The mountains are calling!

Half Dome (HD) is probably the most famed hike in Yosemite, and it definitely doesn’t disappoint you! If you are scared of heights like me, you can still make it to the sub dome, and then decide if you can overcome your fears, or appreciate others while they overcome theirs. Either way, if hiking HD is on your list, be prepared for a long day especially if you don’t have an overnight permit to backpack. Staring at HD is one way to spend your time, if you are not making the final journey up the cables. If the cables are not up, or if its raining, do yourself a favor and don’t attempt to go up!

The trail to HD starts from Happy Isles Trailhead, the home to some of the famous hikes in Yosemite. We started our hike at 7 am on a fall morning, in late August. This trail was not new to anyone in our group, as everyone had at least made it to the top of Vernal Falls. The first point on our way to HD was Vernal falls footbridge. The footbridge makes for a good strolling hike and sets you up for the later part. You get to see some amazing views of the Yosemite valley on your way up to the Vernal falls footbridge. As you continue your hike from Vernal falls footbridge towards Vernal Falls, you will need to climb the infamous Vernal Falls footsteps. This part of the trail until you reach Vernal Falls runs along the stream, and you can feel the mist hitting your face.

We made it to the top of Vernal Falls in about 75 minutes and were getting warmed up. We took a brief break and proceeded towards Nevada Falls. The stretch of hike between Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls runs through a series of switchback steps, that take a toll on your knees, both ways. You get to see Nevada Falls in its full glory as you slowly dread your way towards the top of Nevada Falls. We took our time to complete this stretch and had our breakfast on top of Nevada Falls.

The next stop after Nevada Falls is the Little Yosemite Valley campground, where backpackers are allowed to camp. The stretch of trail between Nevada Falls and Little Yosemite Valley is the only flat stretch on the hike, and makes for some decent rest on your feet. From Little Yosemite Valley, the trail picks up elevation and traverses through a series of switchbacks before ending at the junction of HD. You take a left towards HD, and a right if you are headed on JMT or towards Clouds Rest. It took us about 4 and half hours to reach the HD junction, and we still had about 2 more miles to go. Slowly and steadily we continued our hike and could see HD in a distance, which serves as motivation for tired souls!

The trail from HD junction to the base of sub dome has gradual elevation gain, but is not as tiring as the switchbacks that you take from Little Yosemite Valley. The base of sub dome is also the place where a ranger would usually check your permit to use the HD cables, and also makes for a good stop before you head up. We took another break at the base of sub dome and proceeded towards HD. The initial stretch of ascending sub dome, is a series of switchbacks before you step off the trail and make your way on top of Granite rocks. If you are acrophobic, the stretch of trail ascending sub dome will be a daunting task, like it was for me. The better way to overcome your fears is to focus on your feet, and not look to the edges! Lucky for me, I did this hike with my wife who was constantly reminding me not to look towards the edges 🙂

We did come across a few people asking for water when ascending sub dome, so if you ever decide to hike HD make sure you carry enough water. Hiking HD is not a walk in the park, and a little preparation goes a long way. I had made up my mind before even we got our permits, that I would not dare myself to use the cables and go up HD, and staring at HD made me realize my heart would have slipped, if I was half way through the cables and looked down. I made a conscious decision to wait for everyone in the group at sub dome, and will never regret it! I took my break and had some good conversations with fellow hikers, while I waited for my group to make it to the top of HD and return back. It took them about 2 hours to make the trip, and I was well rested during this time. Once everyone in the group got back, we clicked our routine group picture and started to descend down.

It took us less than an hour to descend sub dome, and make it to HD junction by 5 pm. Most of the group started to split at this point, as some people were feeling tired, while others continued their pace. We took more time while descending the switchbacks towards Little Yosemite Valley, and it was close to sunset by the time we reached Nevada Falls. Having done this part (Nevada Falls to Happy Isles Trailhead) of the trail before, I (with a part of my group) decided to take the steps down, as it was a shorter descend compared to taking the JMT. By the time we reached Vernal Falls, we already had our headlights out and were navigating in the dark. It was getting harder for us to descend the slippery steps from Vernal Falls, and we had to hold each others hand at certain points so we wouldn’t slip. We were exhausted by the time we reached Vernal Falls footbridge and had to drag ourselves the rest of the way, to reach Happy Isles trailhead. The other part of our group came to pick us up from the trailhead, and all of us headed towards Half Dome Village, so we could enjoy our sumptuous pizza.

Difficulty – Strenuous Insanity Level – 3 Distance ~ 16 miles Elevation ~ 4500 ft Time ~ 14 hours
Directions – Happy Isles Trailhead – Mist Trail – Vernal Falls Footbridge – Vernal Falls – Nevada Falls – Little Yosemite Valley – Half Dome Junction – Sub Dome – Half Dome – Sub Dome – Half Dome Junction – Little Yosemite Valley – Nevada Falls -Vernal Falls – Vernal falls footbridge – Happy Isles Trailhead