This beautiful image of Half Dome peak in Yosemite Valley, CA is from an old postcard dated 1907. The original card was made in Germany and shows a wintery scene with the summit of Half Dome.
Like El Capitan, Half Dome is a granite domed ridge with one half of the dome having been sheered off by glacial movement some million years ago. The crest rises more than 4,737 ft. above Mirror Lake on the Yosemite Valley floor.
Half Dome was originally called “Tis-sa-ack,” meaning Cleft Rock in the language of the local Ahwahneechee Native American tribe. The face that can be seen in Half Dome from some angles is supposed to be Tis-sa-ack, the name of a mother from a native legend.
The Yosemite Valley is now Yosemite National Park with many hiking trails, campgrounds, lodges, and hotels for the millions of visitors that come annually to see this spectacular wilderness. The trail to Half Dome peak is not an easy one. It is reached by following an 8.5 mi trail from the valley floor. After a gradual 2 mi approach, the final ascent up the peak’s steep but somewhat rounded east face is reached only with the aid of a pair of post-mounted braided steel cables. This is not a hike for beginners and is often broken into two days by experienced hikers with camping overnight in Little Yosemite Valley.