Most hikers hoping to reach the summit of Half Dome require hiking boots and a permit, but one climber recently did it barefoot and without a pass – a black bear. Yosemite National Park is home to between 300 to 500 black bears. Catching sight of one there isn’t unusual, but finding one at the summit of Half Dome – which stands at a whopping 8,842ft above sea level, even higher than its neighbor El Capitan – is very surprising indeed.
“Rangers recently discovered evidence of a black bear's presence on the summit of Half Dome,” announced park rangers in a recent Facebook post. “Yosemite bears are excellent climbers and can easily tackle the 46-degree angle – no cables needed!”
