“There are parts of Yosemite that are crowded, and then there’s most the rest of it.”
That was certainly the case in the 70s.
The only time I hiked to the top of Half Dome was in around 1978. No reservations required — just hike up. There were quite a few people going up the cables, but nothing like it turned into in later years.
I remember fumbling my camera lens cap and watching it roll down the granite. I started to reach for it when I dropped it, but caught myself.