Rick Bevard was determined to climb Half Dome. For years, the massive rock formation in Yosemite National Park, California, had proven elusive and this year was no exception — initially.
The 45-year-old Iola native has been taking adventurous trips every year since 2019. The excursions are always centered on a challenging hike at a scenic destination. Among his accomplishments are Mount St. Helens in Washington, Mount Whitney in California, and the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Now living in Kansas City, Bevard said the trips also serve as a way to reconnect with his Iolan friends.
“They’re a way for us Iola guys to do something outside of the norm,” said Bevard. Joining him this summer were fellow native Iolans Josh Stiffler of Webb City, Mo., Charlie Glaze of Lenexa and Jason Franklin of Iola.
This marks the sixth year that Bevard has gone on a trip and the third year a group from Iola has joined him.
THE BIGGEST challenge this year may have been simply getting the permit to climb Half Dome. “I have tried to get a permit about five times now,” Bevard said. “Every time it has failed, going all the way back to 2020.” He explained that the popular climbing destination has a lottery system in place that determines who will be able to climb it. In an effort to monitor crowd safety, there are only so many people allowed to go up it each day.
“It’s always been out of reach,” he said. “I’ve always just thought, ‘Well.. some day.’” Bevard was disappointed, but not surprised, when he wasn’t able to get a day-pass permit this year. After looking at the permit process more closely, though, he had a revelation. 
“There are a few other options to be able to get a permit to do Half Dome,” he explained. Instead of getting a pass for a single day, they could add on a wilderness permit and get access to Half Dome. The permit is for three to five days and includes seven different trailheads.
“As long as we broke it up and did it over the span of three to five days, we could get to Half Dome that way,” said Bevard.
This meant camping stops along the way. The excursion included a two-night stay in an unheated cabin in Curry Village and two nights tent camping at Little Yosemite Valley Campground. “We ended up having to extend our flights and trip which is why we were in Yosemite for a whole week instead of just a couple days,” he added. In comparison, last year’s group trip to the Grand Canyon was a three-day excursion. “This one had to be centered on the wilderness permit criteria, which meant a longer trip,” he explained.
AFTER SETTLING into Curry Village on their first night, they took inventory of their surroundings. Although Half Dome was the ultimate goal, there were many other trails and sights to explore. “We were able to see the Little Yosemite Valley and all the trails around it,” he said. They stopped at a vista called Tunnel View that gives exceptional views of El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridalveil Fall.
“We saw the Mariposa Giant Sequoia Grove,” said Bevard. The grove is the largest sequoia grove in Yosemite and is home to over 500 mature giant sequoias. “The oldest tree in the grove is called the Grizzly Giant. It is around 3,000 years old,” he added. “We hiked up to the Bridalveil Fall and stood right next to El Capitan.” Bridalveil Fall is a waterfall that plunges 620 feet, while El Capitan is a 3,000-foot tall rock formation.
Additionally, the group hiked the Vernal and Nevada Fall trails. The hike up these trails, referred to as nature’s “giant staircase,” rewarded the group with close-up views of two waterfalls and numerous geologic features.
Other trails they explored included the steep Mist Trail, the Panorama Trail of Glacier Point, Sub Dome Trail, and the John Muir Trail. “All of them were offshoots of either the campground we were at or off of Half Dome itself,” said Bevard. “It was probably about 8 miles of hiking a day. We registered about 35 miles of hiking over the course of all the days we were there.”
The most challenging trail the group traversed was the Mist Trail. “It’s basically straight up,” he said. “It’s all vertical and there are some loose rocks on it, so we had to be cautious.”
There is about a 5,000 foot elevation gain from leaving Glacier Point to the top of Half Dome, noted Bevard. “It’s intense. You’re out there in the elements and it gets cold at night,” he said. During the days, the weather was ideal for them with temperatures around 70 to 80 degrees. “It was sunny and the views were extraordinary. It was all so surreal.”
