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#1
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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. |
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#2
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Hiking Half-dome
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. |
#3
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Hiking Half-dome
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 |
#4
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Hiking Half-dome
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). |
#5
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Hiking Half-dome
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? |
#6
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Hiking Half-dome
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. |
#7
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Hiking Half-dome
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). |
#8
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Hiking Half-dome
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. |
#9
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Hiking Half-dome
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. |
#10
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Hiking Half-dome
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. |
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