I am heading to the Valley in the last week of June. Is the Nose too hot? Is Half Dome still too cold? Thanks

Half Dome would not be too cold. The Nose may be hot depending on your definition of hot. I was on it last year on July 4th. It was in the 90's and camping sucked because the valley was hot. The higher you climb, the cooler it gets though. Just plan to bing plenty of water and hope that the Nose isn't too crowded.

Conventional wisdom says that the Nose can be an oven in the summer, but it is often cooler when you get several pitches up. Whereas Zion, for instance, is generally to hot to climb in the sun in the summer for most folks, temps in the Valley vary significantly from year to year. You might get there and it'll be mid-eighties (still quite warm on a wall for me) or they could be upper-nineties. Or higher or lower.

For me, I'd rather be a bit cool in the mornings on Half Dome than bake in the afternoon on El Cap.

Jordan, you must have been the one and only party on the nose last Independence Day. Three years running El Cap and in particular the Nose has been a ghost town the week of the 4th.

Eric, it's difficult to predict the weather or crowds. Come prepared with plan A, B & C that way you're sure to not be disappointed.

Have fun!

~Susan

There was a Swiss party that only made it up two pitches and bailed in front of us. Other than that, some locals where setting up film stuff for the Huber brothers earlier in the week up to Dolt Tower. It was indeed dead our second day. The heat wasn't to bad though.

Last week in June is marginal for the Nose. I have found that typically some time between 6/25 and 7/4 the weather flips in the Valley from "okay to climb" to "smoking hot". If the weather's turned don't go up there, you will totally bake. That said, last year there were a bunch of parties on the Nose the last week in June and the rap route was fixed at least from Dolt for some movie.

Half Dome should be workable... there may still be snow at the base. I did the Regular Route last year on 6/20 and it was prime.

Coldest El Cap route I've done was in July (3D, always in the shade due to timing)...hottest was in October.

YMMV...