For work this weekend, Gary and I guided a group of fathers and their sons on a three-day backpacking trip to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. It happens to be the most physically demanding itinerary I’ve operated all summer (funny that I chose this one to carry the extra weight of my camera). But after getting a glimpse of the shots below, you’ll see why. Yosemite is breathtaking.

Fathers and sons start the crazy steep climb to the top of Half Dome – can’t believe the NPS let’s visitors to the park do this (note that the dad’s are in the back…)

Looking back without letting go of the cables – slick granite smoothed from thousands of climbers is super sketchy

Where’s Joy? (Hint: look for stick white legs draped over 4,000 feet of air from the end of the King’s Chair)
The Stats:
Hiked 5 to 12 miles each day for three days with elevation gains from 800 to 2,700 feet a day and elevation losses from 800 to 4,000 feet a day
Cloud’s Rest summit elevation – 9,900ish
Half Dome summit elevation – 8,800ish
So ends a perfect weekend. Till the next…