Half Dome Permits - the Golden Ticket of the Wilderness
June 16th, 2011
There has been much ado about the latest Half Dome permit scandal in the news lately, you would think there is nothing else newsworthy going on in the world. If you are not up on the latest news, here's a synopsis.In 2010, Yosemite National Park started to require permits to day hike up Half Dome for weekends and holidays to curb the number of people hiking up the monolith from 1,000+ to 300 per day. Starting this year (2011), the park is requiring permits for everyday of the season from when around Memorial Day to when the cables come down in October. The $1.50 permits are now a hot commodity, raking in about $150 a pop from Half Dome permit scalpers. Because of this, the park is asking for ID's at the base of Half Dome to be certain you are the rightful owner of the ticket - I mean permit - before you can ascend up the human laid cables that are placed by the park service to allow you to hike up Half Dome in the first place. How ironic; the park system placed cables on Half Dome so people could ascend, then they set up limits so fewer people can ascend and now everyone is fighting over and paying mucho bucks to ascend something that would not even be possible for most people if not for the cables the park puts up in the place - as if Half Dome was placed there for people to hike up in the first place. A real pisser by the way for those who had permits for Memorial Day weekend to mid June since Half Dome had too much snow and ice for the cables to go up. No cables = no hikers.
This whole to do reminds me of Willy Wonka's golden ticket and every character is present; just try to figure out, which one are you? Slugworth (the scalper), Veruca Salt (gets everything NOW), Charlie (the legitimate permit holder), and I can go on.
So what's my point? The park is setting up a system to keep the National Park experience safe and enjoyable for everyone. If you want to throw around money to get a better spot in line, go to Disneyland and pay for their "cut in line" pass. Not that people should be allowed to scalp tickets, but this is a free market economy and many people were willing to pay some price before it got too high and then they complained about people scalping the permits. So instead of not paying the prices the scalpers were asking, now you get a TSA agent checking your ID with your ticket (I mean permit) to be sure you are a legitimate holder of the Golden Ticket. In fact, if everyone keeps trying to thwart the system and accept they fact that they didn't get their way, you'll have pat downs and X-ray machines set up at the base of the Dome. A bit of a stretch yes, but the organization that sells campsites is now requiring campers to present identification and that identification must match the person who made the reservation - no exceptions.
And why does everyone feel the need to hike in an area that is this much of a pain in the ass to access and all because of the numbers of people? Did I mention this would not be possible if not for the cables that are erected each year? Half Dome is not the only amazing place in the park. There is Yosemite Falls, North Dome, Cloud's Rest, Glacier Point, etc. You want a real challenge with views? Hike up the 4 Mile trail to Glacier Point - a 3,200 ft climb and then descent over 9.6 miles.
So, if you didn't get a Half Dome permit - deal with it, try again next time or maybe go outside the box and explore the areas of the park that are just as spectacular, if not more so. Just because everyone Facebooks about their trip up Half Dome, does not make them the expert. But if your ego is so big that you have to have that too and now, Veruca, then enjoy your life of little adventure, few experiences and an expensive Golden Ticket.
