(Round trip, 20 miles--12 hours)
From the time Yosemite was discovered, the mile-high summit of Half
Dome was regarded as unattainable. The few mountaineers who attempted
its ascent returned saying it would never be climbed. Finally there
came a young Scotchman, Captain George C. Anderson, with an
irrepressible determination to accomplish the feat. After all methods
of clinging to the smooth, steeply inclined granite had failed he
procured drills, hammer and eye-bolts, and set out to reach the summit
by rising from peg to peg. Slowly his ladder grew and finally his goal
was reached on October 12, 1875. Anderson was so enthused over the
wonderful dome and the sublime views from the summit that he
constructed a trail to "The Saddle," from whence his pegs led to the
top. Here he determined to build a hotel, but his untimely death in a
lonely cabin in Little Yosemite prevented its completion.
In 1883 the pegs were swept away by a great, avalanche. Some were
later replaced by daring climbers, but the ascent remained so
dangerous that it was seldom attempted. From 1899 no ascents were made
until 1912, when two adventurous youths fastened ropes to the few
remaining pegs and attained the summit. Following this, the dome was
frequently climbed. In 1919 a public-spirited citizen of San Francisco
donated the money to build a first-class trail to the summit. This was
constructed under the auspices of the Sierra Club, and the once
perilous ascent finally made safe to all.
The round trip to the summit is one of the most thrilling and scenic
one-day Yosemite excursions. Parties should start early and carry
canteens. From ~Happy Isles~ the main ~Glacier Point Trail~ (Trail
Trip 1) should be followed (take the Mist Trail if walking) to the top
of the ~Nevada Falls~ zigzags. Here we turn left and follow the
~Clouds Rest Trail~ (Trail Trip 5). A climb of 800 feet above the
Little Yosemite Valley takes us to a small stream. About 200 yards
further, in a fine grove of Jeffrey pine and incense cedar, the Clouds
Rest Trail bears to the right along a bench, while our trail climbs
the long switchbacks to the left. The remaining 500-foot climb is thru
dense forest. Anderson's old trail crosses our route in one place and
zigzags up the hillside about a quarter mile eastward. Just below the
ridge and about 200 yards to the right of the trail is a spring near
the big pile of stones, which are the only relics of Captain
Anderson's camp. Canteens should be filled here, as no water will be
found higher. A short climb takes us to the crest of the ridge at the
lowest point between ~Quarter Domes~ (Alt. 8276 and 8160) at the
northeast and ~Half Dome~ at the southwest.
At the ridge top is a forest of lodgepole pine and a sudden transition
to pure fir as we cross to the northwestern slope where the climate is
more severe. Climbing beneath these firs we suddenly emerge at the
crest and obtain a wide view of the ~High Sierra~ on one side and the
depths of ~Tenaya Canyon~ on the other. A few minutes' walk along the
open ridge takes us to the rustic entrance which marks the beginning
of the foot trail. The pile of timbers and boards nearby were hewn and
split by Captain Anderson to be used for his Half Dome Hotel. The
foot-trail now climbs abruptly 250 feet by short zigzags and stairs to
"~The Saddle~," along the crest of which we continue to the base of
the final ascent.
If tennis shoes are to be used they should be put on at this point.
The tool-box nearby contains ropes and safety belts for the use of the
public, but the ascent is perfectly safe without them.
From here an 800-foot double cable railing with iron posts every ten
feet leads to the top. On the steep slopes are footholds, and at one
place a fifty-foot ladder carries us over the most dangerous part of
the ascent. Turning to the right at the top of the cableway we follow
the monuments across the surprisingly flat summit to the brink of the
great northeast face, where we find an overhanging shelf of granite.
The panorama at all sides is inexpressibly grand, but some of the
valley features suffer by being dwarfed in the great distances below.
The descent should be started not later than 3 to 4 p.m. in order to
reach Yosemite before dark.