20 year old falls off half dome and dies while father watches her slip

[thestrangebrew1]

Pretty sad story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...-half-dome-cables-death/74533515007/?tbref=hp

TLDR: 20 year old and her dad hike up half dome and on their decent the granite gets slippery due to an incoming storm and she slips and falls 200' and dies. Her father watches the whole thing happen. If you've never done half dome, the ascent right up to it is a steep climb on granite. There's ropes to help, and I believe 2x4 studs bolted into the rock every 10' or so to help. The problem is that it's so popular there's a literal line like a Disneyland ride going up, so not everyone can be on a 2x4 while waiting to move up. I did half dome back in 2008 and it was grueling for me but worth it. Similar to the story, when we were at the top, we could only spend about 20 mins up there because clouds were rolling in.

Edit: NPS started a ticket system. Not sure how it works, it was after I hiked it.

 

[JM Aggie08]

Fuuuuuck that.

 

[BoomerD]

People fall off of Half Dome fairly regularly. They also ignore the signs and barriers, go into the river above the falls...and get washed over the falls.

 

[BoomerD]

For those who don’t know…

 

[thestrangebrew1]

For those who don’t know…

View attachment 103825

Yep, minus the line in this image. You can see it get bunched up closer to the top, but I've seen the line completely jam packed before. It's kinda crazy because it's the only way down (well other than falling off lol).

Also, kinda ironic the victim's name is Rohloff - Is it actually pronounced "roll-off"?

 

[soulcougher73]

I did it about 10 years ago. Going up wasnt too bad, but going down was indeed hairy for me. I believe for me it was a combo of the wrong shoes for granite and bad technique. Was glad when I finally got down intact. Sorry for this girl though and father. Sad

 

[IronWing]

Yep, minus the line in this image. You can see it get bunched up closer to the top, but I've seen the line completely jam packed before. It's kinda crazy because it's the only way down (well other than falling off lol).

Also, kinda ironic the victim's name is Rohloff - Is it actually pronounced "roll-off"?

Yep, it's pronounced "roll off". I went to school with several Rohloffs.

 

[BoomerD]

I did it about 10 years ago. Going up wasnt too bad, but going down was indeed hairy for me. I believe for me it was a combo of the wrong shoes for granite and bad technique. Was glad when I finally got down intact. Sorry for this girl though and father. Sad

The granite on Half Dome is polished pretty smooth from the shoes of hikers over the decades…Shoes that might otherwise be fine foe hiking on granite could be too slickery for this.

 

[dullard]

I did it about 10 years ago. Going up wasnt too bad, but going down was indeed hairy for me. I believe for me it was a combo of the wrong shoes for granite and bad technique. Was glad when I finally got down intact. Sorry for this girl though and father. Sad

Going down on any hike is always harder/scarier. And falls are often far more severe when you are going down simply because gravity multiplies the danger and the actual distance from your center of gravity to the sloping ground is far more when going down than when going up.

I applied for the Half Dome lottery once. Didn't get it. Actually, I've failed all hiking lotteries that I've ever entered.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

I went with a group of friends when we hiked it back in 2008. We got lucky because we had 20 mins to enjoy it, and then the clouds started coming, but it never rained. Going downhill sucked, but hiking up for me was a real pain. I got really low on water and started cramping right when we got to the granite spot. I had brought snacks because I'm diabetic and ran out by the time we got down and my body was going into shock on the drive home from low sugar. I remember shivering, slurring my words etc. We stopped in Mariposa at one of the pizza joints, had a few beers and some pizza and the rest of the drive home was great lol

 

[nOOky]

Too bad. Perhaps they should regulate the permits more closely and make sure people know what they are getting into as far as gear etc. Perhaps making it handicapped accessible would be nice too. (I kid, I have a friend that thinks everything outdoors should be handicapped accessible, I don't)

I've never done Half Dome. But Angels landing is also kind of hairy. We ran a half marathon near Zion and hiked up it after. I was holding onto the handholds and keeping myself in check. Their were a couple families where the kids were literally climbing all over where they shouldn't have been, I was actually concerned for their safety. And kids throwing rocks from the top, man I chewed their stoopid asses out.

 

[NuclearNed]

A buddy and I did it a few years ago while on a backpacking trip. The nice thing was that we camped about a mile away from the Half Dome spur trail. That meant that we were able to get up nice & early, do the hike, & get back down before the hordes arrived. No way I would do that particular hike when there are lots of people around - people are unpredictable, never know what sort of stupidity they are going to do.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Half Dome is one of those did it once, never want to do it again hikes for me. Thankfully it requires permits, very limited permits, so it's not the death trap it was 20 years ago when there would be a line of people that just stopped when someone got scared. Only downside is it makes it tough to get backpacking permits for trips that can work a night in at Little Yosemite Valley since that's another way to get a guaranteed Half Dome permit. Clouds Rest and Mount Hoffmann are way better hikes in Yosemite IMO and don't have any white knuckle sections like those cables are while still having great views of Half Dome. I imagine North Dome is great too but I haven't hiked that trail yet. Though my favorite Yosemite dayhike is going up Mt Gibbs and then traversing the saddle up to the summit of Mt Dana.

I still remember my first trip to Yosemite I hiked up to Nevada Fall and multiple tourons were asking me for water because they were determined to do the 18 miles and 4800 feet of elevation gain with one little 20 oz bottle of water they had emptied by the time they got to the fall (only about 2000 feet of elevation gain by then).

 

[SteveGrabowski]

The granite on Half Dome is polished pretty smooth from the shoes of hikers over the decades…Shoes that might otherwise be fine foe hiking on granite could be too slickery for this.

I think it was a mistake to ever put the cables in. Should have left the mountain for people with technical climbing skills so it didn't get loved to death like has happened thanks to the cables.

 

[dullard]

Perhaps making it handicapped accessible would be nice too. (I kid, I have a friend that thinks everything outdoors should be handicapped accessible, I don't)

I have nothing against handicap parking in general and do think they need to make more hikes actually handicap accessible. But, I really wonder if there should be exceptions to the handicap parking requirements at trailheads with no view, no toilets, and no handicap trail. I've been hiking for decades and can't think of a time that I've seen a handicap car parked in one.

 

[FelixDeCat]

The Half Dome Cables | Discover Yosemite National Park

Half Dome is quite the popular attraction at Yosemite National Park. The cables on Half Dome are famed for their difficulty and reward. Check out our Half Dome Cable Hike FAQ for more information on the Half Dome cables.

www.yosemite.com

I would talk about how crazy it is to be the "first" person to try something nobody thinks is possible, but that would be a slippery slope...




Even going just part of the way along the trail (no where near the dome) seems like fun with all the views.

 

[dullard]

I would talk about how crazy it is to be the "first" person to try something nobody thinks is possible, but that would be a slippery slope...

Too soon? I do have to applaud the joke though.

 

[Aharami]

really sad story. I love hiking and hope to be hiking the world with my kids as they grow older. This story puts things in perspective of the inherent dangers of this hobby. I can't even imagine his state of mind on the long hike back

I was in Yosemite last sept with the family. On a last minute whim, applied for and got a permit to hike half dome. But chickened out on the morning of because I'd be hiking this solo (I'm sure I could have tagged along with other groups), and I didn't think I had the conditioning required to hike this 14+ mile very difficult trail. Still regret not attempting though.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

really sad story. I love hiking and hope to be hiking the world with my kids as they grow older. This story puts things in perspective of the inherent dangers of this hobby. I can't even imagine his state of mind on the long hike back

I was in Yosemite last sept with the family. On a last minute whim, applied for and got a permit to hike half dome. But chickened out on the morning of because I'd be hiking this solo (I'm sure I could have tagged along with other groups), and I didn't think I had the conditioning required to hike this 14+ mile very difficult trail. Still regret not attempting though.


View attachment 103917

That's from Sentinel Dome right? Great shot. Forget Half Dome, do Clouds Rest or Mount Hoffmann next time you're in Yosemite. Clouds Rest is that big mountain behind and to the left of Half Dome in your photo, and it offers pretty stunning views into Tenaya Canyon on one side and then Mount Clark on the other. Trail starts from just below that pointy peak (Tenaya Peak) just above and to the right of the dead tree in your pic. Starts from Tenaya Lake, but if you do it early season expect a cold water crossing on the way to Clouds Rest. Can be neck deep if you right as Tioga Pass Road opens to knee deep in July to a trickle by late August. Can do Tenaya Peak as a walkup from that route too if you go up its backside after finishing the big round of switchbacks up the first thousand feet or so on the Clouds Rest trail from Tioga Pass Road. Mount Hoffmann is great too, you get to go on this high alpine plane with great views down to Clouds Rest and Half Dome, and it's about half the distance Clouds Rest is since you can drive up to May Lake IIRC. Clouds Rest is fun as hell too though, especially since the summit ridge can get only a few feet wide so you have this impressive dropoff thousands of feet into Tenaya Canyon on one side and maybe a 1000-1500 foot dropoff on the other. Though most of the summit ridge is pretty wide and the summit itself is very wide and flat.

Next time I go to Yosemite the hike I really want to do though is the Diving Board. You can see it to the bottom left of Half Dome in your photo, right up against the dome. No official trail but seems to be a use trail so not too hard to find from videos I have seen of the trip. Ansel Adams took an unreal photo of Half Dome from the Diving Board area:

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Also I think Half Dome is 18 miles roundtrip, but the 4800 feet of elevation gain is the real kicker. It's amazing but next time I'm on that trail I'm just turning left around the back of Liberty Cap to summit that once I get up to Nevada Fall and then going around the back of Half Dome to the Diving Board that I mentioned earlier. Had no idea Liberty Cap had a use trail up the back and didn't require any kind of climbing until after I got back from my last trip there haha.

 

[Aharami]

That's from Sentinel Dome right? Great shot. Forget Half Dome, do Clouds Rest or Mount Hoffmann next time you're in Yosemite. Clouds Rest is that big mountain behind and to the left of Half Dome in your photo, and it offers pretty stunning views into Tenaya Canyon on one side and then Mount Clark on the other. Trail starts from just below that pointy peak (Tenaya Peak) just above and to the right of the dead tree in your pic. Starts from Tenaya Lake, but if you do it early season expect a cold water crossing on the way to Clouds Rest. Can be neck deep if you right as Tioga Pass Road opens to knee deep in July to a trickle by late August. Can do Tenaya Peak as a walkup from that route too if you go up its backside after finishing the big round of switchbacks up the first thousand feet or so on the Clouds Rest trail from Tioga Pass Road. Mount Hoffmann is great too, you get to go on this high alpine plane with great views down to Clouds Rest and Half Dome, and it's about half the distance Clouds Rest is since you can drive up to May Lake IIRC. Clouds Rest is fun as hell too though, especially since the summit ridge can get only a few feet wide so you have this impressive dropoff thousands of feet into Tenaya Canyon on one side and maybe a 1000-1500 foot dropoff on the other. Though most of the summit ridge is pretty wide and the summit itself is very wide and flat.

Next time I go to Yosemite the hike I really want to do though is the Diving Board. You can see it to the bottom left of Half Dome in your photo, right up against the dome. No official trail but seems to be a use trail so not too hard to find from videos I have seen of the trip. Ansel Adams took an unreal photo of Half Dome from the Diving Board area:

that was from around glacier point. we'd planned on hiking around and seeing sunset from Taft Point, but kids just wanted to chill around glacier point. Also I didn't have my headlamps with me so Taft Point got vetoed on the account of hiking back in the dark. I'll be sure to check out those hikes you mentioned the next time I get to Yosemite (whenever that ends up being...i live on the east coast)

 

[JulesMaximus]

I can’t imagine the absolute horror that father is going through right now and will continue to go through for years to come. What an awful story… kind of wish I hadn’t read it.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Shocking! Tragic!

Did Angels landing a decade ago, wife just noped the F out as we were about 150ft up the chains so we enjoyed Scouts Landing.

8yrs ago I did the full hike to Angels with my daughter, we were up early and completed the full trail. Heading back was a shit show as you now had 2-way traffic and one chain to hold onto. You had some real fuckin douchebags on that trail with no concern for others safety!

We're avid hikers, know trail etiquette, and tourists are the fuckin worst.

I hate popular trails and would never consider Half Dome unless it was off season and had a harness on to clip in/out of which I'm sure would infuriate the tourists. Some asshole rolling down the face, pushing, bumping, pressuring people is where shit goes bad and I'd like some security of a harness.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

that was from around glacier point. we'd planned on hiking around and seeing sunset from Taft Point, but kids just wanted to chill around glacier point. Also I didn't have my headlamps with me so Taft Point got vetoed on the account of hiking back in the dark. I'll be sure to check out those hikes you mentioned the next time I get to Yosemite (whenever that ends up being...i live on the east coast)

Oh ok I have never done Sentinel Dome but know it has to be unreal given how great the view is at Glacier Point. Just thought it wasn't Glacier Point since there aren't any railings or anything. Did you hike a bit down the Panorama Trail then to get that shot? Panorama down from Glacier Point until Illilouette (spelling?) Falls is pretty spectacular with airplane like views down to Nevada Fall and Vernal Falls. Here's a couple of photos I liked from the Panorama Trail when I did many years ago (hence the terrible low resolution lol)





And here's a shot I like my brother took of me descending the summit ridge of Clouds Rest. The lake left of my head is Tenaya Lake where the trail starts (about 7 miles one way)

 

[SteveGrabowski]

I hate popular trails and would never consider Half Dome unless it was off season and had a harness on to clip in/out of which I'm sure would infuriate the tourists. Some asshole rolling down the face, pushing, bumping, pressuring people is where shit goes bad and I'd like some security of a harness.

Off season they take down the posts and steps so you'd have to just climb it holding onto the cables. There are so many better hikes in and around Yosemite anyways. Clouds Rest, Mount Hoffmann, Mt Dana are all walkups that are more impressive IMO. They'll have people on them but aren't the circuses Half Dome is. The the Mist Trail, which is the first 2000 feet of elevation gain of the Half Dome trail, is still a must do if you do it late spring when the falls are roaring (or early summer in particularly high snow years). Just don't get in the Emerald Pool above Vernal Fall like so many tourons do and then get swept over the fall to their deaths (happens every few years). Also don't be a woman wearing a white t-shirt since on the steps up Vernal Fall you'll get soaked as bad as if you showered in your clothes (makes for nice eye candy on the return trip tbh). I haven't done North Dome but just from its location I bet it's second only to the Diving Board for views of Half Dome.