Half Dome: Friday

[cjsmith]

My buddy and I had decided to leave after the big 3pm meeting, hopefully for an arrival in Yosmite around nine in the evening. I scrambled to get some work done in the morning. After lunch, I made the happy discovery that my 1:30 meeting was cancelled, so we piled into the car for a last minute run to REI and a grocery store.

Heh. This meant I could pick up a few things I really wanted to have, but hadn't thought of early enough. 1) A collapsible walking stick. Unfortunately these are only sold in pairs. I leaned my weight on a few of them and picked almost the bottom of the line model. Very expensive. I hope I learn to like walking sticks. 2) Iodine tablets. I got some that were sold with a neutralizer (Vitamin C) to take out the color and taste of the iodine after it's done its work. 3) A space blanket. Wanted this just in case I needed way too long to get down and wound up out overnight. 4) Power Gel, a few packets. I remember a hike where a quick application of sugars and carbs got me going from an almost complete standstill. Since I was still cramping, I chose some without caffeine. 5) Camelbak. I looked at the dizzying array of options and the large price tags and said heck with it. I'll someday own a Camelbak, but not with two minutes to choose. Bottles and my iodine tablets will do.

Then to the grocery store. Nutter Butters are sold in groups of twelve of those little packs, so I tossed in a box of cheese-n-peanut-butter crackers too. Water, in the right size bottle, and some film and extra flashlight batteries, and I was set.

We weren't too late to the 3pm meeting. :-)

Unfortunately, outbound traffic was heinous. We spent ages in a big snarl on 580 eastbound. It didn't really ease up until past Altamont Pass. Bleagh. Stopped at the Wendy's at 99 in what, Manteca?, for dinner. Carbs, I said to myself, and got lots of fries. Patrick had told me lots of carbs and lots of sleep.

Arrived at the entry gate probably between nine-thirty and ten. I was starting to get worried about how much sleep we'd get, as I was hoping to be at the trailhead by sunrise (6:06am). Turns out we were staying the first night in the Wawona. We timed it from the valley-floor-versus-Glacier-Point turnoff. Wawona would be forty-five minutes' drive from the trailhead. Arrived at Wawona just about out of gas (thank GOODNESS there's a station there, one of two I know of in the whole park) and checked in to our lovely room. We were sure the place would be beautiful in the daylight, but we were not destined to see that view. Packed our food and suchlike quickly into our packs. I thought for the first time that I could avoid carrying a shoulder pack. That fanny pack is enormous. I rolled on my torture device again -- once more, for luck I guess.

Did some math: checkout... gas... drive to trailhead... Set the alarm for 4:30, and crashed before eleven.

Comments

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

When I start hiking again, I'm definitely going to need a pair of walking sticks. Just my cane can make the difference between 1/4 mile and 1/2 mile for me now, but it's not good for real hiking. Are your sticks sprung?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

They are. I figured I would want that. As it turns out I never used the darn things. If I decide I will never like walking sticks, I may try to fob them off on you :-)

[busysuzy.livejournal.com]

It would be well worth trying to get used to the sticks. It's kind of wacky at first. But, they make things much, much easier on the knees, especially on those long descents.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've heard that from quite a few people, so I'm really going to try to get the hang of them. I enjoy having my hands free, so I'll miss that, and I've been thwacked by other people's walking sticks, so I'll have to get over the slight association of walking sticks with rudeness. But I'll try.

[abz6598.livejournal.com]

Camelbacks arent cheap but you wouldnt believe how being able to drink as much as you want, whenever you want enhances your abilities....

I have the strapless models. That is to say, I have the ones that dont have pouches and straps on them so they can double as mini-backpack. I have the type you stuff into your backpack.

As for iodine tablets, ugh. Yoou'd be better of, IMHO, getting a small filter. The PUR Scout would probably fit your applications quite well.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I definitely want to own a Camelbak some day. I was disappointed that so many of them came with various kinds of pouches and day-pack-like stuff all around them. No thanks -- I'm with you on this one: I'll buy the kind of pack I like, not what happens to come with the right size water bladder!

In the meantime, I'm pretty good about drinking. I'm sure there's room for improvement, but at least I stay well ahead of the sensation of thirst. That's something.

The iodine turned out not so bad with a little vitamin C. I do have a small filter I use when backpacking, but I didn't bring it this time for space reasons. If I had this trip to do over again I'd make several changes in the load. I'd probably still keep the iodine though.

Re:

[abz6598.livejournal.com]

Hydrstorm makes an inline water filter for Camelback-type systems. Very cute.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Ooo, that sounds good! I'll keep an eye out for it.