Reaching the top, sort of... (also, post #300!)

So, for the 300th post in the history of this blog, I shall finish out the ascending portion of my Half Dome story. I'm pleased it worked out that way, as I thought I was going to get to 300 on like the 2nd post, but then I discovered that there were a few old "draft" posts that never were posted that were included in the count that I was getting on the log in page. (And I actually started and had most of this post written almost 2 weeks ago, but a flaky internet connection prevented me from finishing and somehow it took me this long to get back to it)

So, I personally wasn't at all ready (or even that interested) in continuing up the trail to Half Dome, but I was convinced that God wanted me to continue, there really wasn't much getting around that fact, and so I started again, along with my uncle. As I started, things weren't a whole different than they had been when I had sat down before the 2 miles to go sign. I felt very weak, I was getting winded very quickly, etc, etc. And the trail was pretty steep at this point as well. I took it a very little bit at a time, stopping for a minute or two break at virtually every spot that looked convenient. I noticed that my pace would still keep me putting some distance between myself and my uncle, so I would find a place to sit, wait for him to catch up, sit with him for a bit, and then take off ahead of him.

Eventually I found I was able to go further at a time, and my routine formalized to this - I'd get some good distance between my uncle and myself, sit down, and then take off again shortly after he arrived. I repeated this several times, and then at one of the points where I sat down, I realized I had gotten far enough away that I couldn't see him behind me. I waited for a bit, intending to continue my routine. However, at some point, he must have taken a more extended break, because he didn't come for a while, and I was feeling ready to go on, so I did, basically committing to go as far as I could get on my own. At this point in the hike, I was still basically in the woods, I had really no concept of what exactly was up ahead, or what I would encounter - but eventually I came out into a more open part of the trail and headed up unto and to the left.

As I crested this hill, things flattened out somewhat, and I realized I was coming out of the woods and onto a plateau, where all of sudden I could look out over the valley and see the likes of this:

The tears were back behind my sunglasses, but for very different reasons this time. This wasn't the true end of the trail, but it was something very much worth climbing to see, and something I would have totally missed out on, had I let my own instincts prevail and given up in the middle of the woods. I stopped and paused for a few moments, and then started to head onward. There was actually an additional rise up ahead, and as I started towards it, I saw my Mom and Dad coming back down it. They met me and turned with me to head back over the rise, encouraging me that it opened up even more just ahead, and it did.

I actually think both of those pictures were probably taken from the second location, but I have to provide some sense of building the story. Anyhow, Mom and Dad also led me to the view that caused them to end their ascent:

The famous "Heartbreak Hill. You can't really see from the picture, but to us, it looked like there were people literally going straight up the lower part of that rockface, where there were still trees. In actually, this was not the case, but they were ascending stone stairs of the same ilk that we had ascended on our trek alongside Vernal Falls. And, though we couldn't see this view from there, we knew that after you got through all that, this awaited:

The last several hundred feet to the top of Half Dome takes you straight up the rock face, with just the assistance of the cables you see here. It's really hard to totally get a feel for how steep the climb is from pictures, but Tim's report was, at least in stretches, it was definitely in excess of a 45 degree climb. As I looked at the whole view, I knew, as my parents had, that getting up it was just not in the cards today, and this was where my ascent would end as well. However, as opposed to the last time I had thought my ascent over, I was very much at peace at this time. I had pressed on well beyond where everything in me had wanted to give up, and I was very much sensing I had made it as far as I was supposed to get on this day.

However, a funny thing happened while I was standing there, looking up at the summit. Remember how I said (I think several times) that part of my problem from the beginning was that I didn't really want to climb Half Dome, that I was just doing it because that's what we were doing, and that there was nothing internal pushing me to reach the top? Well, all that was changing with the end of the trail staring me in the face, albeit about 1000 feet or so up. I now WANTED to get to the top of Half Dome. In fact, as we stood/sat there, I almost got to the point of starting of again on a couple occasions, but wisdom prevailed. (I learned once we started down just how wise that was. By this time, the groin injury I had sustained going up the waterfalls was so aggravated, that any time I had to actually "step" up, it was absolutely excrutiating. I was generally okay to walk up or downhill, but it probably would have taken me all of 5 steps up Heartbreak Hill to come wincing back down) However, I told myself right then and there that where I was was fine for that day, but that I would come back someday and get to the top - and I intend to do just that.

But, like I said, this was it for that trip, so after some rest, I was ready to head back down the trail.