An outstanding day. Proper tea for breakfast and then a shift back to the slacklLine. All of Taft Point was ours to soak up sun and take down oatmeal. Deer wondered about as people walked across a thin strap. Orbit and Red got in on the action by rigging up a harness that allowed them to slide across the chasm while seated under the line. I had my fatherhood to consider and passed. Instead I played tour guide to the various folks who began to wander in. Their reactions priceless when they first rounded the bend and saw Slack or Max out on the line. One Irish lady said in a thick Dublin accent “Oh Christ, will you look at the balls on that one!” I couldn’t agree more.

Showtime over, we packed up our gear and took down the line. Elliot logged the 80 pound gear bag the mile back up the hill as is the Marine mentality. We carpooled back down to the valley floor for sandwiches and farewells. Back to four we decided to continue up the Yosemite Valley toward the Tuoleme Meadows and the PCT rather than try the hitchhiking route.

Our goal was half Dome and beyond. This is a very popular hiking route in Yosemite. Every day 400 permits to climb half Dome’s steel cable staircase are issued. The hike is so popular up to Nevada Falls (at the 3 mile point of the 8 mile hike to Half Dome) that the trail is actually paved. The juxtaposition of my grubbiness and speed to the pristine condition of the hikers around me was fun to experience. The trail climbed straight up the river valley, passing through a short tunnel then emerged into the mist trail.

There the pounding of Nevada Falls coated hikers in an air-conditioned fine spray. Then straight up a stone staircase to the plateau above Nevada Falls. The fine engineers of Yosemite knew that the straightest line between two points was the fastest way to get there. They shared none of their PCT brethren’s affection for switchbacks.

A fine swim in a deep pool above the falls capped that part of the hike and reawakened the senses. All the while battling aggressive, engorged squirrels intent on reading our snack bags. Read the sad, cautionary tale of a teenager who had been swept over the Nevada Falls on June 1, and whose body had yet to be found. More straight stair climbing brought us above yet another falls and then a straight march to the trail juncture for Half Dome. As bears were known to roam here we piled our packs on top of a very large boulder, perhaps out of their reach.

Unburdened, and with climbing papers of dubious quality, we flew the 2 miles up Half Dome.The path morphed more from a wide thoroughfare to a narrow stone staircase and finally the famous steel cable route. The last family of four on the mountain were just exiting the cable route as we arrived. They graciously turned the keys to the dome over to us. With leftover gloves we scampered up. The climb up looks tough and it is tough. Every year there are fatalities from falls and lightning strikes. I was impressed with the wide variety of skills and capabilities that make the climb every day.

On top, a giant boulder playground to run about. But first a rotating sit down. It took quite a while to soak in the 360° of awe. Such a sweep of mountains. I strolled through the cairn towers of rocks that commemorated the dead ancestors of climbers. Added a few myself. Then a nap on a slope that overlooked the Yosemite Valley. But all good things run out of time. As the sun went down so did we. Ass first or face first is the choice. Ass first is the bigger thrill, I’ll leave it to the imagination which we chose.

On solid ground we raced the dark back to rescue our packs. Reburdened we took off in the moonlight in search of water, rumored to be scarce along this trail. After a mile the rumors proved misleading. Flatness abounded amongst the pines for a bedroom, couscous on someone’s leftover fire, and to sleep in record time, satisfied with a day well played.

Steve Halteman
On the Pacific Crest Trail
Hiking the PCT for the Kids of Escuela Verde

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