If you've got a hike up Half Dome in your sights for 2013, you may be interested in an upcoming seminar scheduled to take place at REI Fresno on Wednesday, February 20, 2013. The presentation, Hiking Half Dome, will take place from 7 to 8 pm at the Blackstone Avenue store and is free to members and nonmembers alike.
Hiking to the summit of Yosemite's iconic Half Dome is on the to-do list of many backpackers—so many, in fact, that the issuing of permits and management of access to the trail has taken on a life of its own. In 2010, the National Park Service transitioned to a interim permit system for Half Dome visitors and began limiting the number of daily hikers on the trail. That system was extended in 2011, and a lottery was implemented last year to distribute the permits.
New costs and complexities introduced by the lottery system and the logistics of the 14- to 16-mile round-trip hike are likely to raise questions for hikers who have never attempted the summit as well as for those who planned and completed the hike during the pre-lottery era. Led by Yosemite National Park rangers, Hiking Half Dome will provide information on the permit process, guidance on safe wilderness travel and tips for both day and overnight hikes to the summit. Attendees are welcome to bring their questions as well.
Hiking Half Dome will take place at the REI Fresno store located at 7810 N. Blackstone Avenue. The presentation is free, but registration is required and seats are limited. You can reserve a spot online, and you don't need to be an REI member to attend.
For additional information, please call REI Fresno at (559) 261-4168.
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