Each new year, we resolve to lose weight, exercise more, or make some other pledge of self-improvement that usually withers and dies before January is gone. But sometimes, if the challenge has enough allure, and if we do it with the support and companionship of friends, we might follow through and maybe even come away with a lifelong memory.
In 2013, I challenge you to join me in a special adventure – to make a bold commitment and follow through. We will prepare together, but make no mistake, you will be tested. Your reward will be a fantastic memory and the pride that comes from a very special accomplishment.
You may be familiar with the view of Half Dome from the floor of Yosemite Valley. The hike to the top of Half Dome has become a very popular goal hike, and is quite an achievement. But look up Tenaya Canyon beyond Half Dome. An immense granite wall rises to a massive knobby peak – Clouds Rest.
That is our goal. On Saturday, July 13, 2013, we will walk to the top of Clouds Rest.
Half Dome gets all the press, but Clouds Rest is a far better destination. If you perform my highly sophisticated pleasure: pain ratio analysis, you will agree. The Half Dome hike is 16.5 miles with an elevation of 4,800 feet.
The trail to Clouds Rest is 13.2 miles with an elevation gain of 2,450 feet. But here is the clincher. The Half Dome hike is so popular that you must enter a lottery to get a permit. At the base of the cables near the summit, you must show the permit and often wait 30 minutes for your turn to ascend. Conversely, on the walk to Clouds Rest, you will encounter no crowds (no permit is required), and when you get to the top you will be 1,100 feet higher than the teeming masses on Half Dome.
The calculation is simple. The hike to Clouds Rest is shorter, has less elevation gain, reaches a higher peak and is uncrowded.
I can’t overstate what awaits you at the top of Clouds Rest. At the summit, the earth drops away in every direction, leaving you breathless. It is a one-step 5,000-foot tumble down to Tenaya Creek. The view of Yosemite Valley, 6,000 feet below, is fantastic. You will enjoy unsurpassed views across all of Yosemite’s stunning high country. These are the special views reserved only for a mountaineer.
For all this hike has to offer, at 13.2 miles, it remains a difficult walk. Beginning in February, I will lead six hikes in local parks and preserves that will help us get ready. On these walks, we will not only get in shape, but each of us can support and encourage one another as we prepare for the big event.
Please join me on our fourth annual New Year’s Day hike, where we can talk more about the Clouds Rest Challenge. This is always a fun event and a great way to kick off the new year. Rain or shine, we will meet at the Mendoza Ranch entrance at Harvey Bear Ranch County Park at 9 a.m. New Year’s Day. We will hike the moderate Mummy Mountain Trail, a beautiful 4-mile route that rides the crest of Mummy Mountain with sweeping views over Coyote Reservoir and the Santa Clara Valley.
Mark it down – Saturday, July 13, 2013, we will walk to the summit of Clouds Rest. It is a big challenge, but it pays big dividends. You will return a changed person. Think it over, then come along.
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