MARIPOSA, California (Achieve3000, February 15, 2012). There was a time not long ago when a climb to the top of Half Dome was a solitary trek. It was attempted by only the most daring adventurers. Located in eastern Yosemite National Park, Half Dome is a huge granite rock formation that has been described as resembling a bowling ball cut in half. In 1865, the 4,800-foot-high (1,463-meter-high) rock was considered "perfectly inaccessible." That changed in 1919, when metal cables were installed along the 400-foot (122-meter) final stretch of the climb. The cables enable even inexperienced climbers to hoist themselves up the steep, 45-degree final ascent to the mountain's summit, where they are rewarded with awe-inspiring views. Over the years, the trail became increasingly popular—perhaps too popular. Now, park officials want to limit the number of people attempting the hike. Not …show more content…
Their goal is to protect hikers' safety. The popular trail can be treacherous, especially in bad weather conditions. A sign at the bottom of the final stretch warns hikers not to attempt the trail if a storm is looming. Rangers also attempt to caution hikers when bad weather is likely. Still, many visitors disregard the warnings. They don't want to turn back before reaching the summit. "People are pushing their luck, trying to beat the weather, and their backup plan is to call for a [helicopter] rescue," said park official Mark Marschall. "We can't fly in that kind of weather." Park rangers want visitors to be able to descend the slick granite in 45 minutes to escape fast-forming storms that make the trail slippery. In the past, when up to 1,200 hikers a day lined up on the cables like cars in rush hour traffic, getting off the mountain that quickly was not