Half Dome Permits
In an effort to be better regulate the number of hikers using the Half Dome cable system, Yosemite will begin requiring day-use permits when the cables are put back in May. Last year, Manoj Kumar, 40, of San Ramon, Calif., fell to his death from the cables, and the following weekend, a woman fell during a rainstorm and sustained serious injury.
The Half Dome day-use permits (they’re “free” with a 1.50 service charge) will only be required on weekends, including Fridays, as well as holidays. Four hundred will be issued per day, with 100 of those to be included in wilderness permits. Last summer, the daily visitor numbers on peak days were around 1,100.*
At least people are getting out of their cars…
Posted: February 2nd, 2010 under Politics.
Comments: 2
Comments
Comment from sinuhe
Time: February 2, 2010, 12:51 pm
Long overdue.
Comment from david s
Time: February 2, 2010, 10:21 pm
i’ve done half dome twice, both times encountered mild crowds (about an hour’s wait to get on the cables, and another hour to actually ascend). We don’t need a permit system, especially not the one that has just been put in place. You know what’s going to happen? As soon as the free (for $1.50 LOL) permits are available, the NPS website and phonelines will be bombarded, with each person grabbing as many permits as they can (up to 4 per person). In my hiking circles, i often don’t know how many will be hiking with me as late as a few days before the hike, much less MONTHS in advance. So what will guys like me do? Lock up as many permits as possible, even if some eventually go unused. You will see 300 permits purchased (excuse me, obtained for free for $ 1.50 LOL again.. too funny), and about 100 actually used. IF THEY MUST HAVE A PERMIT SYSTEM (and i debate that point… 2 deaths and 1 serious injury out of 168,000 people over 2 years? that’s ridiculously SAFE for the level of risk) they should allocate more like 1,000 or 2,000 per day. THEN they will actually see their desired number of 400 fortunate hikers able to summit that day. GRRRRR… the whole thing just frustrates me.
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