (the backed up crowds on the
ladders and fixed rope sections looked eerily familiar).

On Sep 27, 12:13*pm, Richard Henry wrote:
On Sep 26, 7:03*pm, Richard Henry wrote:





On Sep 26, 6:16*pm, Ted Waldron wrote:

In article
,
*Richard Henry wrote:

I haven't given up yet. *Yesterday the blisters were pretty much
converted to callouses, my muscles were no longer screaming at me, and
I bought a new pair of hiking boots (my old pair delaminated during a
training hike, and I thought the running shoes would be adequate). *I
know the hike is doable in a day, although an earlier start is
indicated. *I know it is 8-10 hours drive, know where to park, know
the safety gear I put together is adequate and appropriate, and know
to take more food.

So when? *The cables are only up until Oct 11, and 8-11 are permit
days. *I'm leaning toward a dual-purpose trip bracketed around the UC
Irvine at UC Davis soccer game on Oct 6, so Oct 5 or Oct 7 looks like
the way to do it - either hike 10-5, drive to a hotel in Davis after
for the 10-6 game, and home on 10-7, or drive direct to the game 10-6,
then to Yosemite after, sleeping in the car.

* Why don't you plan going to half dome next year, and just go on a
hike, like Pt. Reyes for example, or go to Tahoe and do plenty of hikes
around *there. * I don't see why you have to Half Dome again. * If you
want to do Half Dome, do at your leisure, not trying to cram it in.

I wouldn't be in the paradigm of "not giving up" but hike for hiking
sake. *If you weren't in shape for half dome, then just go on some hikes
under your belt, besides dealing with different weather conditions.

There are plenty of other places other than Half Dome.

It's a bucket list issue. *I know I can do it physically now, and who
knows what my health will be next year?

When I informed my wife of my Oct 5-6-7 plan, and the fact that the
team parents are planning a pre-game potluck chicken barbecue, she ust
asked "what time is the game?" and made reservations on Southwest for
Oct 6. *So I guess I'm committed for Yosemite Oct 5.

I can see only a few factors that might hold me back:

-Weather (rain or snow in Yosemite on the 5th, or remnant snow on the
trail from an earlier storm)
-Injury (my son's torn quad kept him out of the Seattle trip (and no
one told my niece in Seattle (a Washington student) that he wasn't
coming, so she's sending everybody nastygrams on facebook) and we
don't know when he will be playing again)
-Automobile failure (but I have three to choose from, so it would have
to be on the road to Yosemite)

So today I am continuing the conditioning regimen by climbing the
Torrey Pines cliffs in my new hiking boots, and watching "Everest:
Beyond the Limits" on Planet Green (the backed up crowds on the
ladders and fixed rope sections looked eerily familiar).- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The second attempt was washed out by rain. After getting thoroughly
soaked a third of the way up, I headed back down to dry clothes, a can
of fruit cocktail, and some good sightseeing - the rain-pumped
waterfalls coming out of the clouds in the valley looked like Lord of
the Rings artwork

The good news: higher up, the rain was snow. Tioga Pass in Yosemite
was closed (perhaps for the year) and roads near Lake Tahoe were put
on chain control.

On 10/6/10 5:29 AM, Richard Henry wrote:


The good news: higher up, the rain was snow. Tioga Pass in Yosemite
was closed (perhaps for the year) and roads near Lake Tahoe were put
on chain control.

Tioga reopened.
snow/melt will cycle several more times before Tioga is closed for the
season.

But you can really feel it in the air - it's coming. Wax the boards.

Final report (2nd edition):

I left the house in the old Toyota van at 11:41 AM Monday and drove
leisurely up 99 to Fresno, then 41 into Yosemite. I stopped at a
Walmart somewhere in the valley (Tulare?) to add thermal socks, gloves
and a stocking cap to my kit because of the weather reports warning of
snow in the mountains. The only other significant stop was at
Chukchansi Gold Indian casino near Coarsegold (a huge place, bur very
few people in the casino). I didn't want to just use their toilets
without paying the way, so I played a quarter video poker game until I
was 50 cents ahead first. Then I took a short nap in their parking
lot.

I arrived at the Wawona Gate of Yosemite about 11 PM (unattended
again). There was light rain interspersed with heavy fog on the road
into the valley. I had to stop for a nap at one of the few lighted
places on the road, the junction of Glacier Point Rd, because driving
through the fog was killing my eyes.

I got into the trailhead parking lot about 2 AM. I sorted out my
backpack, put the spare food in one of the bear lockers, and then it
started to rain. I told myself if it was still raining at dawn I
would abandon the effort and snuggled up for a nap in the back of the
van. When the rain stopped at about 3 AM, ths sudden ceasing of
raindrops on the roof woke me like an alarm clock. I put on my boots,
grabbed the pack, and headed up the trail.

This was the first time I hiked anywhere with a headlamp. The 4-LED
lamp lit up the trail in front of me for 20 feet or so, and I quickly
got used to coordinating the light aim and eye movement. And it was
DARK! After I got a short distance up the trail, away from the lights
in the valley, I switched the lamp off to see if any stars were
visible - I almost fell over.

I had brought an old pair of Vans my son was throwing out to wear the
first mile on the trail, which is graded and paved like a one-lane
road. During the day, people push baby strollers and wheelchairs up
that stretch. When I got to the end of the pavement, at the first
bridge over the Merced River, I changed to my new boots and hung the
Vans up in a tree to retrieve on the way down.

The trail from there is unremittingly UP, especially since I was
taking the short way up Mist Trail and not the John Muir Trail
alternative my daughter and I had ignorantly tried the last time. The
Mist Trail alternative is a little over a mile shorter, but has the
same altitude gain, and I had thought the other way was a stressful
climb, so you can imagine. At one long stretch, the trail is several
hundred granite block steps, with a steep wall on the right and
nothing visible in headlamp range on the left - more on that later. I
could hear the river, but not see anything that way.

I got lost three times going up, all in places where the trail comes
from an obviously-prepared surface onto bare rock. The first time I
found the trail when I noticed a reflection of the Rest Room sign
through the trees, the second when I stumbled onto the footbridge back
across the river, and the third just by walking in circles until I
found tree roots polished by boot traffic.

Because of the slow pace walking uphill and under lamplight, and
getting off the trail three times, it took me three hours to get to
the top of Nevada Falls. I had planned to eat half my food there and
wait for dawn, but it started to rain heavily when I got there. I was
already soaked from drizzle, waterfall mist, and sweat, and I had seen
the NPS warnings at the trail entrance about using the cables in the
rain ("6 people slipped on the cables last Friday and needed rescue,
and 30 people were trapped on he Subdome Saturday in a lightning
storm") so I headed back down. Of course, halfway down the sun came
out (but only for a few minutes).

On the way down I noticed how easy it is to follow the trail in the
daylight. The first place I got lost, the trail bears off subtly to
the left and follows the railing at the top of Vernal Falls cliff, and
then up along the river. At the second place, the footbridge is
visible in daylight, but it is dark wood made darker by the rain and
was out of headlamp range. The last place is where the trail makes
its closest approach to the bottom of Nevada Falls; the trail veers
sharply left toward the switchbacks, but many people go straight ahead
over the bare rocks to view the falls.

I also noticed how freaky the trial is. In the steepest stretch
climbing the granite stairs beside Vernal Falls, the trial is
constructed in a narrow bench running diagonally up a cliff. Step
three feet to the left and you go to the bottom of the falls.

I spent the day napping, eating my trail sandwiches, and touristing
around the Valley. This is the second time I have caught the Valley
in this weather condition - clouds halfway up the cliffs, and the
waterfalls strengthened by the recent rains. I wish I had brought
along some decent camera gear.

On the way out, late afternoon, I stopped at the El Portal Gate and
purchased my $10 lifetime Senior Pass. And then off to Davis for the
soccer game.