Hikers to Half Dome will need paperwork next time

Comes word from the National Park Service that if you're above the subdome, you're going to need a permit for that, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays when the cables are up - and they're only giving out 400 a day. I say "only" - that seems like plenty, and you'll still see crowds up there, I'm guessing. But it seems Yosemite - likely with the input of the climbing community - is looking to cut down on the Russian-bread-line aspect of Half Dome hiking. (You can see a line of hikers packed in on the cables here.

It's become a safety issue - cries for more safety grew louder last June when a young man fell to his death from the congested area. A genius outdoors writer from my hometown paper, Tom Stienstra, has an eyewitness account of the accident and smart discussion of the issues here.

As for the cables -

The only place to get permits is online; they cost $1.50. May and June dates open up March 1; July and August on April 1; September and October on May 1.

Anybody out there been up to Half Dome lately?