Hiking Yosemite’s Half Dome had been on my Perpetual To Do List for years – you know, that list of things that always seems to get put off for no good reason?

I was elated when, last summer my girlfriend Jaclyn told me that she and her boyfriend, Reid got passes! (The National Park Service regulates the number of daily visitors to Half Dome for safety reasons.)

My brother and I jumped at the opportunity!  Now Reid, a very fit and adventurous guy (we’d previously climbed Mt. Whitney together), didn’t just want to hike the mountain, he wanted to start hiking at midnight so that we would be on the summit for sunrise.

To me, this sounded crazy and awesome and totally up my alley!  So, at midnight, one night in June, we started hiking.

Using headlamps, we navigated our way up the mountain; past misting (drenching) waterfalls, through valleys, and up steep inclines.

Not being able to see trail markers very clearly, we got momentarily lost a time or two, but managed to get back on track.

Even though I’d never hiked the trail before, I knew the lore associated with the final summit push – the cables.  Basically, there are cables strung through poles that are bolted into the side of the mountain, and you, the hiker/climber have to use them to hoist yourself to the top.

On one hand, your legs get a break.  On the other, you’re not secured to anything and hanging on/not slipping is all on you.  In the dark, we took each step carefully.

It was steep (re: nearly vertical) and I was glad that there weren’t any other people around as I’d heard that during day-time hours the cables can be packed, making the ascent and decent even more unnerving.

We made it to the top just as the first glimmer of daylight was peaking over the valley.

Not only was the sunrise stunning, but we had it all to ourselves.  There wasn’t anyone else there.

Yosemite is usually filled with tourists and travelers, but that morning it felt like a completely different place – still, silent, vast and empty.

As the sun rose we had breakfast, did a quick yoga session, played with rock squirrels, tried to warm up and explored the Dome.

Descending the cables was slow going.  In the daylight we became aware of just how far we’d fall if we were to slip.

As we made our way down the mountain, we passed numerous other hikers and (I) felt gratified that we’d already completed the climb.

I’m so glad that Reid suggested starting at midnight, because watching sunrise from the top? I think that’s how you’re supposed to experience Yosemite.

*Some photos contributed by Conor O’Brien and Jaclyn Lee

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