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Reviews

• Yosemite Icon 4 day private Backpacking Trip

  davidnL854RA,,Jun 3, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  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.

• Magic of Yosemite Icons in the snow

  Adventure45290670515,,Nov 11, 2023

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  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.

• Trip of a Lifetime

  svenbX726FW,,Sep 18, 2023

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  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.

• Great Adventure!

  834kellyl,,Jul 28, 2023

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  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.

  

  

  

  

• Love hiking? Do this!

  natalieb339,,Jul 21, 2023

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  This was the best trip our family took part in on our 3 week holiday in California. Our guides Kara & Ian were fun, kind, organised, knowledgeable & in tune with the different needs within our group. When there was an unexpected (small) fire which forced us to reroute, they were really good at suggesting alternatives. We learned so much about the park wildlife, flora & history and we were very well fed along the way. Highlight was surely the red velvet cake (with icing)cooked on an open fire after sunset! The kit we hired was really good quality. Would highly recommend this trip if you enjoy proper hiking & want to get away from the tourist trails on the valley floor.

• Exceptional Service!

  whitneysA9561SC,,Jun 17, 2023

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  This was my second trip with Lasting Adventures and it was a great experience. Emily R led this trip and she took great care of our group. The meals were amazing and fun such as pita pizzas, pesto tortellini, and pad Thai. Emily also kept the group entertained with fun facts about Yosemite history such as the story of Granny the bear and the nightly Elmer call. Overall it was a great experience and chance to see beyond the Yosemite Valley.

  

  

• Great Company

  natalienY7260XE,,Jun 15, 2023

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Our guide Emily did an awesome job leading a great adventure in Yosemite! We had all the supplies gear and food we could possibly need.

  

• Wonderful Memories Made!

  Camper705565,,Jun 15, 2023

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  We enjoyed our guided backpacking trip to Yosemite with Lasting Adventures! They were great at communicating all of the trip details, packing list, etc., and they kept us updated due to weather changes and trail closures. Dyson was a wonderful guide! He provided us with Yosemite history, flora & fauna info, facts about the wildlife, great conversations, and he was an excellent cook! We could not have asked for a more memorable and fun trip!

• Great Outfit! Great People! Great Trip!

  DaQi,,Jun 4, 2023

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  I have gone on trips with Lasting Adventures previously and so when I was thinking about getting away for a trip they were the first people I thought of. While doing guided trips is not cheap it is so easy to not have to worry about anything and the team at Lasting Adventures take care of everything to make sure you have a great trip. So I looked on their informative website and chose the Yosemite Icons trip since it was available, the right length and went to a part of the park I haven't been too. As the trip drew closer, Scott, the owner, was in touch with me to communicate with me about the trip. Due to the huge amount of snow, the trip would likely need to be adjusted to take into consideration the conditions. Scott was very understanding about offered to let us reschedule or go with the flow on the trip as scheduled. We decided to go with it knowing that the trip would be adjusted based on conditions. When we met up with our guide, Kanyon, we had a great conversation about what we were going to do and came up with a plan for the trip based on the conditions. Kanyon was great guide. He was super flexible about the trip and did an amazing job of making sure we had a great time while dealing with conditions and being sensitive to what we were comfortable doing or not. We ended up having a chill trip and didn't do as much hiking as the itinerary had planned which was actually totally fine with us. We had a great time and enjoyed being in the back country of Yosemite. We had an amazing camping spot and stayed there for 3 nights while doing some day hikes around the top of the falls. We had fun sloshing around in the snow on one day and then the next day we did a short hike to an amazing lunch spot where we relaxed and took in the view while having a great back-country charcuterie lunch. Kanyon did an amazing job of preparing a tasty vegan menu for us with some excellent options. Highly recommended trip. Lasting Adventures is a great company and their guides are amazing. They are passionate outdoors people who are genuinely interested in making sure you have an amazing time.

• 10 out of 10! Highly recommend!

  meangela010,,Sep 3, 2022

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  I have booked 2 trips with Lasting Adventures now. One for my son, he did a 2 week teen back packing trip in 2021. And one for me, I completed a 1 week backpacking trip in Yosemite this year. Both trips exceeded my expectations! The guides are amazing. 10 out of 10! Highly recommend! Well worth the cost!

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