THE BIGGER THEY ARE THE HARDER THEY ARE TO CLIMB

Finally, after three tries, I climbed Half Dome. It was the hardest physical labor I've ever done in my life. To put it in perspective, last week I hiked ten miles on the Pacific Crest Trail. The altitude varied from around 2500 feet to about 4500 feet. That hike took me five hours. Half Dome, from Little Yosemite Valley and back is approximately eight miles, ranging from @ 6,000 feet to 8,400 feet. THAT trip took me over nine hours to do round trip. It is brutal. And all the helpful SKINNY people along the trail, concerned I was going to have a myocardial infarction, were a real encouragement.

But I did it anyway. One woman, about 100 feet up the cables, asked me if Half Dome was my demon. I had to say yes, but now its exorcised. It was fantastic, majestic, downright awe-inspiring, but barring a radical change in health I'll never do it again.