5-Day Yosemite Backpacking - Yosemite Icons

The best way to experience Yosemite!

There is no way to express the level of satisfaction we had with our whole (2nd time!) experience with the entire Lasting Adventures team and process. The communication while planning is exceptional and our guide Dyson was so knowledgeable and patient and enjoyable to be around for our 5 day trip. This is by far the best way to experience Yosemite if you really want to dig deep and challenge yourself, or not as much! You choose!

Response from the operator: Thank you for taking the time to leave this review/feedback about your 5-day trip with Dyson and Lasting Adventures. I am glad to hear that the itinerary, food, and guide were a big hit and made your trip enjoyable. Perhaps next year in Olympic? -Scott

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Yosemite Icon 4 day private Backpacking Trip

First and foremost, Maddie was an amazing guide and a perfect match for our family throughout our 4 day Yosemite Icon backpacking adventure. She was close in age to both of our adult children and was a pleasure to have around. Maddie also prepared some great meals for us - Chicken sausage with peppers, zucchini and onions over couscous, mild curry dish with tofu over rice, and a chicken pesto pasta dish. A yummy breakfast got us on our way each day and she managed to put together some tasty lunches while on the trail or resting at lookouts with purely spectacular views -- like the hummus wraps on the top of El Capitan. Scott was also easy to work with planning our vacation and helping to select the best trip for the time we had (last half of May) and the experience we were hoping to have. Late May turned out to be a great time as the temperatures were still on the cool side during the day - mid to high 60's - and not unbearably cold at night - mid 40's. Also we rarely had any bug issues - never had to use our mesh headgear. Only downside was the high water that prohibited swimming in the river near our campsite - "embrace the dirt' and bring a pack of body wipes. But that made for lovely views or river rapids and provided a nice rumble to help sleep at night - no white noise needed. Our favorite animal sitings were loads of deer especially at the Snow Creek campsite on the bluff, a couple of marmots, and one mild mannered black bear -- actually a Cinnamon colored bear. The day hikes from our first campsite were fun and filled with their own adventures - walking over logs and wet areas off streams, spotting rare flowers and sniffing trees that smelled like butterscotch -- Maddie's botanist background helped and made that all the more interesting and informative. The views along the way and at our various destinations were beyond amazing and made all of the trekking worthwhile. Our favorites were Eagle Peak and lunch at the top of El Capitan but the top of Yosemite Falls and the Snow Creek campsite overlooking Half Dome were certainly honorable mentions. Now for the cautionary tale and advice as you review the trip options and pick your adventure --- this 4 day backpacking was very challenging and much, much harder than we expected. Granted we had not backpacked or even camped as a family, so the itinerary and elevations didn't mean as much to us as it may to others. Particularly challenging was the day 1 hike on the Upper Yosemite Falls trail with full backpacks as we took on the switchbacks and large rock steps to gain a few thousand feet of elevation over roughly 3.5 miles with the total trek to camp being closer to 5 or 6 miles over 5 and a half hours. Hikes day 2 with just light day packs seemed like a breeze after leaving behind the bulk of the backpacks. While we never weighed the packs, our guesstimates ranged from 30 - 50 lbs for most with lighter weight toward the end of the trip and maybe one even heavier pack (with the larger 2 person tent and some bad choices on my part with over packing - like having 2 sets of dinnerware and a tea pot -- no doubt stories will be told about that one). So, if you aren't a backpacker and are considering a similar trip, I would strongly recommend beefing up the training regimen well in advance both with additional weights in packs for hiking (min 20 lb routine walks) and a more intensive routine on the stairmaster at the gym. Thank you Lasting Adventures for a truly amazing trip and thank you Maddie for making it so special. I am so proud of my family for what they accomplished and thrilled that I could check off this bucket list experience as part of my 60th bday celebration. We will cherish the memories and beautiful photos from this adventure for the rest of our lives.

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Magic of Yosemite Icons in the snow

My partner and I had the most amazing journey around the North Rim, led by our expert guide, Eric. Having come from overseas we were limited in the dates we were available, which happened to be while the snow was still thick on the tops. We arranged with the amazing team at Lasting Adventures to still go ahead with the trip, after they had assessed the safety of the journey, and our experience as hikers. Eric had such enthusiasm and knowledge about Yosemite, he educated us about the geology, natural history, and the indigenous stories of the area. He also let us know about the amazing work Lasting Adventures is doing for school students, teaching responsible recreation, and fostering environmental stewardship. On our journey we snow-shoed across the top of Yosemite Falls to the top of El Cap one day, and to the top of North Dome the next day, where we were treated to expansive views of Half Dome and Cloud's Rest. We made exciting river crossings, learned about safely storing food away from bears, and used new hiking techniques like glissading. We felt safe at all times, which meant we were able to enjoy the stunning views wholeheartedly. We cannot thank Eric and Lasting Adventures enough for this once in a lifetime opportunity.

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Trip of a Lifetime

Spent five nights last week on a Lasting Adventures trip in Yosemite. I couldn't have dreamt of a better way to see the park. Our guide was amazing and was a wealth of knowledge on the geology, trees, and history of the park. Finished the trip with a summit of Half Dome on our last day. The only way to really get a scale of Yosemite is to spend a few days backpacking through the park. Amazing food, good company, and some of the best scenery on earth. I highly recommend going with the experts at Lasting Adventures as this is truly their backyard.

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Great Adventure!

We had an amazing time. Our guides Kara and Ian were amazing. They were knowledgeable about the park, its history, inhabitants, birds, and plant life. They made it fun even when it was tough. I sit behind a desk all day. This trip was way out of my comfort zone, but they were supportive and took such great care of us. The meals that they can prepare in the backcountry are imaginative and tasty and they had riddles to keep your mind busy on the trail. When you were not mesmerized by the scenery. It felt so good to accomplish these hikes. We had a fantastic group of people on our trip. I would do it again.

Response from the operator: Thanks for taking the time to leave this review about the Yosemite Icons trip with Kara and Ian. perhaps next time in Olympic National Park? -Scott

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