Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Half Dome Cables Will Remain, Hikers Still Limited

A report from the Miami Herald. Miami Herald???.

"FRESNO, Calif. -- The hike up the granite monolith Half Dome in Yosemite National Park is one of the most iconic in the nationwide system, but on Friday officials announced approval of a plan that permanently limits how many can do it.

National Park Service authorities will issue permits to limit the number of hikers to 300 a day, the target number since an interim plan was approved in 2010 to reduce congestion in a wilderness area and make the hike safer.

In a blow to environmental groups, the park also decided to keep in place the heavy metal cables drilled into the monolith that hikers use to steady themselves on the 45-degree final climb up slick granite. Some groups had argued that handrails do not belong in a federally designated wilderness area.

"With a place like Yosemite that is so dear and important to millions of people, everyone has ideas about what wilderness protection is. We tried to find a balance that allows people to still experience Yosemite while protecting Yosemite," said spokeswoman Kari Cobb."

I hadn't really been paying attention to this one. What environmental groups opposed the cables?

g.

Its an AP story, it will be in many papers. I read it in the Washington Times.

the author described the hike as 8 miles round trip. Either I made a wrong turn, or its 8 miles one way.



Adding a third cable would allow current numbers and a 45 minute escape. So limiting numbers technically isn't the only way to do that.

> What environmental groups opposed the cables?

Who knows? But I have seen random people call for their removal. (Mostly people haters, IMO).

> So limiting numbers technically isn't the only way to do that.

There are a number of ways to reduce the mid-day crowding on the cables; they've been brought up a number of times. But unfortunately, the powers in Yosemite aren't open to maximizing visitors access.