Yosemite is home to some of the Sierra’s most majestic sites. But outside park boundaries, hidden gems abound! There’s no debate—Yosemite National Park houses some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world, let alone in the Sierra. But beyond Yosemite’s gates also exist hidden marvels that are well-worth exploring. If you’re planning your Yosemite…
By LA gear manager, Will Heaps After two weeks of hiking the rugged routes of Camino de Santiago in the northern part of Spain, my buddy Will’s knees ached almost visibly. By that point, he’d been watching me and my wife tackle the same terrain with much less agony, courtesy of the aid from the…
Five reasons why Fall is the greatest season of all. When assessing the best time of year to visit Yosemite, a case can be made for every season. Waterfalls in Spring, Alpine lakes in Summer, and snow-covered cliffs of Winter make stiff competition for Autumn, but any seasoned visitor may you—Fall is actually the best…
A Guide’s Perspective on Yosemite’s Top Backpacking Summer Camp and Guide Service Matt Schilowitz first joined Lasting Adventures as an intern back in 2017. He’s come back every summer since, and in that time graduated to a guide, then a lead guide, and now a program manager. But it’s not the paycheck that keeps Matt…
Throughout our history as a guide service, fires have not been a physical threat to our programs, primarily because we operate in higher elevations and alpine regions, which have thinner forests and lots of granite. Most major fires over the past 20-plus years have all occurred at lower elevations and in the drier foothills outside…
Everyone has people in their lives, places, and unique things about themselves that makes them proud to be who they are. For me, a recent experience guiding our first Half Dome in a Day hike of the season did just that. Arriving to Lasting Adventures for the summer, eager to check my guide schedule for…
Dispelling The Myths About Yosemite’s Bears by LA guide, Michael Misselwitz If there’s one thing we know to be true about the bears of Yosemite National Park, it’s that plenty of myths exist about them. As stewards of the wilderness, it’s our job as guides to dispel those myths, and after decades of sharing the…
Tip #0: Don’t start with the route pictured above. Photo of legendary El Capitan rock climbing kingpin, Tommy Caldwell, sourced from Facebook. A mountain guide’s tips for your first rock climbing experience in Yosemite. Words by LA guide and program director, Matt Schilowitz Since the inception of modern rock climbing, Yosemite Valley has long been…
Understanding Altitude Sickness: Causes, Symptoms, Preventative Measures, and Treatment If you travel to an area of increased elevation without allowing time for your body to acclimate, there is a chance that you may experience altitude sickness. Altitude sickness, also known as elevation illness or mountain sickness, occurs in areas with lower oxygen levels and can…
Examining Yosemite’s diverse climate and its fascinating collections of trees Within the 747,956-acre expanse of Yosemite National Park, ground elevation varies from as low as 2,105 feet at the Merced River to a towering 13,115 feet at the peak Mount Lyell, Yosemite’s highest point. This drastic change in elevation taking place within relatively few miles…
