A Backcountry Wedding to Start the Season
Despite the Rim Fire, our brief evacuation, and the Government Shut-Down; Lasting Adventures, Inc. had an amazing season filled with many accomplishments. Below are some of the highlights.
Our season began early due to a dry Spring, and obvious signs of the dry summer to come. Early backpacking trips included a special moment for our clients, and new friends Tami and Dan. Tami and Dan joined us for their pre-wedding Honeymoon on a trip to Clouds Rest and Half Dome. Their wedding was two-days after their trip at Glacier Point. “My wedding-day was made more special with a backdrop consisting of the peaks we summited on this amazing adventure with Lasting Adventures. It couldn’t be any better,” stated Tami.
A Summer to Remember
In early June we held our 6-day staff training. A key addition was our focus on Adventure Based Programming. We collaborated with Project Adventure and brought out one of their founders to lead this 2.5 day training. In addition to the activities and facilitation skills, this training helped us provide a framework for the adventure work we do with youth, families, groups, and corporations.
Once into the main part of our season, the weeks just seemed to fly-by as we ran our clients on awe-inspiring day hikes and custom backpacking trips. Our youth summer camp program continued to provide life-long learning opportunities through adventure-based programming. On any given day, it would be common for different Lasting Adventures groups to pass on the trails. We had customers from around the world including some special youth participants from England, and our three week participants from Korea. “Awesome,” “Fun,” and, “Amazing,” are only a few words of many in our ongoing positive reviews. Our staff enjoyed creating positive adventure experiences for all!
Largest Wildfire in California History: The Rim Fire
Our summer came to a screeching halt after the Rim Fire erupted on Aug. 17th. On this day, some of our guides reported seeing the fire ignite as they were recreating at the Rainbow Pools location east of Groveland on Hwy 120. Up until this time, our phones and emails were non-stop with clients seeking memorable Yosemite experiences. Once the news of the fire got out, the phones and emails went dead. Yet our energy and momentum did not stop. As we packed and evacuated our Guide House, a core group of our Guides continued running scheduled trips even though that meant that they personally had to set-up camp within the park rather than returning to the Guide House. Our base of operations was moved for those few days to our friends and colleagues at Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides. Luckily we had completed all of our summer camp programs before the fire began. Our evacuation was brief and we returned to the Guide House only to realize that our summer season was winding down to an early end, almost two-months early.
Government Shut-Down = No Yosemite National Park
As the fire was contained and roads slowly began re-opening, we began a Fall-Backpacking Campaign to recover some of our losses. This campaign promoted the changing colors and seasons in early October. Although we did schedule two separate trips and additional day-trips, they were all cancelled when the Government shut-down. Now, it was more than clear that our season was now over.
New Sponsorships and Programs for 2014!
In mid-October, Lasting Adventures, Inc. learned that we are a new grantee from Clif Bar and the Clif Family Foundation. This grant was awarded for our efforts in increasing outdoor activities and promoting respect for nature and the world around us. We are very grateful for this new support and new friendship with Clif Bar & Co.
As the year comes to an end we are working on many new projects and programs. As seen on our website, we now have programs for Families, Corporations, and Groups. We are also developing new partnerships with major universities and with our friends from Project Adventure on the East Coast. Also, watch for information on our Junior Guide Program.
Wherever your holidays may take you, we wish you and your family health, happiness, and a year full of adventures!
Scott Gehrman
Executive Director
Lasting Adventures, Inc.