My Half Dome Adventure with “The Kids”

By Darlene – Katie’s Mom

Usually if Katie Martinez says we are going somewhere I say “Great!  Let’s Go!”  But this time, when she said we were hiking Half Dome……I wouldn’t even read about this adventure like the others in the crew were doing.  It scared me too much. 

I had someone else to do all the planning,  so I kept myself buried in my work so I wouldn’t think about the trip.  However, I, like the rest do have that sense of wonder and adventure, and let’s say achievement, so I definitely was “in”….. but I still really didn’t want to think about it.  Finally the day came to leave and there was no backing out. And so we were off. Me and the “Kids”.

The trip brought memories of 45 years ago when this “kid” got her start in the mountains and hiked the trails of Rocky Mountain National Park.  Still in high school in ‘73, loving Rock ‘n Roll, bell bottoms, ironed hair, and too young to have gone to Woodstock.  Never one to stay inside, my mother never had the chance to teach me cooking or sewing, but that was okay by me. It was the call to the outdoors that had my name…. and still does.

But with careers, family, and life in general, hiking had been on hold for years and not until Katie took an interest in hiking has it been on my radar again.  I’m indebted to my eldest to bringing hiking back to my life. Though I’d been to Yosemite, I had not hiked the trails….. I was excited, though nervous, about Half Dome.  And more than anything ,so thankful I can still participate at my age!

The scenery was surreal, the physical aspect was taxing especially for this grandma, but yet I like the challenge, and there were certain visuals I won’t forget.  We’ve all shared loads of pictures that hardly do justice. Though I did not make the chains up Half Dome I am happy to have made the 8 miles to sub Dome and know that Lindsey was up there somewhere. It was just too treacherous for me.

But other than the scenery and companionship, I keep thinking about what I learned about myself with this trip. First, I’m usually not a quitter.  However, physically this endeavor was hard.  I actually was pretty sick with a bad chest cold and sore throat. That didn’t help with meeting the challenges.

It’s been a long time since I had such a physical  challenge and certainly didn’t want to give in to getting older. . The thin air, rough paths, and elevation gain in the hikes were the challenge.  We tried to prepare for the mileage and elevation but it was just hard. And so it became a mental game too as much as the physical demands. In my day, I participated in athletics enough to understand about the mental game but that was a long time ago.

The first day going to the top of Yosemite Falls was especially brutal.  There were so many times I wanted to quit but wouldn’t.  Katie would be encouraging though I knew she wasn’t doing the greatest either. We sometimes said to each other…. “this isn’t fun.” “This is vacation. It’s supposed to be fun.” Or “What is wrong with us that this is so hard?!”  Most people parked in visitor parking lots and looked up at the beautiful waterfalls. We did that too. But we also got this view from the top. 

Now that I’m home I see that maybe it wasn’t a vacation of relaxing on the beach and worrying about tan lines, but it’s “our” kind of vacation. It’s being proud of pushing our abilities and the special sites it allows us to see and experience. If we had quit we wouldn’t have those experiences. I’m fine with “our kind” of vacations. (But will admit I did NOT like finishing that hike in the dark on a rocky switch back trail…. just saying!).

As I already mentioned, while hiking Half Dome, there was that mental game to deal with.  There was a time that I was so tired physically that I seemed to tire mentally too. I began to doubt my ability to withstand the heights, drop offs, and danger of the trails. You know…. you could die there. I don’t usually have those fears.  I remember the moment of telling myself you have to do this. It was while doing back down the steps of Nevada Falls.  I told myself “You have to get home. No one will do it for you.”  I was frozen and just standing there …..”You have to do it since there is basically no rescue out here and who wants to chicken out!”

I began taking each step at a time slowly but actually was shaking….. and miles from the car.  And there were hundreds of slippery dangerous steps still to go down. For a few minutes I was just a mess. It too was something I’ve not really experienced and the thoughts are still fresh in my mind. It’s strange how fatigue works on you.

Thankfully, Katie is great with rewards for her Mom…. as we turned to leave Half Dome to start the 8 miles down…. it was time for a little Metallica music to scream from her backpack. Just for fun . She knows it’s a favorite. (Disclaimer:  We know that it is frowned upon to listen to music while on the trail, but Mom needed the motivation, and maybe I did too…Katie)  But otherwise is was the music and sometimes just silence of Mother Nature that blessed us for many miles.  Don’t need earbuds for that.

So…. who said it was just a walk in the park. Here I was with all this mind game stuff going on and legs so tired they were shaking.  But wouldn’t trade the days for anything and brought back memories of 45 years ago. Saw some of the most beautiful country with my daughters and other great young ladies, pushed myself to some high limits, and powered through some hard times….won’t trade those experiences for anything else.

Thank you Katie and Lindsey for dragging your mother along. It was a special trip.

P.S….. Will admit our next trip this month is a somewhat secluded camping area on The Outer Banks in North Carolina.  No major hiking and guess what …. There are beaches and I will plant myself on one!!!! We are a well rounded bunch…..