| |
|
| | |
|
| Hiking | 5.76 Miles |
2,615 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.76 Miles | 4 Hrs 33 Mns | | 1.62 mph |
| 2,615 ft AEG | 1 Hour Break | | | |
|
|
| |
| Partners |
|
[ show ]
| partners | | After meeting a group of others who had summited during the full moon last July, I decided this was a must for me. I planned an entire Yosemite trip around the June full moon, and it was truly a memorable experience! Thursday night/Friday morning was the full moon night, and the central part of the backpacking plan was to be on Half Dome then.
We got up just before 3am and started the short 2.5 mile hike from our camp at Sunrise Junction. It was chilly, but great for hiking up the relentless climb to subdome. The moonlight was excellent, but not particularly helpful in the wooded areas, requiring us to use our headlamps the entire way. Once on subdome, the moon was plenty bright on the granite, but only for a short while as most of the remainder of the hike was in the shadow of Half Dome itself!
There were a couple of other groups of people making the ascent, but we were ahead of them all. Looking back across the park it was neat to see headlamps dotting the landscape across the few miles all the way back to Little Yosemite Valley.
9L summited first, followed by Larry and Kyle. Liz and I followed. Once up top, I forced myself to enjoy the summit beer I had dragged around with me for a couple of days, though it was a little rough at first!  The sky lightened steadily, and finally the sun rose over Clouds Rest. We stayed on top and watched the long shadows as they stretched across the park before heading back down and getting a couple of more hours of sleep.
This was an awesome experience! Extra kudos to Kyle and Liz who hadn't previously been on Half Dome. For a first ascent at night ... I salute you!  |
| _____________________
| I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies. |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
