I first went to Yosemite National Park a few years ago. Up until then, I had only seen the posters and imagined what it would be like. It was 2011 and it was a high snow year and the waterfalls were raging! It was one of the most spectacular things I’ve seen. Right up there with visiting Zion National Park. As you go around the valley you get kinks in your neck as you are constantly looking at the sheer granite walls and beautiful waterfalls. We first hiked glacier point, which is a great 8 mile hike, but the quintessential hike of Yosemite is to conquer the mighty half dome.
So I put it on my bucket list to hike the dome….
There’s a permit system in place now that only allows 300 people to go up the dome each day. I decided I wanted to cross this off my bucket list this year so I started by putting in for a permit any time in June. That’s the soonest you can go after the cables are put up and I wanted to go early so I could see the waterfalls at their peak.
The overall hike is 16.4 miles, it goes from 4000 feet at the valley floor to 8835 feet at the top of the dome. 0.8 miles into the hike is the vernal fall’s bridge which is the last place to get potable water. I took 4 liters from that point and almost ran out of water. (I had .25 liters left when I got back to the bridge). I recommend to everyone to take a water filter so they can refill their water in Little Yosemite Valley.
I left a little later in the day than most. I wanted to be at the waterfalls when the sun was shining on them. It was worth it. This is 0.8 miles into the hike at the Vernal Falls Bridge.
With the sun shining the mist trail could be renamed to the rainbow trail. At 1.5 miles you’re still pretty fresh. If you bothered to take a few minutes to stretch before you started you shouldn’t even have any leg cramps yet.
Below Nevada falls was a sight to see. Even at this distance the mist gets everything damp.
It’s obvious you can’t hike up the front of the dome so you’ll be coming around the back side and coming from the north rather than the south.
The cables were steeper than I thought they’d be… Take it one step at a time and you’ll get to the top in no time!
Finally at the top of the dome. This was a great view… Though there were spots of rain and a thunderstorm coming in so I couldn’t stay very long. Next time I’ll go up earlier to avoid the afternoon thunderstorms.
Thunderstorms gathering as I descended… They started raining just as I arrived back at the forest. 😀
I got back to Curry Village just before sunset and you can see the last rays of sunlight illuminating the dome. It was a great hike and I finished it in great shape. I do need to get a new pair of hiking shoes though.