Half Dome
Leslie Caramia Val Katherine Bianca
My longest hike ever! We started about 4:40 am, having to use headlamps for about an hour. The first part is a road walk from the campground. The beginning of the real trail (Mist Trail) is paved quite aways. We came to the base of Vernal Falls and climbed many steep steps beside it to the top. Whew! Stunning! We continued in towards Nevada Falls, stopping for a short snack break. Nevada Falls are equally stunning. We managed to be in the shade all the way to the bottom of the sub dome, where a ranger checked Leslie’s permit. We broke out into the sun and hiked up steps and slabs to the sub dome. I watched the other ladies go up the cables and then went back to the ranger checkpoint to wait for them. They all loved it. We began the long descent back, stopping once to filter water and rest for a bit. We took the John Muir trail junction, which added some mileage, but allowed us to avoid all the steep steps by Vernal Falls. Spectacular views on the John Muir trail, including Nevada Falls beneath Liberty Cap from afar. We got back to camp around 5:00, ate ravenously at the food truck and then listened to a mouse in our tent cabin after we went to bed.