The Siao Dynasty

For the past few weeks, I’ve been training and conditioning myself for a June trip to Yosemite National Park. The main reason for the trip is to ascend to the summit of Half Dome, framed to the right of the photograph. This day hike/climb should take roughly 12-13 hours, and will total about 17 miles round trip from the valley floor to the top of Half Dome at elevations nearing 9,000 feet above sea level. The last few hundred yards of Half Dome is a sheer rock face requiring chains to pull yourself up. Exciting and scary at the same time.