This Summer was our second running Summer Camp trips up in Olympic National Park in Washington and it was stellar! We changed things up a bit and split trips to be either Mountain or Coastal, and also offered our first 13-day backpacking trip where they did both! The young ones didn’t miss out either as…
Details
El Capitan in the fading light Seven days ago marked our return to Yosemite Valley for the season. John’s white Ford van rolled into the Curry Village parking lot at 7:30 PM, and by nine we were ferrying loads to the base of El Capitan (accompanied by our new friend and fellow guide Maddie Hodge).…
Details
Yay! You’re planning a trip to Yosemite! Home to incredible granite formations, powerful waterfalls, giant Sequoia groves, and some of the world’s most breathtaking views, Yosemite National Park is truly one of America’s greatest national parks. However, with 747,956 acres to explore, you won’t have enough time to see it all. You may even only…
Details
Whether you’re tackling a 6-Day Tuolumne Meadows to Half Dome backpacking trip in Yosemite or a leisurely 3 days on the Ozette Coast in Olympic National Park, the importance of a hearty breakfast in the backcountry is undisputed. A breakfast done right can really fuel your fire and keep you going when the going gets tough on the trail.…
Details
Four women who changed Yosemite forever. by Kara MacerossCover photo: Yosemite climbing legend, Lynn Hill, LA Times Women have played an influential role in the history of Yosemite for thousands of years, although you don’t hear their names as often as you may the likes of John Muir, Chief Tenaya, Galen Clark, Ansel Adams, Royal…
Details
A Brief History of America’s Original National Park Guardians, The Buffalo Soldiers Let’s take a journey back to a time long before the National Parks existed. In the year 1865, after the end of the American Civil War, a fractured United States sought to begin rebuilding and expanding into the Western frontier. Congress passed the…
Details
A historic look at climbing The Nose of El Cap, and what it’s like to climb it in a day. LA guide Jack Waterhouse just might be the most understated big wall climber in Yosemite. Last fall, he low-key climbed the Nose of El Cap—a feat that normally takes an average of three or four…
Details
Guide Advice: How To Train For Your First Backpacking Trip By LA guide and program manager, Nick Estrada These days, it seems like everyone has some desire to experience backpacking, and for good reason. Many of our guides have been exploring the backcountry for years, and they wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. The draw…
Details
The Native History of Olympic National Park Long before western settlement, the Olympic Peninsula was a home of abundance. By LA Olympic guide, Jack Waterhouse The Olympic Peninsula is a vast and rugged area, defined by extraordinarily lush old-growth rainforest, glaciated peaks, wild and powerful rivers, and miles of coastline dotted with sea stacks and…
Details
