amproehl

We just did the hike to the top of Half Dome. We hiked up and camped in Little Yosemite Valley (LYV) for 2 nights as part of the hike. Camping in LYV offers several advantages over doing the entire hike from Yosemite Valley in one day. First in breaks the hike up into to tough but very manageable hikes. Second, camping in LYV puts you halfway there and allows you to beat the crowds on the day of your climb to the top. This is a big deal because climbing the cables is already scary and tough but gets even more so if you are stuck behind some slow or panicked people. We were on the trail by 6:30 and were at the top by 9 AM. There were only 3 people on the cables when we were climbing. On the way down, we had big smiles on our faces as we passed dozens of people who looked tired and intimidated by what they still had before them. We were back in camp by 2 and could see about 50 people up on the cables! The day before some guy passed out on the Cables and caused a massive delay for a bunch of people. Camping in LYV takes a bit more planning. The campground and trail are the most popular backcountry destinations in Yosemite. But its a beautiful hike and once you’re up there, you’ll be relaxed, able to enjoy the scenery or a dip in the beautiful Merced River. Its a much better schedule than the majority of people trying to do a very tough 17 mile round trip in 1 day.