Trips
Hike For Discovery - Half Dome Trail
This is a strenuous all day hike that involves 18 miles of hiking and a 4,800 climb and descent. Because of the length and difficulty of the hike a 6 AM start is mandatory as well as a firm 1 PM turn around time.
The hike begins at the hikers parking lot just east of Curry Village. 
A level 1 mile brings us to Happy Isles and a bridge crossing the Merced River. Immediately after crossing the bridge we'll follow the trail down and right a couple of hundred 
yards to the beginning of the John Muir Trail and the beginning of the serious up hill. A strenuous 3/4 mile brings us to the bridge below Vernal Fall with a photo stop, drinking fountain and rest room. There is a junction here with the The Mist Trail which is the shorter but much more strenuous trail to the top of Nevada Fall that will be used on the descent but we'll continue on the Muir Trail to the top of Nevada Fall.
Moderate switchbacks lead up the talus to the base of the Panorama Wall and the trail follows to its east edge and a view of MT. Broderick, Liberty Cap and Nevada Fall. A few more moderate switch backs leads to a level section, a cut through the nearly vertical rock face with great views of Liberty Cap and finally to the bridge over the Merced River just above Nevada Fall. Another 1/4 mile leads to the junction with the Mist Trail and a rest room at 3.5 miles from Happy Isles. A few more switch backs lead to a saddle, a short down hill section and a sandy, level mile through Little Yosemite Valley to the start of the climb to Half Dome.
A few steep switchbacks lead to more moderate switchbacks and then a trail junction a couple of miles up the hill.
Along the way we start getting our first views of the high, back-country peaks. At the junction we go left and after a half mile or so come to a year around spring and the last place to get water. Continuing up more switchbacks we finally come to the ridge top between the Merced and Tenaya Canyons and spectacular views of MT. Watkins and Yosemite Valley. At the base of the East Shoulder of Half Dome, a short distance beyond, the views of Yosemite Valley and the high country become truly expansive.
At the East Shoulder the climb once again becomes serious as we switch back up the steep, narrow trail literally built on the side of the rock face. After another half mile we come to the last climb, the famous cables. The view from the top is a 360 degree panorama stretching over almost all of Yosemite's 760,000 acres and, on a clear day, from the Coast Range to the Sierra Crest a few miles from Nevada.
After lunch, a rest and lots of photos we follow the route back to the junction with the Mist Trail. Turning down the Mist Trail we follow steep, rocky switchbacks with great views of Nevada Fall to a more gentle section of trail and eventually the top of Vernal Fall. After a short stop to enjoy the view down the fall we have a short climb then down steep steps for a half mile to the junction with the Muir Trail which we follow back to Happy Isles. You'll need to plan on being out between 10-11 hours.
We hope you will join us this year for a great cause in one of the worlds most beautiful places!