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Running/hiking Half Dome trail alone - advice

PostPosted: Tue May 11, 2010 2:28 am
by bairn7
Hi guys

I'm planning on running/hiking up half dome alone in June. I'll probably be starting around 6am and using JMT instead of the mist trail. Should I be particularly wary of anything? I've been reading about running CA and am getting a bit edgy about mountain lions (especially as I like to run on trails at dawn!).

Should I be worried about his? Or is the trail so well used that the wildlife tend to be further into the backcountry? Is there any sensible precautions or things I should take with me? Spray etc?

Thanks

PostPosted: Tue May 11, 2010 7:18 am
by AlmostThere
I hope you're nimble, that trail is a mess of busted up pavement and rocks. And you're going to get dirty if it hasn't rained in a while. The mule trains have ground the dirt into powder.

Bears will show up on trails, they aren't afraid of people. But if you wave arms and yell and throw rocks at the ground in the general direction of the bear, it will shove off.

I've seen lion prints on trails but never seen lions. Never heard of a lion up there getting a person. Bears have only hurt people sleeping in tents with their food, and there's only been a few of those incidents on record. Read the food storage regulations on the Yosemite website and you likely won't have any trouble at all.

PostPosted: Tue May 11, 2010 11:06 am
by Wickett
Just about every time I go up that way I see one or two people running the trail so it is pretty common IMO.