Ashley

The time before I stayed in Curry Village was spent in an RV. Personally, I was more afraid of bears while in the RV than I was in my tent-cabin at Curry Village!

It was no 5-star hotel, that’s for sure, but I really enjoyed the chance to sleep as close I could to nature with as many amenities of home as I could ever wish for (a comfortable bed, a warm blanket, a soft pillow and a hot shower are all I ask).

To hike Half Dome is a major accomplishment for me. I’ve never done something so physically demanding before, and I probably won’t again for a while.

I woke up at 5am to leave with my group so that we could set out at 7am. I kept up with the front of the line for a while, but I was out of shape then (and I’m even worse now), so after about one or two miles I fell to a slower pace with a group of 5 or 6 of the 40 people I was at Yosemite with.

We had an interesting time talking and hiking and taking pictures and taking our time getting up the mountain. With about 2.5 miles left to go, most of them decided they probably wouldn’t make it to the Dome in time (it was probably about noon or so at that time, and it looked like thunderstorms were brewing) and decided to turn back. After everything I’d seen and how far I’d gone, I couldn’t imagine turning back, and so I pushed on.

The cable climb was one of the more frightening parts of the hike, but I figured since the hundred or so other people there could do it (no, no joke — that’s a low estimate, too), so could I. I was so, so grateful that I’d finished. The view from the top is absolutely breathtaking, as cliche as that sounds. I almost decided to stand on one of the higher rocks up there and scream just from the joy of having done it.

The walk back was no picnic, but it was also immensely fun. I took an alternate route back down and went past the falls, and I felt like my heart would explode from the joy of such natural beauty everywhere I turned (of course, at that time I was also severely sunburnt (I ended up with a series of blisters on my shoulders), extremely tired, thirsty and beginning to develop nasty blisters on the soles of my feet).

I don’t think I’ll ever forget that trip. I am so, so glad that I went, and I hope I can go again when I’m in better shape to better enjoy what I saw.

At this point in my life, this is probably one of my favorite places in the world. I’ve had two chances to visit and I loved both of them. I’ve taken a rock climbing class (highly recommended) and hiked Half Dome, and there’s still so much for me to do!

My favorite memory is of the night before Half Dome. Despite knowing full well that I needed to be up at 5am to make a good start on Half Dome, I went out late at night with friends to sit in one of the fields by Curry Village. We watched the stars and the Milky Way — the only place I’ve ever been where you can see them so clearly it’s as if they were etched onto glass right in front of you — and listened to the mice, and fell into the lull that good friends do, basking in the silence after laughter and just enjoying life.

I intend to go here again, and again, and again.