Top of Half Dome
After descending back with Paul to the floor from below Nevada Falls I decided that I won’t let the Half Dome permit slip away. Paul had to leave to get his eyes checked and since we carpooled I left without a car. That’s when I picked up my extra MountainSmith Day TDS lumbar pack with 3 large water bottles and Paul also gave me some bug spray and $20 cash. My idea was that I befriend someone on the way hopefully who’ll head back to Fresno, or worst case I’ll hitchhike. I did befriend the few people who were still there. Both the solo girl from South Africa and solo guy Nikki from Austria were heading back to only the Little Yosemite Valley level, because they obtained their Half Dome permit through a wilderness permit and they were camping there. The runner employee from the Maintenance Camp obviously wouldn’t head down to Fresno (BTW, please send me a text dude, I didn’t get yours because I didn’t have data connection). He had a cowbell, which was great because there was bear spotting on the way. I reached the cable section just 10 minutes before the ranger was about to leave. He checked my permit, and I learned that it’s theoretically not valid because either the permit holder (primary) or the alternate holder (he called that secondary) has to be there. Katie was the primary and I’m pretty sure the secondary was her husband J.K., they could not come. Paul had to leave so I was alone. The ranger let me climb the cables though and I even solicited a pair of gardening gloves. He had a full backpack of scrap gloves, but I figured that they had more rubber surface than the cycling gloves I brought. If this was the Mount Everest I’d be dead, the sun was really getting low, so I didn’t spend as much time on the top as I wanted to, so I need to visit again. So I started to descend quickly and gradually left behind the South African girl and Nikki branched off as well (to camp at the Upper Yosemite section, they both got their Half Dome pass as part of a Wilderness Permit and stayed up there as part of a longer stay), and that’s when we teamed up with the cowbell runner (I forgot your name, send me a text). It was the exact same schedule when we descended 2 years before with my twin brother. The sun went down, and I knew we had still about 20-30 minutes and we got through the slippery section of the Mist Trail. When we reached the stone bridge with the faucets I had to put on the head lamp and we ran with that from then on. There were only some Irish groups behind us, they were surprisingly fast and had headlamps. Also there was an Asian couple we passed. Originally I had not thought in a million years I’ll need the head lamp again. But the initial “warmup” took 2.5 hours and I could really start only around 1:15 PM. The bus was just at the bus stop, I quickly gave my number to the employee (it’s hard to explain my name) and the bus driver told me there was a bus leaving soon to Fresno from the Yosemite Lodge. This was around 8:30 PM. He was nice enough that he phoned another shuttle bus driver and that driver phoned that bus to wait for me. The shuttle bus driver shift ended, but after depositing all passengers he quickly shuttled me with the “out of service” bus to the Lodge. Unfortunately the bus left (I think they didn’t know I’ll get a fast shuttle and didn’t want to wait). The most interesting thing is that I was never able to find out what kind of bus that was. Both the Lodge and the Visitor Center kept telling me that there’s only YARTS, but I’m 100% sure the shuttle driver wasn’t hallucinating and there is a bus. This was a let down. I tried to contact my wife (to let her know I’m OK), Paul (in case of any miracle he is still in Yosemite) and my boss (I won’t be able to work the next day). There wasn’t phone reception, it was so flaky I was not able to communicate. Finally the Lodge let me use a public computer and for the first time in my life I logged into Gmail from a public computer, so I can send the message to my wife “I’m in a deep pickle”. I don’t have to mention that after the hardest hike (if we count the initial strenuous 2.5 “warmup” hike) of my life I was “kinda” tired. I tried for an hour to get a stable phone reception spot. Paul started to ascend, although GMaps told him 2:20 drive time (there are road closures). I went and had two full size meal dinners at the Lodge Food Court, serving closed at 9:30 PM. I realized they had Powerade in the fountain, they let me have a free drink (although the two full size meals were plenty enough money I left there).