Hiking Yosemite's Half Dome is no easy feat, even for the youngest and healthiest.
Now imagine being in your 90s and making it to the top of the majestic peak.
That’s what 93-year-old Oakland resident Everett Kalin did this past week. With the help of his son Jon and granddaughter Sidney, Kalin completed the trek to the summit of one of the world's most famous rocks.
Kalin got the idea after skydiving a few years ago. Yes, skydiving at age 91. He stays in shape by walking around Lake Merritt almost every day, but he says he also trained for the hike by climbing up and down the stairs in his 16-story apartment building.
As for Jon and Sidney, both avid runners and hikers, they weren’t too worried about making the climb.
The trio started their trek Monday, hiking about 6 miles. Then on Tuesday, they climbed Half Dome, which took them about 13 hours.
"Everyone was kind of looking at my dad in awe, saying, 'Wow, amazing you’re doing this. You’re such an inspiration. Can I take a photo with you? You’re making me think of my dad.' Pretty neat we had the support of everyone up and down the mountain," Jon said.
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The weather almost threw a wrench in their plans. At a permit check point, a ranger told them there was a 20% chance of thunderstorms, so they needed to be prepared to turn around even if they hadn’t reached the summit.
Fortunately, the weather cooperated.
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"And slowly but surely we got closer to the top," Everett said. "Finally, I saw where the cable was locked into the rock, solid as possible, and I thought, 'My gosh we’re here,' and that was just super."
"It was incredible," Sidney said. "It was certainly a long time coming. We had a long hike to get to the top, and we put in a lot of hours of preparation for this. So, to see it all come to fruition and make it to the top: We were all emotional; we were all crying. Everyone was filming us, cheering. It was a really special moment I’ll remember forever."
So, what’s next for Everett? He says he’s open to suggestions.
