How 2 Skiers Conquered Yosemite's Half Dome

At the end of last month, two skiers achieved an unprecedented feat: descending the summit of Yosemite National Park's iconic Half Dome into the valley below.

In 1865, a report declared that the rock formation — at more than 8,800 feet above sea level — was a path that "never will be trodden by human foot."

Since then, Half Dome has become a popular, but challenging, hike.

But on Feb. 21, Jason Torlano and Zach Milligan made the nearly 5,000-foot trek down on skis.

Skiers and snowboarders have descended Half Dome in the past. But some were assisted by ropes, and none of them made it all the way down to Mirror Lake in the valley, an extra 4,000 vertical feet.

For Torlano, who's lived in Yosemite since he was 5, the journey fulfilled a childhood dream.