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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2768322/posts
Charge him the full cost of rescue and really make him regret it.
Go up the mountain a liberal, come back down a conservative... or not at all.
My wife and I made the climb from the parking lot to the top and back—in 1993 at age 57 and 58—5:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Great weather and you go over the top of 2 waterfalls
Most memorable day of our lives
Last part on the cables is no big deal
Heck teenagers and oldsters like us do it
But the weather was great
I guess when the rocks are wet it can be a real problem but you have the cables to hold on to
But No way I would want to be on the top in a rain storm or thunder
You are completely exposed
Next year (May or June) a friend and I are hiking up Half Dome. We’re both very conservative so I think we’ll be smart enough to stop & turn around in bad weather as necessary.
Our wives want nothing to do with it, but maybe we can talk them into hiking up it too - they both dance.....
Where is the other half of the dome?
HEED! PANTS! NOW!
Less Pelosi, Boxer and Obama voters.
I say this somewhat regrettably as my daughter lives in Sunnyvale and has been on the dome in risky weather.
A father can only do so much with a 30-something.
‘”After the fact I realized it’s the wilderness and they’re not supposed to do anything, but I did go in expecting a little more of a warning,” said Castillo, who plans to return.’
They probably have a small sign at the bottom warning people not to make the climb up if bad weather threatens. Why not replace it with a sign right next to the trail that’s about 10 feet tall and about 15 feet wide saying something like this?
“13(make the number changeable) people have died climbing up Half Dome this year and 1000 have been rescued from 2007 to 2010. Why? Because they were a bunch of dumbasses (including salsa dancers) who ignored the approaching bad weather. Will you be next? TURN BACK NOW IF YOU DON’T WANT TO RISK YOUR LIFE. Rescues only available AFTER the bad weather has passed by. For your next rescue dial 1-800-IMADUMBASS. See you at the top! LOL!”
That hike looks crazy, and in the rain it would be nuts. There are some good Youtube videos of the hike.
Yikes!
I’ve done Half Dome a couple times, including the day in 2009 when Gina Bartiroma fell. We were on our way back when it started snowing and raining. We heard the helicopter come to rescue her. The scariest thing about the cables that day was the fact it took 45 minutes to climb what should have taken 15 because of the crowds. The granite on the route up the cables is counter top smooth in some areas. It is a safe climb in good weather, not so much when it’s wet.
My favorite trail sign is a the Whitney Portal trailhead. It says “PEOPLE DIE UP THERE”.
I actually cannot believe they let people up there, especially without gear and some skills.
schu