Rick Deutsch - One Best Hike: Yosemites Half Dome

One Best Hike: Yosemites Half Dome

2nd EDITION 2012

Copyright 2012 by Carpe Diem Experience, LLC (Rick Deutsch)

Text and photos by the author, except where indicated.

Cover design: Larry B. Van Dyke and Scott McGrew

Book design and layout: Andreas Schueller and Annie Long

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Deutsch, Rick.

One best hike: Yosemites Half Dome / Rick Deutsch. 2nd ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-0-89997-674-7

ISBN-10: 0-89997-674-3

1. HikingCaliforniaYosemite National ParkGuidebooks. 2. HikingCaliforniaHalf DomeGuidebooks. 3. Half Dome (Calif.)Guidebooks. 4. Yosemite National Park (Calif.)Guidebooks. I. Title.

GV199.42.C22Y664 2012

917.9447dc23

2011053068

Manufactured in the United States of America

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Distributed by Publishers Group West

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations used in reviews.

SAFETY NOTICE: Although Wilderness Press and the author have made every attempt to ensure that the information in this book is accurate at press time, they are not responsible for any loss, damage, injury, or inconvenience that may occur to anyone while using this book. Readers are advised to recheck phone numbers, prices, addresses, and other material. You are responsible for your own safety and health while in the wilderness. The fact that a trail is described in this book does not mean that it will be safe for you. The potential for falls, heat exhaustion, dehydration, hyperventilation, or other problems are possible (though not likely). Be aware that trail conditions can change from day to day. Always check local conditions and the weather, and know your own limitations.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank:

My wife, Diane, for her patience during my many hikes of Half Dome, my training, and the hours I spent at the keyboard.

My sister, Michelle Deutsch LaMarche, who did the hike before me and encouraged me to do it the first time.

The National Park Service and the Yosemite Conservancy for their support of this precious American resource.

Dan Anderson for his efforts in digitizing many of the early Yosemite historical manuscripts in the Yosemite Online Library so that everyone may enjoy them.

Harv Galic for his compilation of the Chronicles of Early Ascents of Half Dome.

The many new friendships that Half Dome has introduced me to, including Sonke Kastner, Sister Kathy Littrell, Scott Gehrman, Pat Townsley, NPS ranger Mark Marschall, NPS ranger Daniel Schaible, Pete Devine (Yosemite Conservancy), and my many Facebook fans, blog readers, and audiences.

My hiking buddy, Yosey (as in Yosemite), a 5-pound Yorkie whose zest for life inspires me.

Rick Deutsch

Mr. Half Dome

Foreword

I heartily recommend this book. It is a well-written and thorough guide to reaching the top of my favorite Yosemite rock form. Why is Half Dome my favorite? Because it stands alone at the east end of Yosemite Valley. It isnt as big as El Capitan, 7 miles to the west. With its 3,000-foot south face, El Capitan guards the gates of the valley. But Half Dome has a 2,000-foot northwest face that is straight up and down, a summit that isnt reachable by merely hiking a trail through the forest, and the Dome is almost 2,000 feet higher than El Cap. Half Dome was first climbed in 1875 by George Anderson, a Scot (John Muir, another Scot, reached the summit of Cathedral Peak in 1869). These days Half Dome is ascended tens of thousands of times a year. Why? Because people want to be able to say, as they look up from the valley, Ive been there. Once, the author of this book, after complimenting me on having made the first ascent of the great face of Half Dome, claimed that Of course, I went up the easy way. As I said to Rick then and say to you, dear reader, now, Theres no easy way up Half Dome. Getting to the top requires a nearly 16-mile round-trip and an elevation gain of almost 5,000 feet. Thats a bit of work for a day, but you can do it. I would read carefully what Rick Deutsch has to say in this revised second edition, especially about being fit. You want to be fit and to have good footwear.

Rick has had to revise this guide to hiking Half Dome. Things change, and the guide has to change with them. In particular, there is now a permit system to ascend the cable stairway of Half Dome. Yes, I know, permit systems are a bother. Oh, for the days when we could spend the night on top of Half Dome. The park service instituted the permit system to cut down on the crowding that was occurring on the cables. There have been a few serious accidents that were attributable to so many people being up there at the same time. Rick now includes a thorough guide to navigating the permit system.

The only place where I differ significantly from Rick is on starting time. Rick recommends an early start. I agree. But where Rick suggests 6 a.m., I am for 3 a.m. I know it is hard to get up that early, but if you do you will never be sorry. You will hike up in the cool of the morning and reach the top ahead of the crowds, so much ahead of them that you will be able to descend the cables before they arrive and start up. Rick also says that June is his favorite time of year in Yosemite. I prefer the fall. Its true that the waterfalls have dried up, but there are no bugs, the air is clear, the Mist Trail is dry, and the people have left.

Have a good hike and remember, you are going to the best summit in the Yosemite region.

Royal Robbins

Modesto, CA

March 2012

Note: Royal Robbins led the first group to climb the 1,800-foot-high Regular Northwest Face route on Half Dome in 1957.

Preface

The motto for my life is carpe diem. This is a Latin phrase meaning seize the day. It is believed to have originated with the ancient philosopher Horace, the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus Caesar. The phrase was made popular in the 1989 movie Dead Poets Society, starring Robin Williams. He invoked his students: Carpe diem! Seize the day, lads. Make your lives extraordinary! Another interpretation would be: Smell the rose today, for it may be wilted tomorrow.

My first Half Dome hike, in 1990, was a life-changing experience. It was so much fun and so challenging that I decided to do it every year. It made me realize that if I was to experience all life had to offer, I had to get planning. I wrote a life list (now called a bucket list, a term made popular by the 2007 film starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman) to make sure I did the things I wanted to do. Prior to Half Dome I said, Someday I want to see the pyramids; someday I will see the Taj Mahal; someday I will walk on the Great Wall. When you are young, you have a lot of somedays. But in reality, someday often never comes. I have carried my life list for more than 20 years and checked off many things. For me its a living listI constantly add things. I had never heard of Jordans treasure, Petra, five years ago and now Ive been there. Looking back, for me Half Dome was the start of this awareness. We all have a finite number of heartbeats allocated to us, and one day tomorrow will not come. Our personal life odometer clicks over relentlessly; too soon youre 30, 40, 50, and beyond. It seems to spin too fast. What you do with your time is your decision. You have a choice: Sit on the sidelines and watch the world on your TV or get out and live life. Experience things while you can; hike Half Dome.