Keep your mitts off Half Dome: Rangers reminding cable climbers to pack out gloves
YOSEMITE N.P. - Hitting Yosemite's iconic Half Dome anytime soon? Don't forget to pick up after yourself while you're there.
The most famous -- or infamous -- part of the hike is the ascent up Half Dome's cables. The two metal cables allow hikers to climb the last 400 feet to the summit without rock climbing equipment.
Many people find gloves that have a good grip helpful on the cables, but park rangers are asking visitors to stop leaving their gloves behind. Rangers say the gloves can rot due to exposure or get blown away, causing trash in the park.
After people complete their climb, they leave their gloves behind, partly for those who forget theirs, and to avoid having to carry them back down.
In the past, hundreds of pounds of gloves have accumulated at the base of the cables.
