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El Capitan Last Hurrah

The Big Wall boys are at it again. Hans Florine and Alex Honnold are up and trying their hardest to capture the speed record for the El Cap Nose.  On Tuesday, they completed the 2,900-foot climb in 2 hours, 37 minutes, 30 seconds. This was 45 seconds slower than the existing record of 2:36:45 set by Dean Potter and Sean Leary last November. The whole measurement is not an Olympic sanctioned event with precise chronometers. It’s really an honor system using a simple digital counter found on any $20 TIMEX. But there is honor among them. Click on –  click off.

The boys may try it again this weekend if the weather cooperates. This could be the last big push up El Cap for 2011. Cold wet rocks aren’t good for finger holds.

On the medical front. Every day gets better, but it looks like my knee will be the gating factor for long term recovery. I’m being watched for fluid in the lung cavity – I get a CT scan Friday. Doctor asked if I have taking the pain meds. Well, no … I want to tough it out. He says that’s dumb. No one gets an award for …

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Happy Halfdomeween

Veteran Domer, Melissa J. was strolling through the pumpkin patch and became fixated with the shape of a certain plant. It was calling out to her – C A R VE    M E.  She and her sister blazed up Half Dome in July, and like many of us, got obsessed with the rock. She took this pumpkin, grabbed her tools and began to transform it into the Half Dome logo. This is quality work. My costume for 2011?  A train wreck.

 

Thanks for sharing – See you on top in 2012.

 

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “I was working in the lab late one night, when my eyes beheld an eerie sight. For my monster from his slab began to rise and suddenly to my surprise: He did the mash. He did the Monster Mash. It was a graveyard smash. It caught on in a flash. He did the mash – he did the Monster Mash.” – Bobby “Boris” Pickett 

*MrHalfDome™ – Rick Deutsch – www.HikeHalfDome.com

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome

 

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Alex Honnold on CBS recap

To request, trade or give permits, Click HERE.

 

Whew. What did yall think of the Alex Honnold segment on 60 Minutes? You can stream the show in a day or so. I hope he got paid a bundle for that. Did you see the GoPro cameras? I have a head mounted one that I filmed going up the Half Dome cables. See my YouTube. It’s been viewed 2400 times. This should help first timers understand the difficulty.  Hardly the same as Brother Alex. 

CBS has a segment on line called Overtime. Watch it now <here>.  It’s an interview with a cameraman – they used 16 cameras total to film Honnold.

Got extra permits? Help fellow blog readers–>

Wanted –  2 permits for Oct 10. Graham  (415) 816-3606

Wanted – 2 or more permits for Oct 7, 8 or 9. cojohnso@gmail.com

Wanted – up to 4 permits for Oct 8. missdorali@gmail.com

Wanted – 3 permits for Oct 8, 9, or 10th. hake.kris@gmail.com

Wanted – 2 permits for Oct 8 or 9, zacharycarstensen@hotmail.com

Wanted – 2 permits for Oct 8. kristiabwolf@gmail.com

Wanted – 3 permits for Oct 8. daosofan@gmail.com

Wanted – 4 permits for Oct 8 or …

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On Half Dome – Just like Dad

To request, trade or give permits, Click HERE.

Today we feature a guest blog from Kathy T. of Sacramento. She has doggedly trained for the Half Dome hike and squeezed it in between downpours. This hike was a mini-bucket list achievement. I’ll share why at the end. Congrats to Kathy, Mike & Missy!

“We had planned our hike of Half Dome for almost two years.  I bought everyone in our group Rick’s book and we studied it as if for a final exam. After many starts and stops and many weather-related delays (permits for June 15, 2011 – cables not put up until June 22nd, wah!) we finally realized our dream!   

We arrived at Housekeeping camp to a downpour, thunder and lightning on 9/11, our permits were for the following day.  There was 30% chance of isolated thunderstorms for our permit day so we assumed that we would not make it.  We arose at 3 a.m. and left the parking lot nearest Happy Isles at 4:20.  We hiked in the dark until just below the split above Nevada Fall.  We reached the ranger at the base of sub dome in about 6-hours. It took us about 40 more …

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Successful Half Dome hike

Half Dome – Yosemite Musing

To request, trade or give permits, Click HERE.

** I will be out of the country Sep 18 – Oct 2 but will try to write the blog. I may be late in approving permit requests.*** 

Hear me now and listen to me later . . .  If you think you will be hiking Half Dome in 2012 – I suggest you book a tent cabin NOW. They are already getting filled for weekend dates in June. Really. You will be charged the first night’s fee but you can cancel within 7 days of arrival and get your money back. Join my June 23, 2012 hike! Permits?? We’ll deal with that once the Half Dome Stewardship Plan is approved.

Today I feature another Guest Blog. Not because I’m lazy, but because I think readers can get a lot out of hearing other hikers stories. I KNOW newbies are scared bonkers… but YOU can do this hike.   Let’s hear from John D. and his experience. Try to learn from it.

 

Three of us made it up to the top of Half Dome on Sat Sept 10th.  It rained Friday …

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A crummy commercial???

First, I want to thank the nearly 1,000 daily readers of this bloog for carving out a few minutes each day to stop by. I love writing these notes. It takes me about an hour to research a topic and prepare the blog. But I learn by the process. I am still open to guest blogs. If you have a morsel to share about Yosemite or Half Dome, send me an email.

Yes, fans, tonight is a commercial. I gotta pay the bills. If you are new here, you noticed that I post no ads on my website or blog. WordPress does if you don’t subscribe. But not me. I am just sharing knowledge. But it does cost a few coins to run the good ship Half Dome. Why, my little dog, Yosey (as in Yosemite), is begging for kibble.

You can help send him to obedience camp by patronizing my humble store. I designed these nifty 4-color 2-sided Haynes Beefy TShirts and offer them at $20. They are sick. (My nephew’s term.) I will put my design up against anything you will find at the park from Asian firms. Buy American!

    I went over to Bldg 4 and …

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