An odd sight this bustling holiday weekend at Yosemite National Park will be Half Dome with no people following the cable route to the top of the iconic granite monolith.
That's because the cables, which typically are in place by now, have not yet been installed and will not be installed for about two weeks because snow has not yet melted along the trail to Half Dome and on a portion of trail just below where the cables generally begin, creating unsafe conditions.If it seems as though Yosemite is being overly cautious, it's clear that the park is being exceedingly cautious as it strives--after four deaths in four years on Half Dome--to make conditions safer for the thousands who make the pilgrimage to Yosemite each year specifically to attempt the challenging 16-mile round-trip hike.
For the first time, permits will be required to hike to the top of Half Dome on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and federal holidays. This interim measure--the park is developing a long-term plan to manage use on the Half Dome Trail--is to alleviate overcrowding, which can lead to falls.
Permits can only be acquired, for a service fee of $1.50, via the National Recreation Reservation Service. No more than 400 permits per day (slightly above the average weekday usage rate) will be issued. Backpackers obtaining wilderness permits can receive a Half Dome permit with no additional reservation required. Rock climbers who reach the top of Half Dome without entering the subdome area can descend using the cables without a permit.
Half Dome news aside, Yosemite is expecting a very large crowd this weekend and the park urges visitors to arrive before 10 a.m. or late in the afternoon to avoid long lines at entrance points. They can also utilize the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation system. Glacier Point Road opens for the first time this season today at noon. Tioga Road, however, remains closed because of snow.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo of Half Dome courtesy of Kenny Karst
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