I was thinking just last weekend as I crossed the death slabs... Has anyone really died here while heading over to north dome gully?

So, that's my question. Does anyone know of a climber who's died while walking across to north dome gully?

I believe it's very possible to die from a slip there. Especially with even a small haul bag on your back.

Cheers,
Aj

I always thought the death slabs referred to the slab approach below the nw face of half dome

Falcon and supertaco both call the slabs over to NDG death slaps. I do agree that most know "death slabs" as being that super quad-workout getting up to the NW face of half dome...

People have died on the death slabs. Years ago, before the descent route was well known, at least one party turned downhill too soon while walking towards North Dome Gully, slipped, and fell to their deaths.The one episode that I recall reading about (happened sometime in the '70s) involved a party that got a late start on the Royal Arches route, finished in the dark, and tried to walk down in the dark without really knowing the descent route that well. It would be documented in "Accidents in North American Mountaineering".

Almost got taken out last year on the fixed lines on the death slab approach to nw face of half dome. Two basketball sized rocks wizzzzed by while I was jugging fixed rope. The sound and proxmity to certain death still makes me cringe!!!

I topped out on the prow just after dark a few years back. Another team had just topped out before me and had started down with a full load and their haulbags. As I start the walk-off I heard yelling from below. I will never forget looking down and seeing two skid marks in the gravel off the edge and then nothingness in the darkness below.
Apparantly they did as many have done and turned down too soon, slipped on the loose gravel and one took a 200ft fall. One guy had rapped down as far as he could to his partner at the time. I continued down and reported the incident. Later the guy was choppered out and miraculously had no broken bones but was in pretty bad shape. Link, the climbing ranger at the time, told me that the guy had fallen probably 100ft, hit a ledge, and then fell another 100ft. I was really glad the guy was ok but it is a classic example of what can happen up there when you are tired, its dark, and you don't know the way down.

I almost made the same mistake in the daylight. After my brother and I did Royal Arches, we started down too soon, got on some loose scary stuff, and almost slipped down North Dome(?) Gully before turning back up.

...and that was even after descending the slabs from the Prow a few years earlier.

I recall descending North Dome Gulley after spending a night on top being eaten alive by fire ants. As soon as the eastern sky lightened enough to see, we began the descent.
It was already about ninety-five degrees in the shade by the time we were halfway down
I remember feeling sweaty, dirty and dehydrated when my buddy above me knocked down a softball-sized dirt clump that exploded on the top of my head, covering me with dirt that clung to my profusely perspiring body. It almost sounds like everyone’s descent of NDG involves some story of misery or unimaginable fear.
I forgot who to credit with the following quote, but it really makes sense with regards to getting off of Royal Arches and The Column:
“Climbing would be unique and truly wonderful thing, if it weren’t for all that damned climbing”