It is a grueling hike! Good luck to your friends!

Best of luck to your friends. We did it in 2006 as a day trip. It was awesome!

Just a word of advise to your friends if they are doing the hike in one long day. The downhill hike is NOT easy, so allow plenty of time to get back before dark. Packing a flashlight is a good idea. Allow 10 hours round trip (fit hikers) or 12 hours (not so fit hikers). Good luck!

LOL, old joke, new toon.

I hope your friends have good weather and an uncrowded climb. Looks like they have prepared well, so they shouldn't have any problems.

Don't feed the bears!

Funny!!

Thanks for the warm wishes. Doug I will be stealing that 'toon for my blog (never laughed so hard). I already bought my "bear bell" to let the bears know we are a comin' and I also bought a new cool head lamp for when the night comes. I look forward most to calling everyone from my cell phone on the top of Half Dome.

Then you must have read the ALERT from the California Department of Fish and Game regarding the recent resurgence of grizzly bear activity bear in and around Yosemite National Park.

Hikers and campers are being advised to take extra precautions, including carrying pepper spray and wearing noise-producing devices such as small bells on their clothing to alert, but not unexpectedly startle, area bears. I'm glad you've already purchased yours.

The ALERT also suggests that Park visitors learn to recognize signs of recent bear activity, noting that grizzly bears are more aggressive than area black bears. Rangers suggest that hikers and campers learn to distinguish between their droppings:

Black bear droppings are smaller and contain berries and sometimes squirrel fur, while grizzly bear droppings contain bells and smell like pepper spray...

I'll be waiting for your call from the top of Half Dome! have fun!

Doug

Here is another one for you:

Why doesn't Smokey the bear have children?

Because every time his wife gets frisky, he hits her with a shovel.