What COVID-19 means for Lasting Adventures’ guides and guests
The novel coronavirus places us in the midst of challenging times. With the world constantly changing, our risks continue to change as well. Drastic change must be anticipated, and moving forward, operating with an elevated degree of uncertainty must be embraced as the new norm.
Today, March 20, California has implemented a shelter-in-place for its nearly 40-million residents.
Simultaneously, on March 20th at 3pm, Yosemite National Park officially closed to all park visitors until further notice.
To safeguard the health of our guides and clients, Lasting Adventures is currently not accepting any bookings until after April 19th (subject to change). Along with the rest of the country and greater world, we are going to keep our risks low while riding out the climax of the current COVID-19 pandemic. We remain optimistic that this climax will subside before peak backpacking season begins in May, and as the urgency/anxiety diminishes, our guides and guests will return to the liberating pursuit of exploration and adventure. Lasting Adventures plans to be available May through October, as we have been for so many years, to guide/facilitate amazing outdoor adventures in low-risk settings.
Wilderness is the ultimate escape from the stresses of modern society, a place to lose oneself and find oneself over and over again. Nature provides people with an irreplaceable environment for cleansing, rebirth, healing, and growth. In the wake of this pandemic, many people will likely be compelled to stay local, choosing vacations and recreation in places where the threat of contraction is significantly lower. State and federal lands, including National Parks, provide ideal environments for lower-risk vacations, and whether in Yosemite, Sequoia-Kings, Olympic, or Sequoia National Park, we are here to help you escape.
Lasting Adventures has a proven history of successfully operating around risks. We’ve operated around park closures due to fires, floods and snow, and even the Hantavirus outbreak in Yosemite in 2017. Working through challenges to keep low-risk adventures coming is our specialty, and operating our trips within the guidelines given by local, state, and federal authorities is our goal. We operate in large parks, facilitating exploration and adventure across hundreds of miles of secluded trails, and we will continue assisting our clients in the enjoyment of these outdoor experiences just as we have for almost 25 years.
For our 2020 season, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are now supplementing our regular menu of adventures by offering PRIVATE day hikes, PRIVATE summer camps and PRIVATE backpacking trips at no extra cost. Our ongoing safety precautions and additions to our Cancellations and Terms and Conditions are listed HERE. We will remain flexible in helping you and your loved ones find healing, growth, and adventure in the outdoors during and after the current pandemic.
Please feel free to contact us directly at Staff@LastingAdventures.org or by leaving us a message at 1-800-513-8651 to start planning your dream adventure in any of the national parks where we operate, including Yosemite, Sequoia-Kings, Olympic, and Lassen Volcanic National Parks.
Here’s to adventuring often, healthily, and safely,
-Scott Gehrman, Lasting Adventures Executive Director
Scott Gehrman is the Founder and Executive Director of Lasting Adventures, Inc. where he has been guiding and directing the largest backcountry outfitter in Yosemite since 1996.