Hiking to the top of Half Dome

The infamous cables, straight up the rock face for the final push to the summit

Going straight up!

The last 500 feet of the Half Dome hike (17 miles roundtrip) are the craziest.  You're faced with a shear rock wall of granite that you looks unassailable.  And yet, the cables which were installed almost 100 years ago (proper upkeep along the way), are a great way to get up there.  You pretty much pull yourself up, with 2x4 pieces of wood every 10 feet or so at the poles.  Gives you a spot to stand without worrying about slipping down, and take a breather, or let someone pass.  That's right, the cables are a two way path, despite being about 4 feet wide.  People need to figure out who goes first and where to move to the side with their packs on.  Tight squeeze!  Sometimes it's just easier to to sit and get most of your body out of the way and rest your feet on the pole:

It's a solid workout, but the views up top are worth it, to go with major feeling of accomplishment which hits you on top.  The 360 degree views of Yosemite are some of the best out there, although most people would prefer to look at the glorious Half Dome instead of be on top of it.  Being 4,800 ft off the valley floor, you get a whole new perspective of the park.

One of the iconic pictures on top of Half Dome is out on a ledge overlooking the valley.  You're out there on a ledge with pretty much nothing below you, feeling on top of the world.  Here I am flexing the muscles, having conquered the dome:

Kicking back with the feet over the edge

So yeah, it's worth the trip to the top, even when you're climbing the cables and look down:

See if you can find the people standing at the base of the cables (they're mighty small)

And of course, there's that happy feeling when you've made it back down off the cables, knowing that you accomplished and saw greatness on top: