We had a remarkable (aren’t they all) trip hiking Half Dome with Melissa, and her blog here covers everything you would need to know about the trip! From her recommended gear list to what you can expect, we couldn’t agree more with her overview of the Half Dome experience!
Here is an excerpt from her post about hiking Half Dome and how to make this bucket list become a reality:
“I thoroughly scared myself by googling “scariest hikes” and Half Dome obliged by attending each and every party! Fact: I’ve completed 3 of the top 10 scariest hikes (Half Dome, Huayna Picchu, Angel’s Landing)… no intention of completing this death bucket list.”
Hiking Half Dome Quick Facts:
- 19 miles round trip via Curry Village Parking Lot to Mist Trail then John Muir Trail on the return
- 16 hours in total with a lot of photo ops, snacking, medical stops and little legs (mine)
- 4,800 feet elevation gain
- 8,842 feet elevation at the summit
- Most memorable quote “It’s the hike you can’t die without doing, and the hike you’ll most likely die while doing.”
The first obstacle was finding a cable permit for the exact September Sunday we planned on hiking Half Dome. The permit preseason lottery goes on in the month of March of each year. After that, there is a daily lottery awarded 2 days prior to the hike. Approximately 225 permits are released per day in the preseason and 50 per daily lottery. The odds weren’t in our favor, considering the short notice. We thought,” there must be a black market where we can buy these permits”… and we were right. Kind of. We found an adventure tour company and booked a hike guide, which came with cable permits and some equipment. Lasting Adventures, you are a life hike-saver!
Read more about hiking Half Dome here!