When your adventure buddy invites you to join for a Yosemite backpacking trip with an add-on hike of Half Dome, GO! I received a text from my longtime adventure buddy about 6 months ago saying she had scored a Yosemite backpacking permit, and the planned trip just happened to be over my birthday weekend, so how could I say no?
We arrived at Yosemite on Weds morning just before 11:00 AM, with minutes to spare before the time limit on our permit expired and got turned back into the permit pool! We checked in at the Ranger Station, and obtained the physical permits for both the Backpacker Campground in Little Yosemite Valley, as well as Half Dome, then embarked on our 7.2 mile journey along the Panorama Trail. The trail starts at Glacier Point Trailhead, around 7,200 feet elevation, and descends approximately 1,300 feet over 2 miles to Illilouette Falls, giving way to expansive views of Half Dome, Vernal Falls, Liberty Cap and Nevada Falls, before winding back up via a series of switchbacks, where it eventually drops a bit back down to a bridge over Nevada Falls.
