Old-timer told me to skip the Half Dome cables, I wish I'd listened

Ran into a retired ranger at the Happy Isles trailhead back in June. He said to skip Half Dome and do Clouds Rest instead because the cables would be a zoo by 9am. I figured he was just gatekeeping the classic route, so I went for it anyway. Got to the subdome at 10:30 and it was a two hour wait in direct sun with people panicking above me. By the time I got down, I saw Clouds Rest from the valley and it looked totally empty. Has anyone else ignored local advice on a famous route and paid for it with crowds or worse?

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logantaylor29d ago

Man, that ranger knew what he was talking about, learn from us old heads.