grandmoogus: Yosemite

Gird your loins for some vertigo, for today is the day when Kyria goes up Half Dome for the first time, with her dad, who did it with cousin Andrea several years ago; 1992? 1993? Anyway; I'll break you in easy with my walks and bikings, which I did while they climbed, and then I'll let Jeffery's camera show you what they did. This also was the day when Gma Barbara drove up to be with us for the rest of our vacation, so it was a big day!

North Dome and Washington Column from our campsite in Lower Pines.

Ready to climb!

I wended down to the bus stop trail head amidst the dogwoods

turned left at the sign

and headed up the trail, which was not steep (yay!)

This was a first glimpse of Mirror Lake.

beyond Mirror Lake, I trekked along the base of Half Dome, which is this granite rubble pile. The mountain shown here is Mt. Watkins, and it's like another El Capitan in it's size and grandeur

Looking up at Half Dome, waving to Kyria and Jeffery. Can you find Yoda in this photo?

this reflection is in Mirror Lake

standard shot of Half Dome from the Meadow

totally impressive trail section, but it is slippery with granite powder

I am back to Camp, with Yosemite Falls in the far distance

I went on to take a bike ride all over the place, but my camera whited out shots I took, so I'll only show you one. More of the same views will be shown when Gma, Matt and Wendie arrive and we take tours around.

high water marker for 1997

Okay, here we go, up Half Dome! Most of the shots don't really need captions

First snack/water break

climb, girl! The double peak at the far right is Cloud's Rest, which looks so different from this angle!

looking back down to where they came from to where the cables begin

to the top!

looking back down

they made it!!!

there's a tiny Kyria on the rock stack jutting out over Mirror Lake below in the Tenaya Creek canyon

zoom up on her; see her now?

Jeffery at the top, 8836 feet above sea level

Jeffery was fascinated by the glacial leavings at the top; it seems so smooth, but it has evidence of Geology everywhere

hurts bad, doesn't it? the drop, the majesty, the accomplishment. wow!

wah, my tummy! Kyria wished she'd grabbed some gloves for the cables from the pile at the bottom, which people leave for the next climber

Jeffery on the cables. He grabbed gloves. Think of passing another hiker on this descent. Eeek! I couldn't even look at Half Dome without getting tummy flutters, thinking of them on the slick surface.