Yosemite (Part 3): Half Dome — A twist of fate
Of all the activities in Yosemite, the one that gets the most attention online is the hike up Half Dome. A social media favorite, it is often labeled as “One of the most dangerous hikes in the US,” and largely contributed to how it landed on my bucket list. But, as I wrote in Part 1 of this series, it appeared as if hiking Half Dome was not meant to be on my trip to the park this year. You see, the hike requires a permit, and I learned in April that I was not selected for one in the lottery. The only other ways to do it would be via a daily lottery or by taking the chance of hiking up to Sub Dome where permits are checked and hoping to find someone with an extra spot on theirs who will bring you along. But as I approached my Yosemite trip, I spent countless hours with ChatGPT perfecting an itinerary that almost certainly did not leave time to spend a day taking that chance. I had two rest days baked in that I would very likely need among my four climbing days and the nighttime hike up Cloud’s Rest for sunrise. Sure, I still brought the gear I would need for Half Dome – since I bought it before I found out I didn’t land a permit – but that was only in the event fate stepped in.
If you recall from the end of Part 2 in this series, fate began looming in the form of thunderstorms that canceled a climbing day – allowing for an unplanned rest day that was welcome after two intense days to start my trip. And that meant finding something to do in lieu of the planned rest day a day later. I could have simply pivoted the climbing day to it and that perfect itinerary would have shown just how much I nailed the sequence of things to even allow for that pivot. In fact, my only concern about it was that I wondered if three big days to start the trip were one too many. Still, there was something about the dark clouds the morning my climbing was canceled that seemed fateful. Not just to my body which got a much-needed break, but to my soul.
You see, one thing people who know me well will not be surprised to read is that I am a planner. The perfected itinerary included nearly every moment of each day – when I would wake up, cook, pack gear, recover, and sleep. It had to be that way for me to accomplish what I wanted. But it was also made for the other side of me to employ and be the ultimate judge of. The free spirit in me. The part of me that I lean on to try to see what the universe is telling me. And in that moment when faced with how to alter my itinerary, it felt like it was time to let fate lead the way as I tried to get to the summit of Half Dome.
Too late for the daily lottery, my only legitimate chance left was to find someone who could get me past the ranger on their permit. But the planner in me also had two additional – though less legitimate – options in mind that I heard about through an anonymous “Yosemite connection” I made on the trip. Just before approaching the ranger, I could sneak off the trail until I was around her. For what it’s worth, I realized when I actually saw the ranger that I would have totally screwed that up. The other way would be to respectfully tell the ranger that I was going up anyway and to give me a citation. The ticket is $280, and fortunately, I could afford the fine. I didn’t feel great about that, but I’d confront that moment if and when it happened and would be willing to bail if I felt this would escalate things. Nevertheless, the free spirit in me trusted it would all go as it should.
One thing about fate is that it’s bigger than an event that one can simply check off a bucket list. Fate lies in the effect on one’s spirit or psyche. It is an outcome born out of the journey and the connections we make along the way. The destination or achievement is merely a symbolic gesture of it all.
The hike to the top of Half Dome is a long one – about 18 miles from start to finish. One of the themes of my week in Yosemite was sunrises, as nearly every day, I was out by the first light of the day. This was no exception, as I arrived for the hike around 4:45 AM under the starry sky. Thankfully, for this one, I’d only need the headlamp for less than an hour, and the hike was surely going to be more crowded than my nighttime hike two days earlier. So, I headed out for the summit alone hoping to somehow get past the ranger checking permits roughly five or six hours later in the day. What I never expected was that the fateful moment would happen about 30 minutes into the hike while the day’s first light was beginning to emerge and I spotted a group with headlamps on the trail.
The nighttime sky early in the hike
Curious to see who else was out there, I approached the family planning simply to say hello. But that moment, when I met Stephanie, Gabby, and John, ended up being one that would shape the rest of my day as we would spend the next 12+ hours together.
At first, it was purely some welcome company to have for a segment of the 18-mile hike. I mentioned in Part 1 of this series that I had hoped not only for this trip to check off events on my itinerary, but also that I would connect to the culture of Yosemite. Stephanie and John had twice hiked Half Dome while they were bringing their daughter, Gabby, for her first adventure up the cables. But it was not long into the hike that Stephanie shared with me why they were there this time. It was to honor the memory of her late father who had always dreamed of going up Half Dome but never before had the chance. This was more than an Instagram moment for them. It was deeply personal. Instantly, I offered to let them have their space that day, but they all assured me that they wanted me to be part of it. Despite having never known Stephanie’s father, the day took on a greater meaning for me too.
As someone largely focused on fitness and adventure, making new friends and forming a special bond was the last thing I anticipated would be the highlight of the day. I pivoted to this hike in lieu of another climbing day because this adventure was as big as anything I could imagine. I wanted to experience the most strenuous and dangerous hike in Yosemite. I wanted to test my ability to endure the long hike and the notorious climb up the cable section. I wanted the adventure that I routinely observe on social media (even while understanding that is not always the wisest way to set any desire). But the old cliché rang true again – it’s about the journey, not the destination.
I made new friends during our day together. A family of strangers brought me on their personal journey. And long before the end of the day, we were far from strangers. We learned of each other’s lives and shared our love of nature as we made the trek to the summit together. Oh, and they had an extra spot on their permit! Thanks to their friend, Chad, who was the permit-holder and who met us halfway along the trail, I was free of having to face the difficult moment of defying a ranger who was there to do a job protecting the greater good.
Left (front to back): Stephanie, Gabby, me, Chad, and John
And now, the hike . . .
The hike to the top of Half Dome is majestic from start to finish. We hiked the Mist Trail with spectacular views of El Cap, Vernal Falls, and Nevada Falls before ever getting our first sighting of the ultimate destination.
We moved quickly to avoid as much of the July heat as we could. And before noon, we reached the ranger stationed where you must have a permit to proceed. Still, at that point, there’s one more big endeavor before reaching the cables section – Sub Dome! It is a steep, narrow section with a mixture of stairs and gravel. After 8.5 miles, it’s more than enough to exhaust someone’s energy right before the steepest and most dangerous section . . . the cables!
As I mentioned, I’ve watched countless reels of it on social media. Nothing compares to seeing it with the naked eye. I have yet to find an accurate measurement of how steep it is, but I’ll throw my hat in the ring with a guess. It felt like about a 50-degree angle, and it looks even worse as you stand before it. As Gabby said, “it’s time to lock in everyone!”
Top left to bottom right: The cables section, Nevada Falls, Vernal Falls, Half Dome, Sub Dome
Thankfully, as a climber, I had my La Sportiva TX4 Evos – among the best approach shoes you can buy. I had even climbed two pitches on The Nose of El Cap in them a few days earlier (more on that in the next and final part of this series). But my confidence in the shoes wasn’t enough to bring total comfort on the slippery terrain of the cables section. There’s a good reason the cables are there – whether you clip in or not. But in my opinion, clipping in is a must! The hike up is strenuous and demanding. It takes upper body strength to pull yourself up, but most of all, it requires focus. There were times my foot slipped, and for a moment, I checked myself and asked if I was sure I wanted to continue. I suppressed that doubt, trusting that, at a minimum, the clips would save my life. Still, Half Dome is not a via ferrata, and any fall with the via ferrata clips I was using would likely injure me and could be catastrophic to others behind me who may not have clipped in. But alas, I was fit enough, strong enough, and lucky enough to make it up to the summit safely! A moment that, for me, was well worth the risk.
At the summit
After basking in the glory of reaching the top and taking in the breathtaking views from all angles, our group headed back – still having to go down the steep cable section and many other steep cliffs along the way. For what it’s worth, I was more worried about going down the cables section than up it, but going down it turned out to be much easier for me.
In the end, Stephanie and John asked Gabby how the experience was, and she said it perfectly. Here’s how I remember it:
“For weeks, you prepared me for how steep it is, how strenuous it would be, and how scary it would feel. I wondered whether we should even be doing it. But after going through it all in my head, I was ready. And still, it was every bit as scary and difficult as you said. It was serious. But it was amazing, and I’m truly glad I did it.”
I probably didn’t get it exactly right, and I remember it even more beautifully stated than I can even articulate. I’m also probably superimposing my own thoughts within what was said, but that’s also the point. This 22-year-old said everything that was in my head too – although without the weeks Gabby had to think about it.
More than 12 hours after we first met, I said goodbye to Stephanie, John, and Gabby – my new friends, made on a fateful journey that none of us will ever forget. While I suspect no one will forget their own Half Dome journey, I know that each of ours will be remembered at least partly for the bond we made and the experience we shared together. I knew it the entire day and felt it when we parted, but I was further reassured of it the following day when I got happy birthday texts from each of them!
Aaron
PS: Of course, I got my Instagram moment too . . .