We departed late (10:00pm) from the valley floor...with much encouragement from Jenna we made the top (8 plus miles) somewhere near 4:00pm. We were actually alone up there for dinner...an amazing place. The weather crowned the mountain with calm, warm air, and an arriving storm which displayed a double rainbow of to the south-east. And we DO have pictures of it!
Getting back was another story. Walking as fast as my worn legs would move, we covered only about 4 miles before dark...leaving 4 more in the moonless (but clear sky) evening. In short, we couldn't see a thing! My first aid kit mag lite (an AAA single cell) gave enough light...just enough. Lucky for us, we caught up with a pair of climbers (like ropes/pitons). They had two good lights, and one was very sick, with shakey legs, fever etc. We were able to partner with them. I shared a trekking pole which he could use as a crutch, and we carried his (light) pack for part of the trip, arriving at the trailhead at 10:30pm...phew 12 hours on the trail!
It was worth it. See the pictures below...and you'll understand HOW worthwhile it was.
The Left side is very small images...the full size (200K and up) are on the right side...good for desktop wallpaper but 200-400K
Small |
Notes |
Large |
| Small | Panorama looking East, most of the way up. Stiched three pictures together and reduced resolution | LARGE! |
| Small | Pete at Lower Falls--still smiling (16 miles still not sunk in!) | LARGE! |
| Small | Amazing picture of Jenna on Halfdome with a double rainbow behind her | LARGE! |
| Small | Jenna besides first of two large falls falls | LARGE! |
| Small | 3 Pete by Waterfall...needs to be rotated | LARGE! |
| Small | 4 Jenna by Waterfall...in the "dark" | LARGE! |
| Small | 5 East View from 2/3 up to Halfdome | LARGE! |
| Small | 6 East View from 2/3 up to Halfdome thru tree | LARGE! |
| Small | 7 Nice East View from 2/3 up to Halfdome Tree Framed | LARGE! |
| Small | 8 Wide View from Near Top to East | LARGE! |
| Small | 9 Up The Tough "Last Nine Yards" Before the Cables | LARGE! |
| Small | 10 Great View East with Big Pine and GRANITE (good wallpaper for your machine!) | LARGE! |
| Small | 11 Pretty East View 2/3 up (part of stiched Panorama) | LARGE! |
| Small | 12 Pretty East View 2/3 up (part of stiched Panorama) | LARGE! |
| Small | 13 Pretty East View 2/3 up (part of stiched Panorama) | LARGE! |
| Small | 14 Pretty North East View 2/3 up | LARGE! |
| Small | 15 Best of Pete Standing on "the Edge" (3000 ft drop) | |
| Small | 16 Pete Standing on "the Edge" (3000 ft drop) | |
| Small | 17 Jenna Standing on the Edge | |
| Small | 18 Jenna on the Edge | |
| Small | 19 Closeup of Jenna on the Edge | |
| Small | 20 Pete with feet over the edge (Needs Rotating) | |
| Small | 21 Better Pete with feet over the edge | |
| Small | 22 Yet another Pete's feet over the edge | |
| Small | 23 Jenna relaxed up on top | |
| Small | 24 Good closeup of Jenna up on top with east background | |
| Small | 25 Great shot East-North-East of granite canyons | |
| Small | 26 Great shot East-North-East of granite canyons | |
| Small | 27 Great shot East-North-East of granite canyons | |
| Small | 28 Pete on top (closeup) (Needs Rotating) | |
| Small | 29 "The Diving Board" outcrop over Yosemite Valley | |
| Small | 30 The Forest Fire Smoked Yosemite Valley | |
| Small | 31 The Forest Fire Smoked Yosemite Valley | |
| Small | 32 "The Diving Board" outcrop over Yosemite Valley | |
| Small | 33 The Yosemite Valley from Halfdome | |
| Small | 34 Jenna on the Edge of Halfdome | |
| Small | 35 Great shot of Granite Valley East North East | |
| Small | 36 Closeup of Jenna on the Halfdome Summit | |
| Small | 37 A Leg by the Precipice | |
| Small | 38 Spectacular: Jenna at Halfdome Summit with Rainbow | |
| Small | 39 Pete at Halfdome Summit with Rainbow |
(pete-spam@asprey.net) / 3/12/99
