Tony Immoos sent me a link to this really cool photo he took from Olmsted Point the other morning just before the sun came up. I’ll let Tony tell you about it in his own words.

I was at Glacier Point Saturday night with Jennifer Franklin (jentwo) and her parents till about 1:30ish watching for meteors, when they left I then drove to Tioga road not really having a plan. Somewhere along the way I thought of a shot to try at Olmsted Point at sunrise so I stopped there to get a little bit of sleep before the sun rose. At about 5:25 I woke to see the sky getting brighter and sat up to look at Half Dome, much to my surprise I could see the flashlights from pre-dawn climbers on the top and on the cable route of the rock.

I quickly set up my camera gear hoping to capture the moment even though it was nearly dark and focus would be nearly impossible. I aimed my vehicle at Half Dome and started flashing the headlights hoping to get a response from the climbers which I did almost immediately. I’m not 100% sure the people on top flashed back but the person that was on the cables definitely saw me and flashed his/her light in return.

Definitely check out the photo full size and check out the rest of Tony’s awesome photos on Flickr.

Awesome shot, Tony.

Photo by Tony Immoos.

Related posts:

1. Photo of the Day: Tenaya Canyon, Half Dome by Tony Immoos
2. Photo of the Day: Pothole Dome by Tony Immoos
3. Photo of the Day: Half Dome by Tony Immoos

Yosemite June 2010 Panorama Trail from john galbraith on Vimeo.

My wife and I did the Panorama Trail back before we had kids and man it was a fun hike. Couple things to mention, it’s 11 miles back to Yosemite Lodge if you take the shuttle bus from Yosemite Lodge to Glacier Point in the morning. It’s NOT all downhill. There’s an uphill section right after you pass over Illilouette Creek and downhill on the Mist Trail is worse than going uphill. This video is great about showing you all the reasons why you want to put yourself through the pain.

Video by John Galbraith.

Related posts:

1. Video: Glacier Point to Yosemite Valley by Havemedia
2. John Muir Trail Open
3. Yosemite Falls 360 Panorama

Half Dome Cables from James Matsubayashi on Vimeo.

If you’ve been thinking about climbing to the top of Half Dome using the cables then you NEED to watch this video by James Matsubayashi. It gives you a REALLY good idea what’s in store when you start up the cables. Don’t take my word for it. Have a look.

Photo by James Matsubayashi.

Related posts:

1. An Introduction to Hiking Half Dome (video)
2. Cables Up on Half Dome
3. Half Dome Cables Taken Down For Season

Download and install ($2.99 on the iTunes app store) MotionX GPS. Since the GPS pulls maps of your location from the internet and internet signal in Yosemite is spotty you’ll want to download the map of the Yosemite area to your iPhone.

How to download a map to your iPhone

To download a map start by opening the MotionX GPS app.

1. Click the Menu button in the bottom right corner.



2. Click the Onboard Maps button from the bottom left side of the menu.



3. Click Add New and then MotionX O-Terrain.



4. Click the blue Select by Area button on the upper left side of the map and, using your finger, position the target circle over Yosemite National Park.



5. Once you have the target circle over Yosemite click the blue Next button from the top menu.



6. Click in bar immediately under the Maps to name your map. Right below your map you’ll see 2 numbers. The top is for the minimum zoom on your map and the bottom is for the Maximum Zoom. Since this is ONLY for fun and you shouldn’t rely on the maps you download to navigate in the back country go ahead and set the minimum about 5 and the max around 13. Now click the green Download button from the bottom right corner of your screen.
7. Click OK on the download confirmation screen.
8. When your download is finished (it may take a while depending on your map settings) click Done at the top of the screen.

Creating a track

Creating a new track of your hike is pretty easy. The thing I find hardest is remembering to start recording the track.

1. Click the orange Menu button in the bottom right corner of your screen.
2. Click the Track Recorder button at the top right of the menu.
3. Click the green Start Track button in the center of your screen.



4. Go on your hike.



5. When you reach your the end of your hike hit the orange Pause Track button and then the blue Save Track button.

Exporting a track

If you’re a Google Earth fanatic MotionX GPS will export your track in .GPX and .KMZ format. If you just want a map to share with family and friends of your hike (bragging rights are everything you know) MotionX GPS will generate a Google Map automatically of your track when you share it. Did I mention you can share the track from your hike on Facebook, Twitter or by email?

Exporting by Email

To get the .GPX or [.KMZ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.kmz file you need to export via email.

1. Click the orange Menu button in the bottom right corner of your screen to bring up the menu.
2. Select Tracks from the bottom right hand side of your screen.



3. Click on the name of the track you want to share.



4. Click the blue Options button at the top of your screen.



5. Now click the Share button.
6. Click the Settings button at the top of your screen.
7. Make sure Email Sharing has a green light next to it and the little switch is turned to “on”.



8. Enter your name in the Display Name field right below where it says Email Sharing.
9. Enter you email address in the field below that. Make sure here is a green checkmark next to it. Note: If you want to share your map with anyone else enter their name in the additional fields below yours and click the blue checkmark. A green check means they’ll get your track too.



10. If you want to share by Facebook and Twitter you can enter your login information by scrolling down to the bottom of the Share screen. Otherwise click the blue Done button at the top of the screen.



11. Now click the share button in the middle of your screen.

You’ve shared your track. You should now have an email with your .GPX and [.KMZ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.kmz file from noreply@motionx.com. In your email you’ll see all the pertinent information about your track as well as the link to your track on Google Maps. If you sent your track to another MotionX GPS users iPhone they will be able to import and follow your track on their iPhone.

MotionX GPS is available on the Apple iTunes Store for iPhone 3, 3GS and 4 for $2.99.

Title image by Makuma443. Thanks to my wife for patiently holding the phone while I snapped photos.

Related posts:

1. Wildcat Fire Location on Google Maps
2. Photo of the Day: iPhone atop Half Dome! by Min Liu
3. Maps

Day hikers wait in line to climb the popular cables to the top of Half Dome on a Thursday morning. Photo by Matt Montagne.

So the new quota system has effectively reduced the surge of people attempting to climb Half Dome on the weekend but, as you can see by Matt Montagne’s great photo, only made weekdays more crowded. Matt took this photo Thursday June 24th, a weekday when foot traffic to the top of Half Dome has traditionally been less.

If you’ve recently climbed Half Dome, please tell us your experience in the comments section below.

Related posts:

1. Get Ready to Hike Half Dome
2. Heart Transplant Recipient Scales Half Dome
3. Last Chance to Climb Half Dome This Year

The NPS has produced a great new video that gives a REALLY good introduction on hiking Half Dome. It talks about what you need, hazards and things you need to watch out for.

If you’ve been thinking about hiking Half Dome it’s worth checking out the video first.

Related posts:

1. HIking Half Dome – What You Need to Know
2. Video: Hiking Half Dome the Day Nohara Died
3. Thinking About Hiking Half Dome? Here’s Something You Won’t Want to Miss

Don’t forget, the cables are scheduled to be in place on Half Dome for use Wednesday, June 16, 2010.

If you are staying in the park and would like to hike Half Dome on a weekend you’re going to need a permit. Permits are available here (recreation.gov) and are booked up into August already.

For weekday hikers you will not need a permit. Be warned however that lines are expected to be longer to climb Half Dome during the week as people who were planning to hike Half Dome during the weekend change their plans.

The trail is hot, dry and exposed to sun. Take LOTS of water, sunscreen, sunglasses, gloves and a good hat that covers your ears and neck. There are gloves usually at the cables but keep in mind lots of people use them and they’re usually kinda icky.

For more information on hiking Half Dome and some useful tips visit the NPS website.

To make a reservation to hike Half Dome on a weekend and obtain a permit visit this page on recreation.gov.

Hikers peering over the edge on Half Dome. Photo by Kirk Kohler.