HALF DOME II

 

All but me at the trail head.

We left the trail head parking lot at 10:10...p.m. We hiked throughout the night under the pitch black sky covered with millions of stars. The waxing half moon had long set and it was just us on the trail....and the critters that Daughter #2 spotted: a scorpion, a millipede, a white frog, ants (yes a night!) and a deer...which was my joke "Look! A deer in the headlamps!" A ranger in the parking lot told us that there has been a lot of bear activity but we did not see any...although I am sure they saw us.

The hike was easier than last year as I was fresh- I didn't ride 62 miles that day, so I wasn't left in the dust when we took off....although one of our friends was rather slow. We did not get our hour's nap before the ascent.

The sky was just beginning to light up as we got to the saddle.

This was The Captain's first time and after climbing the 800+ granite stairs to the saddle where you get your first glimpse of the cables, he saw what I had described and our friend said, "I can't do that!" But after a short rest and a drink of water and seeing daughter #1 say, "I going," and then scamper right up to the top he was willing to try. I followed Daughter #1 and Daughter #2 who is afraid of heights was right behind me. This time I self assured and ready for the adventure. I was able to take in the views and not panic but your life is literally in your own hands...you let go and it is a L>O>N>G way to the bottom. I wore my Garmin and timed the climb...15 minutes! It is a 30 minute average ascent so I felt good about that. I did not fear my hands or feet slipping this time so I was able to enjoy the view....last time I kept thinking, "If I fall from here I am dead" and then as I neared the bottom I thought, "Well if I fall from here I wouldn't die but I'd be really messed up." This time it was all fun!

 

The Captain and our friend making it to the top.

See that little spot on the mountain? Below that is the parking lot where we have to hike to!

Here comes the sun!

Last time I did not venture out to the famous ledge to take a photo...but this time when Daughter #1 headed out to do so, and The Captain, I knew I had to....

 

 If you slip it is an 8,830' drop to the valley floor.

You can tell that my daughter is much braver than her mom and dad....check out where she is standing and where we are! She is a rock climber and much more comfortable on the edge of the world.

We had a wonderful time and I hope I am lucky enough to get permits in the next lottery to climb again....and next time there will be time for a nap on the trail!

 

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER

*LAUGH HARDER*CLIMB THE CABLES AND STAND ON THE EDGE*CARPE DIEM*

62 miles or 100K for the Lung Association

Today we biked 100K.....I like to use kilometers because it sounds so much more impressive. Last year when I rode this event I came home and found out that Daughter #1's friend had an extra permit to climb Half Dome...so in 30 minutes I packed and hit the road to Yosemite...and we arrived at 10:30 at night when it was 80 degrees and hiked throughout the night and we were on the tip top at sunrise. Then we hiked all the way down and drove home.

And I won't do that again...39 hours of "I am too old for this!"

So today I will shower, relax and wait until Tuesday to drive out and climb Half Dome. This time with both Daughters and The Captain...and two friends.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*RIDE THE RIDE AND

CLIMB THE CABLES*

SuMmEr

SuMmEr...finally!
Lots of sun...over 100 degrees in fact. No more camp...or moving children 230 miles from storage to new house...dental appointments finished...kiwi boyfriend flew back to N. Zed last night...and Daughter #2 will fly down there in 6 weeks for another year on a Work/travel visa....so for now it is just time to do whatever I want for 2 weeks until we climb HALF DOME!! 

I am excited! I applied for permits way back in February...and when I got the dates, July 17 seemed so far away. It is the first of our summer adventures. Now if the weather just complies we will make it to the top...me, The Captain, Daughters #1 and 2 and two friends. We will leave from the parking lot at around 10 p.m.- last year it was 80 degrees when we left the lot. Last year I didn't know I was going until a half an hour before we left home....and I had ridden in a 100K bike ride that morning....so this year I will NOT do the bike ride that day but the weekend prior. We will hike throughout the night and be on the top of Half Dome for sunrise. This year I will have my good camera for photos.

What are your summer plans?

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*CLIMB THE CABLES TO THE TOP*

 

It was funny then...

and still is now. At our 2:30 a.m. rest, we sat gazing at the stars with our headlamps off. 11 of us were sprinkled around a few logs and rocks as we rested, or attempted to get a few minutes of sleep. Suddenly, one young guy who had been lying behind a big downed tree, jumped up and yelled, "JESUS CHRIST!!!!" I thought he might have been bitten by something, or scared by a bear...or zombies or... or other assorted things that ran through my mind in the brief second between the shout and when he turned on his headlamp. He saw us all illuminated, he said, "Oh. You're still here. I can go back to sleep."

He thought we all hit the trail and left him asleep behind the log...and he had no idea where we were. I am sure I would have panicked in the same way had I thought I was left on an unknown trail in the dark.

Another comment, mainly due to fatigue, was our decent down the cables. I mentioned the woman pictured in my last post had a difficult time on the cables. It seriously took her 45 minutes or more to climb. We all took photos at the top and she and her husband decided to make the descent a good hour before us. We walked to the other side of the dome, took silly photos doing handstands and holding banners and relishing our triumph. Out of our small group I decided to go first and made my way past the first two boards when Daughter #1 and her friend began. We had the dome to ourselves since we hiked all night and now others were beginning their ascent so we had to carefully pass those coming up. When our friend looked down, he saw the woman and her husband maybe 1/2 way down and he said, "Joe! You're coming back up??"  He had expected them to be at the bottom waiting for us, but they were still only part way down, and the only logical explaination was that they were coming back up. 

...okay, I know, you had to be there. But if I don't blog it here I will forget.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*LAUGH AT YOURSELF*AND OTHERS*