Half Dome!

Finally got the chance to do Half Dome.  One of my bucket list items!!

As part of preparing for the Rim-to-Rim, I decided that it was time to do one of my bucket list hikes - Half Dome.  I mentioned this to a number of people, including Gary and Greg who are doing the Rim-to-Rim with me.  Almost everyone that I asked said they wanted to do it - including my brother and family who were planning a trip out from Utah.  Very quickly we were up to 18 people!

The first step is getting enough permits.  I asked everyone who is going, along with their non hiking spouses, to apply.  We ended up with 17 submissions (we had a few people under 18 applying, so with non hiking spouses, that got us to this number).  For more, go to the Half Dome Permits page.  Long story short, we ended up with 3 permits, just enough.  All of the submissions really paid off.

The next step was to make sure that everyone is ready.  This is a challenging hike.  It is 14-16 miles with about 5,000' of climbing. And to end it all off, you have to go up the cables to get to the top of the dome.  The group planning to go were all in pretty good shape. But most for this kind of hike.  So I shared as much information as I could on the hike, what others say about it, etc.  I think it was eye opening and really helped.

Here is the list that I shared with all of our hikers

• Water.  The recommendation is that you bring a gallon.  If you have a 3L CamelBak or similar, you should bring a bit more with you.  That's what I do.
• Electrolytes.  It is a good idea to add something to your water or include a drink with electrolytes.  I am a fan of Cytomax, but there are lots of other choices. I don't like to mix this in my CamelBak.  I instead carry a bottle or two that have it pre-mixed.
• Food.  You will need to eat.  Bring something that you have been eating on other hikes.  This is not a great time to try out something new.  I am a Cliff gel and bar fan.  I will bring some extra just in case.  I recommend eating regularly.  I like to eat every 45 minutes - 1 hour.
• Hat.  We will be on the trail for a long time, sometimes in the shade and sometimes in the sun.  Might be worth bringing a hat. I look really bad in a hat but will be wearing one - sorry.  I will put lotion on as well.
• Layers.  The temperature will vary a lot.  Best to bring layers so that you can take off or put on depending.
• Sticks.  The down is hard on the knees.  I will bring mine and will carry them on the up but use them on the down.
• Gloves.  You will need gloves for the cables. There are some at the beginning of the cables, but they are old and worn.  I recommend that you bring your own. I found a good article on gloves by a guy who has done half dome 40 times http://hikehalfdome.com/?s=Gloves. I went ahead and bought pairs for me and my kids. They are $6.12 on Amazon.
• Harnesses.  I don't think you need these, but do what makes you feel safe.  If you are thinking of bringing a harness, read the post from the same guy who wrote the one above.  Use a real mountaineering harness, a homemade system could be worse than none at all http://hikehalfdome.com/?s=Harness.

Everyone that hiked was well prepared.

We started the hike  just after 6:00am.  The weather was great.  Almost everyone wore shorts and t-shirts and we were fine.  We parked in the trailhead lot in Curry Village.  We all started off together, but pretty quickly started to spread out.  Some of us met up along the way, and did all see each other at the top (all but two who decided not to go up the cables).  We then left the top separately and met back up at the bottom.

A few things of note.

• We had a few people cramp.  Bring electrolytes.
• We all drank a lot of water.  You need a gallon or more.  There is no water (unless you filter) up the trail.
• Poles were definitely helpful on the down.
• Go early.  It gets busy in the afternoon.  And especially busy at the waterfalls on the way down.

This is a GREAT hike.  I am so glad that I did it.  It was hard, but with training, not impossible.  It took us about 4 hours to make it to the top and another 3 hours to make it back down.  The beginning up the falls was hard.  The sub-dome, up the zig zag was the hardest part.  The cables were intimidating but actually not that hard. We all spent time on top enjoying the incredible view and the accomplishment.


There are so many great hikes in Yosemite that I have not done.  I think that I will check a few of them off first, but will definitely do Half Dome again!

Training #3 - Pacific Crest Trail, Sonora Pass to Leavitt Lake

The next training hike I want to share is Pacific Crest Trail, Sonora Pass to Leavitt Lake.

I have been looking for more good training hikes, and given that I spend a good deal of time up in Twain Harte, wanted something reasonably close by.  This hike is about an hour away, up highway 108 to Sonora Pass.  It is 18-20 miles, starts at ~9600', and spends the full hike between that and maximum of 10,900'. There is a lot of elevation gain and loss along the way. Not an easy hike!

There are good places to park near the trailhead (38.327835, -119.63723), which is marked with a Sonora Pass sign.  Across the road is a parking area with camping and picnic tables.  And along the road there is room for a number of cars as well.

The hike starts out with some trees, wildflowers and stream crossings as you work your way quickly up above treeline.  From here, you really feel like you are in another world.  The views of the mountains are awesome.  The peaks are rugged.  The trails are rough and rocky.  There is snow left even after the mile winter that we had - some of which you get to cross:)

As you hike along you are likely to run into backpackers who have been on the trail for months.  Most that I ran into were making their way from Mexico to Canada.  They all seemed pleased to see a "day hiker" as that meant they were close to the  highway.  One asked me if there was a town close.  Seems that he had been thinking of a Coke for the last few days, and had been dreaming about a human sized piece of French toast!

I did this hike two weeks ago and again last week. I was totally unprepared last time.  I didn't have my CamelBak backpack, poles, hat, jacket or Cliff bars. I wore two tee shirts, shorts, took along three water bottles and two peanut butter sandwiches, and put all of this in a drawstring backpack. I didn't have a full charge for my phone and lost battery charge before completing the hike.  I didn't have my backup battery to recharge along the way.  Not too smart, but everything worked out ok.

This time had all of my regular hiking stuff, and was given a inReach Explorer two way satellite communicator with navigation for Father's Day.  The hike was great.  Much less stressful, although long.  The climb out from the lake was a tiring.  The way back was really nice!

Rim-to-Rim - Just the Facts

Looking for a hike that'll kick your ass and demand months of training? Head southwest and traverse the width of the Grand Canyon—here are 8 tips on how to do it. (Men's Fitness)

Thanks to www.JagatJoraJaal.com for the great picture above.

On to the facts about our Rim-to-Rim hike.

When: Early October
Distance: ~24 Miles
Direction: North to South
North Hotels: Grand Canyon Lodge - North Rim
South Hotels: Lots of Choices...
Depart: North Kaibab Trailhead (8241 feet)
Arrive: Bright Angel Trailhead (6860 feet)
Permit: Not Required (for a day hike)
Transportation: Our wives will drive around while we hike.  The drive is pretty long ~220 miles, 5 hours (an alternate is to take a Trans Canyon Shuttle).
Water: We will of course bring lots with us.  There are locations: North Kaibab at Cottonwood; in the valley at Phantom Ranch; and on Bright Angel at Indian Gardens.
Beer (and other stuff): Phantom Ranch:)

Here are maps that show the full route, distances, elevation, etc.

In future posts, I will get into our plans for food and hydration!

Poles or No Poles (aka Sticks, Trekking Poles)

How many times have you seen hikers with poles and thought - kind of whimpy...  I have.  I am now a believer.  I have changed my mind.  But it didn't start that way.

Since I started to take hiking more seriously, I have thought about whether I wanted or needed poles.  Knock on wood - I have never had any knee problems.  The worst I have had was a sore IT Band from riding my road bike a bit hard early in the season.  Nothing else.  So I didn't think that I needed them for my knees.  Even downhill has never been a problem.  And I have managed to stay in good enough shape that I assumed that I didn't need them to help me to finish a hike.

All of this started to change during a recent trip to Sedona.  I went to The Hike House to look at some new boots and to find a good trail.  While trying on just about every pair of boots in the store, I chatted with the sales guy.  He of course is a hiker, and maybe 25 years old.  We were talking about my planned Rim-to-Rim hike.  I asked him what he thought about poles.  He said he use to think they were for whimps.  But he no longer thinks that.  He said they are a must for a hike like I was going to do.  One guy's opinion.

After finding a pair of boots and socks and buying them (more on my boots in a future post), I headed across the walkway to their Energy Cafe, where they have maps, trail food and coffee:).  I started talking to another guy about which hike I should take while in Sedona.  He wanted to know how far I wanted to go.  I was looking for a long and challenging hike, and he gave me one.  To the highest point in Sedona, almost 19 miles and a couple thousand feet of elevation gain.  But I digress.  We started talking about the Rim-to-Rim hike.  He has done it in a day - a number of times.  He just smiled and said I would LOVE IT.  I asked him what he thought about poles.  He didn't hesitate.  He said "you and your buddies have to use poles."  He said we will need them. They will help  on the downhill and we would be happy that we had them on the climb as well. Oh, and did I say he was in his mid to late 20's?!

That pretty much clenched it.  These guys were both young, fit and do a lot of hiking.

I asked for poles for my birthday and my son Nick got them for me.  They are called Pacemaker Expedition. They are a pretty decent set.  They are adjustable.  They have an external lever locking mechanism.  They are lightweight and have cork grips.  And they do not have shock absorbers.  If you are looking for more information on poles, REI has a good summary "Trekking Poles and Hiking Staffs: How to Choose."  I have heard that poles are cheaper if you buy them at Sports Basement rather than REI, but I have not done the homework to know for sure.

I have since used them a number of times to practice.  I do think that they help on the downhill.  I can feel my upper body taking on some of the load that my knees would otherwise.  I am less convinced on the uphill.  I feel like I get more tired.  Kind of like doing the eliptical in the gym, where you work both your legs and arms.  I read the article "Ten Reasons for Trekking Poles" where their comments support my experience.

The final clencher was my recent hike (Training #2 - Sanborn Skyline Park to Castle Rock State Park). They really helped Greg.  He is in pretty good shape, but when his knees started to hurt, the poles helped him to make it down the hill.

I will not use my poles all of the time. But I will use them on long hikes, especially where there is a lot of elevation gain / loss - the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim for sure!

Training #2 - Sanborn Skyline Park to Castle Rock State Park

Before I get into the training hike today, I want to thanks those of you who are reading my blog.  I shared one of the posts to Facebook and got a number of comments.  Thanks, keep these coming and feel free to comment directly on my blogger page.

I also want to comment on the Blogger update that I made.  I added the list of future topics to the right and moved down the block about me.  That block was just too long.  If you want to know more about me, you will have to scroll!

Now on to the hike.  Today was a good one, and I was joined by one of the two guys that are going to do this hike with me, Greg.  As one sentence of background - Greg is not a big hiker, but he is active and  has run a couple of half as well as a full marathon, so he is in good shape but will need a bit of time in the boot (just made that up, kind of like time in the saddle for biking) to be ready for the Rim-to-Rim.

We decided on a good long hike, with a lot of elevation gain.  The hike really doesn't have its own name as it starts in one park, heads over to another and then comes back.  As a result, it is called the Sanborn Skyline Park to Castle Rock State Park hike. It is about 16 miles with over 3,000 feet of elevation gain. The views are awesome.  The trails are beautiful, loaded with trees and mostly empty of people except near the entrances to the parks.  The link describes the hike as "an excellent training hike for High Sierra adventures like Yosemite's Half Dome."  This is perfect as we will be dong Half Dome in about a month and a half.

We arrived at Sanborn park just after 7.  The park does not open until 8, so we had to find a parking spot on the side of the road. From there, we were quickly on the trail and enjoying the hike.  The beginning of the trail is mostly up hill.  We worked our way up to the summit and along the top until dropping into Castle Rock.  We headed down until the end of the loop, climbed back up to the summit and then back down to where we started.

Sounds simple enough.  It was not.  This is a good, challenging hike.  We did well most of the hike.  As we began heading down for the last time, Greg's knees started to hurt.  Good thing I brought my poles (Pacemaker Expedition).  I had them with me to practice with as EVERYONE says I need to use poles for the Rim-to-Rim.  I was not convinced, and I am still not sure that I need them for much of the hike, but I am becoming more and more of a believer.  But given that this is a future topic, I will save the longer discussion for then.  What I will say is that the poles really helped Greg.  That and a few Ibuprofen.  He is now a full convert.  He had been looking at poles, trying to decide what which ones to go with.  After this hike, I expect he will have poles the next time we go out.

That's it for now, hope that this is interesting. Comment if you have a recommendation for what I should talk about next.

Training #1 - How I approached it

There is so much to say about training. So this one will be just the first of many.

At the very highest level, I plan to hike in order to get ready to hike:). I will gradually build up to doing the Rim to Rim distance and elevation gain (or more). What this means to me with around 5 months to go, is hikes in the 10-15 mile range, and a few thousand feet of climbing. I will only be able to do these on weekends until the days get longer. So I will supplement with three other days of cardio and two with weights.

Today's hike was a perfect example. I hiked up Limekiln and a ways out into Siarra Azul in order to get the miles and elevation that I was looking for. It ended up being just over 3 hours, 11.7 miles and 3,370 feet of elevation. I don't like to stop, especially up hill, but had to twice to catch my breath and get my heart rate down. Shows that I have more work to do...

As a bit of a teaser, I plan to get a trainer as we get closet to the hike.

As a second teaser, I used my hiking / trekking poles for today's hike. They worked well. I am not convinced that they helped up hill, but am sure they did going down, especially where it was steep.

Rim-to-Rim - Why do it, and why in 1 day?

I am sure that I am like a lot of you.  I have a bucket list.  That list is made up of a whole variety of things.  As I check one thing off, I end up adding in a few others.  I wanted to jump out of a plane.  I did that at Skydive Monterey Bay.  Wanted to drive in a race car.  Did that at Skip Barber Racing School. Wow, this is sounding like an advertisement.  Not my intention.

One of the things that I most added is a one day Grand Canyon Rim to Rim hike.  Why you ask.  This seems crazy.  Well, long story short, my body doesn't allow me to do everything that I want to do.  I have had back surgery and just a year ago got a new hip.  The old one wore out.  The doctor told that I can do pretty much whatever I want to do, but he recommends not running or other activities that are pounding.  I have continued mountain biking but have recently gotten more into hiking - and I really enjoy it.  I have a good time hiking with others or on my own.  The longer the hike the better.

Castle Rock Hiking Trail

Since I live in the Silicon Valley, we have great mountains close by, and some other great hikes only a short drive away.  I end up hiking a lot around Castle Rock State Park, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Almaden Quicksilver Park and St. Josephs Hill Open Space.  Needless to say, these are all beautiful and provide trails for everyone.

But what really convinced me that long hikes are the thing for me is something that I did with my two boys about 10 years ago, when we did the Skyline to the Sea trail in one day.  This is a 23-25 mile hike that is often done in two to four days.  We decided to do it in a day.  It is long, but overall, it is downhill - or at least that is what we thought.  There are a lot of uphill sections (>1700 feet in total) as you work your way from skyline at about 2600 feet down to the ocean.

Skyline to the Sea

We started the hike at about 7am along with two friends.  They went with us to Big Basin where we met other friends for lunch.  The others decided that was enough, so we continued the rest of the way just the three of us.  We had the absolutely best time.  We talked about everything.  Took very few rests and made it to the end at around 4pm where we had a friend pick us up and drive home.

Since then I have been looking at cool long hikes.  This one - the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim, rose to the top of the list for me.  Here are just a few reasons.

• The Grand Canyon, need I say more
• It is long, but not too long
• The climb out will be quite a challenge, giving us some bragging rights:)
• I managed to find a couple of people that are excited to do it as well!

Later I will get into some others that I am interested in doing, and a couple more I have completed.