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Has anyone hiked Half Dome this summer? I'm curious if they are enforcing the new permit system. I'm planning on heading to Yosemite to hike Half Dome near the end of September. My plan is to hike Half Dome on a Thursday (no permit needed) and then spend a couple of additional days in the park. I'm concerned bad weather or other circumstances would prevent me from making the hike. I want that 2nd day just in case...that would fall on a Friday (permit required). All permits are sold out according to the website below.

So has anyone been up Half Dome in the past few weeks. The permit system just started this year and they opened the cables around June 14thish.

Permit Info
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm

Yes, the NPS will more than likely have someone checking permits to spread the word about enforcement.

I hope you like lines, permit or not it will be very crowded.

The Disneyland of the Sierras...

Wow that looks like a killer hike judging by the video! "Tennis shoes are not good enough" HA! let me at in Tevas!

Bet there's always a few rangers out and about. Looks like the $5,000 permit is the only one up for grabs unless you tear your pack a little and go with "a bear ate it".

The last time I was there was 2002 and there was a ranger camping nearby the entire week...I can't say if anything has changed, though.

I just found a comment on another website that says two rangers camp at the base of the sub dome during the weekend. They are checking permits.
http://www.everytrail.com/guide/half-dome-hike#

Hopefully I can hike Half Dome on the Thursday I'll be there. If not I'll do some other hikes like maybe Clouds Rest or North Dome. It's really a win win situation. I just have this little obsession with HD right now and would like to satisfy it so I can move on with my life!

John9L wrote:It's really a win win situation.

that's the spirit, have fun

John9L wrote:If not I'll do some other hikes like maybe Clouds Rest

i cannot recommend hiking clouds rest enough. it is a spectacular hike.

fricknaley wrote:i cannot recommend hiking clouds rest enough.

say it isn't so!
No more Fraley Skys

John9L wrote:Hopefully I can hike Half Dome on the Thursday I'll be there. I just have this little obsession with HD right now and would like to satisfy it so I can move on with my life!

I do hope you can!
I had that obsession once and it was well worth the wait and memories forever after.. igallery/image_page.php?id=4289

fricknaley wrote:

John9L wrote:If not I'll do some other hikes like maybe Clouds Rest

i cannot recommend hiking clouds rest enough. it is a spectacular hike.

That's for sure!

I satisfied my obession! I hiked Half Dome on Thursday, Sept 30. It was an amazing experience! See my triplog for details. Luckily I did not need to worry about having a permit. There were plenty of people up there but it was never overly crowded. Hopefully they leave the weekdays with open access.

On my hike down it occured to me that I accomplished my goal but in a way I feel like I'm just getting started. A new obsession is going to take over...preferably something closer to home. The Grand Canyon is calling! I want to get away from the main corridor and hit the less traveled trails...and there are many! New Hance might be a good start. :GB: Besides GC I want to take a peak at Zion. Angel's Window and others. There is so much and so little time! :STP:

New Hance to Grandview was my second GC hike, about 16 years ago. It is a good one. Several water sources. Easier if you have 2 cars to do the shuttle. If just doing a quickie backpack, camp 1st night at river, 2nd night at Horseshoe Mesa.

"Great" news
This year they require permits not only on weekends, but 7 days a week. Cables are supposed to be up on May 27. They have opened reservations for May-June today at 8am MST and now the website shows no available permits for this timeframe. It might be a website glitch, but if it's not and you want to go up there then be sure to reserve your permit in the morning of the first day when permits become available...

Hey Andrey

Thanks for posting up! I was able to get a Half Dome permit for late June. I was ready at my computer right at 8am and was lucky to get one! It looks like they sold out in less then five minutes. The good thing is they are releasing the permits in waves. Permits for July will be available April 1st at 7am Pacific Time. Getting a permit is definitely a hassle but I think they need to do something to restrict bottlenecks. We'll see how it goes when I get there. I can't wait. And we need to hike again soon! Humphreys was a good time last summer.

Here is a link to the permits.
http://www.recreation.gov/

I'm going to be in Yosemite a few weeks before the supposed opening. The bad news for the May folks is that there still may be too much snow in the Sierras then. The Sierras have been pounded with snow, and not the dry powdery stuff either. The great news is that the waterfalls will be going bonkers until at least July. Here in Northern California we've got another storm system moving in tonight, and another one right behind next week. My backpack at Point Reyes next weekend is looking doubtful....