For anyone looking for a good, long hike~ pick Half Dome in Yosemite! Last Monday, Richard, his 3 roommates, and I ventured out to Yosemite to hike Half Dome. It was the most gorgeous hike I have ever been on! In total it was about a 17 mile hike for us, and so worth it!
The first 3 miles you get to hike by gorgeous waterfalls, and are climbing stone cut stairs.
The last 400 ft. of the climb you hike up a granite face, using cables to keep you steady. (Pictures don't show just how steep it is!) I was not prepared for the fear that came with that portion of the hike! Never in my life have I been a scardy-cat about heights, but seeing this last part made it hard for me to breathe and my eyes were burning with tears. I tried going up the cables, but only made it up a few feet before I had to turn back so that I didn't have a panic attack. Richard and the boys were brave though and went up the whole way.
With about 3 miles to go on our way back down the mountain side, I bumped into a bee while it was flying midair. This was not a good move. The bee stung my hand, and never before have I ever felt so much pain!! I think the Lord was trying to teach me compassion or something, and boy did he find a good way to do so! I thought the effects of the bee sting would dissipate after the first few hours, but no... my hand only increased in size and pain. On the third day, my hand was so swollen that I couldn't bend my fingers down. My hand looked like a rubber glove filled with water (you know, the fingers are skinny, but the palm is just massive!) It was insane. Now I know that I am a bit allergic to bee stings.
Despite the killer bee sting and scary vertical assent, the hike was incredibly beautiful. It was well worth the time and energy! Try it some day!
(*Please excuse the random order of these pictures! After battling with my computer for a while I gave up....)
2 comments:
These are GREAT pictures!!! What an exciting adventure! I think that one picture shows how steep it is going up the face of the dome. No wonder they have cables! The ground would be littered with bodies like old cars that tumble off a cliff and stay there rusting away forever.
Those pictures make me tired and scared just looking at them. It makes me grateful that my bed is only 3 feet off the ground....not 9 million like your hike. It especially makes me grateful that you are alive and lived through that brutal and incredibly freaky hike.
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