Lasting Adventures — Local services in Oakhurst

We went on the 5 night Yosemite multiday lodge hike in the last week of June 2021 with our family of 4. The Rush Creek Lodge was a significant component of the trip with above average dining, facilities, and lots of game activities for families with young and old kids. Lasting Adventures paired us up with another family of 7 for the hikes, and we each had a separate vehicle on all but one day. We hiked the valley floor on the first day, and it was scenic but also pretty hot and sometimes crowded at the upper falls and lower falls (summer is a busy season!). The water level is down this time of year and in this dry year, so we couldn't get much of the cool mist waterfall experience though we appreciated having flexibility to choose where to go in the afternoon for our family pod (spring season better for waterfalls if that is your main thing). The second day we hiked to May Lake and more challenging terrain at Mount Hoffman. The mosquitos were bad in lower elevations even after repellent was applied, so be prepared. The bug nets over the heads were a minimum to make it comfortable (saw other hikers used), and our most mosquito-prone hiker used pants and a mosquito shirt (surprise, it works!). Most of us still got bit, some many times, but it was so much better with the nets. Higher elevation hiking really slowed some of us lower-elevation folks down on the higher hikes despite being in good shape, so we had to take frequent breaks while the other family from higher elevation went ahead with little trouble. Storms cut short our ascent though we were close to the top. Still worth it to perch on the high rocks in the cool clean air that rushes when the mount surges happen. Day 3 we ascended Lempert Dome which involved some steeper climbs and exposed domes with significant drop offs that pushed some of us to our comfort levels (still worth it), but most really enjoyed hanging out on some of the steeper outlooks. Descent through trees and vibrant forecast was comfy and sparsely used which was a welcomed treat. Had lunch with the masses around half dome and storms again ended our day, but we got to see storm-induced waterfalls on half dome. Unique!. Day4 was spent in Tuolumne meadows and hanging out on Tenaya Lake which was nice as many decided to wade in the cool waters before the storm came again in late afternoon. The tour guide, Meg, was a highlight of the trip. She was an excellent driver which is important for the 30-60min daily commute to hiking spots on winding steep roads and traffic. She was also very personable, patient, knowledgeable, helpful with blister control/prevention, and we felt safe with her at the lead. She went above and beyond making a sweet low-sugar brownie for a 50th birthday celebration for one of the hikers that was much appreciated. Guides put in a lot of work and were all good folks and fun to talk with as well as the other family we were paired with. All in all well worth it if you want a guided perspective to Yosemite with a little more socialization from a professional tour group with a good mission and comfy bed/shower at the end of the day. There were lots of bathrooms on hikes for those concerned. Storms are normally not common but we hit an active time in the summer monsoon transition for the southwest, so if you go in summer, then prepare for heat and get in longer hikes before early afternoon. Breakfast carry out was a bit hard to time with restaurant opening at 7am and departure 745am and the lodge was still feeling the pandemic worker shortage, so everyone cut each other some slack given the pandemic. Recommend putting in to go orders right at 7am. It was nice to get back before dinner each day to rest and unwind at the lodge with a shower and good food and games. Be prepared for lots of walking/hiking, drinking lots of water (bladder backpacks are optimal) and have good hiking boots/shoes that are worn in. For most a smaller daypack should suffice as ample snacks, food, and water refills...

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...

As a middle aged woman that often travels alone, I have I always wanted to go backpacking in Yosemite but would never do something like this alone so I looked to Scott Gehrman and Lasting Adventures. Several things really impressed me about Lasting Adventures, one being that it is a non-profit where the profits from private guiding go into their teen adventure program for disadvantaged youth scholarships. Additionally, Lasting Adventures will provide all of the necessary equipment that may be needed (backpacks, sleeping bags, tent, hiking poles, water purifiers, food, etc) at no extra charge. Scott and Braden, our guides for the trip were very knowledgeable, professional, yet very fun and always positive and honest about what we were to expect. They are very good camp chefs as well.

Scott helped me to plan the trip and I was able to select the dates and itinerary that best fit my schedule and interests. Initially, I was the only one signed up for the trip but Scott thought that some others would probably join in. Much to my delight, 4 other women signed up, we were all different ages and in different stages of life but very quickly formed a very tight bond with each other and remain in communication even though we live in different regions of the US.

The hike was tough but very awesome. On day 1 we hiked to May Lake, several from our group also hiked up to the summit of Mount Hoffman (10,850’), day 2 we camped beside one of the Sunrise Lakes, on day 3 we hiked to the summit of Clouds Rest (9,926'), day 4 we hiked Half Dome (8,836'), and on day 5 we returned to the Valley via the Mist and John Muir Trails. The hike really hit some of the most amazing parts of Yosemite. The views were absolutely incredible.

Some of the things that were really cool about backpacking with guides is that all of the permits were taken care of for us, they knew the best areas to camp and our tents were set up for us, (this may not seem like a huge deal since I have always done this myself on prior backpacking trips), but it sure was nice. The food was amazing!! Truly gourmet backpacking meals and plenty of food. We had nice campfires every night but one (we were all too tired after Half Dome). Scott and Braden knew the trails well and always gave us a great overview of what to expect each day.

I was the slowest hiker in the group but this wasn't problematic. Scott led the group and Braden hung back with the slower hikers. We had predetermined spots where we all met up and Scott and Braden had radio communications between them. I became especially terrified on the saddle of Half Dome and just didn't think I could do it. The group was very supportive but Scott encouraged me to go to the bottom of the cables and told me to make my decision there since it just didn't look as intimating from that vantage point. Braden followed me up the cables and was just below me on the way back down. I have to say that if it hadn't been for him talking me up and back down i probably wouldn't have made it. This was a life changing experience for me and for the others in my group.

This was an amazing experience and truly a Lasting Adventure!! I highly recommend them for the experience of...