Yosemite: Day Two

The second day came fast. I woke up before my alarm, which is unusual on most days, but quite common on trips. The morning sun lit our tent and we were soon preparing for the long day's hike. One thing that becomes apparent is how difficult it is to move about a tent cabin without waking anyone up.

We were on our way to Half Dome by 7:00. The most heavily traveled portion of the trail is the first 1.5 miles to the bridge that crosses the Merced River. We climbed the wet steps of the Mist Trail and Vernal Fall duly misted us. The stone staircase would be the first of three leading up to the dome. Somebody in our group called it the ultimate Stairmaster. When we reached the top of the second staircase at Nevada Fall, we had climbed 1,900 feet.

The weather was cool, but I still had to shed two layers of clothing and made a mental note to dress and pack lighter the next time I came. We soon left the sand-covered trails of Little Yosemite Valley and started up the long switchbacks leading to the third and most difficult set of stairs.

As we progressed, our group of nine slowly broke apart due to different hiking paces. B charged out ahead and reached the top of Half Dome by 10:50. I was part of the second group. We rested at the base for about ten minutes. Then two of us, noticing how empty the cables and plywood slats were, decided to don our gloves and walk up the mountain. We reached the peak at 11:50. Two more arrived ten minutes later and the last of our group made the climb while we were coming down.

As I stood atop Half Dome (a.k.a. Tissiack) with a view of the valley, I began to understand what inspired John Muir to write, "... the Valley, comprehensively seen, looks like an immense hall or temple lighted from above. But no temple made with hands can compare with Yosemite." In 1868, when he first set foot in the valley, he was just thirty. Muir would later help Yosemite become a national park. I wonder what he would think of its development and present condition if he were alive today.

We took group photos and began the trek back around 1:00. The cables were full of hikers, like a freeway jam during rush hour. As I slowly made my way down, someone above me shouted, "Camera!" Seconds later a silvery, digital-camera-shaped object clattered down the side of the dome, about fifty feet off to my right, and disappeared into the valley below. Somewhere in Yosemite, a yellow-bellied marmot is taking photos with a Canon Powershot.

The rest of the hike back was uneventful. We returned the same way we came, but my toes began to hurt as we descended the uneven stone steps. I reached Curry Village by 4:20. I was tired, a bit stiff and ready for a hot shower and meal. We had two large, steaming pizzas and then took a shuttle to Mirror Lake to photograph watery reflections at sunset. Later that night, I tucked myself into my sleeping bag and had little trouble falling asleep.