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Founders Fall Adventure

Founders Fall Adventure

Trip Highlights:

High Alpine Wilderness

Fundraising Trip

Meet the Founder

Granite Peaks and Domes

Merced River

Vernal & Nevada Falls

Our Founder and our Operations Director are your guides for this iconic Yosemite Guided Backpacking Trip to raise funds for disadvantaged youth!

HIGHLIGHTS

Join Lasting Adventures’ Founder/Executive Director, Scott Gehrman, and our Operations Director (and veteran Yosemite backpacking guide) Will Heaps, on a special 6-day Yosemite guided backpacking trip through the backcountry with our two most experienced staff members! As one of the park’s most devoted stewards, Scott has been coming to Yosemite since childhood, and guiding here for more than 25 years! As a veteran Lasting Adventures guide, Will knows every step of the way. He can point out the less obvious highlights and make the entire experience something to write home about! With more than 30 years of combined backcountry experience in the park, the duo hosts an unparalleled wealth of Yosemite knowledge to share with guests—from hidden secrets of Yosemite’s fascinating history to locations of the park’s lesser-known backcountry marvels. They are also both wizards in the backcountry kitchen (Will specializes in international cuisine) who are passionate about creating delicious menu items to accommodate all guests, so no matter what your diet demands, you’ll eat like high-country royalty in their company! Scott has picked one of his favorite itineraries that gives you a incomparable presentation of everything Yosemite has to offer.

What’s best about our Founder’s Fall Adventure? It’s designed as a fundraiser for our youth scholarship program, and all profits go toward providing positive outdoor experiences for disadvantaged youth and teens!

MEET YOUR GUIDES

Scott Gehrman, Founder/Executive Director

Scott is the founder and executive director of Lasting Adventures. He has been coming to Yosemite since childhood, and guiding in the park for just over 25-years. (He’ll tell you he started when he was young, and that he did; at the ripe age of 22.) Scott has logged thousands of miles in the Yosemite backcountry and well over 150 Half Dome summits, all while claiming to be afraid of heights. Over the years, Scott’s history of high-adventure experiences and first-hand encounters in the Yosemite backcountry have armed him with countless stories of his personal escapades, such as the time he awoke face-to-face with a black bear! He also has an arsenal of campfire tales stemming from an affinity for the lesser-known Native American and pioneer history of Yosemite. Scott’s favorite locations in Yosemite include Clouds Rest, Matterhorn Canyon, and Vogelsang Pass, the latter of which is in the itinerary for this adventure! When not in Yosemite, Scott can be found snowboarding, or hiking the slopes of Tahoe with his dog, and Lasting Adventure’s spirit animal, Summit.

Will Heaps, Operations Director

Will is Lasting Adventures’ Operations Director. He started in 2015 and has watched the company grow into itself. Coming from a background as a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, he knows how to use the experience in the backcountry to uplift, inspire, and improve quality of life. Will has hiked the 500-mile Camino de Santiago and the 211-mile John Muir Trail. He knows every step of the itineraries we use and can show you vistas, fun facts, and interesting finds that no one else would think to point out. With backcountry experience in a variety of landscapes, including the deserts of southern Utah, the Utah and Colorado Rockies, the Sierra Nevada, and the Appalachian Mountains of New England; he is able to use Yosemite as a launching pad to help you continue to explore the wilderness anywhere. His favorite locations in Yosemite include Mount Conness, Young Lakes, Parker Pass Lake, Vogelsang, and Matterhorn Canyon.

Also on this trip you can expect to benefit from 1-2 more of our experienced Yosemite guides who will join in on the fun while providing additional support to this exceptional experience.

Due to a record setting snowpack this winter, we anticipate late seasonal openings for the 2023 summer at higher elevations (with Tioga Road opening between July 1-15th) and modified itineraries at lower elevations and on early season trips as needed. Our online offerings have been updated to reflect this.

Be prepared for wet/muddy trails, and the possibility of stream/river crossings and/or walking on/crossing/camping on/near snow. Trekking poles will be provided. Also be prepared for added adventure as you experience Yosemite in unparalleled beauty as it comes to life after one of the wettest winter seasons on record. If seasonal access or trail conditions present issues, the tour/hike/itinerary will be modified accordingly. For more information and what to expect, see: Yosemite’s 2023 Snowpack & 2023 Summer Expectations.

Mileage & Difficulty

37 Miles

Length

6 Days

Price

$3,995

Per Person

Departure Info

4 pm
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2023 Departure Dates by Month

    September Departure Dates  

  • Fri, Sep 8th – Wed, Sep 13th
    Hurry, only 2 spots remain
  • Tue, Sep 26th – Sun, Oct 1st
    Hurry, only 4 spots remain

All 2023 dates remain tentative until permitted 20-weeks in advance. Please remain from making travel arrangements outside of this timeline. We will contact you if we are unsuccessful in obtaining the exact dates listed above. Feel free to contact us if you would like to confirm.”

#1 Rated Guide Service in the West

Guide Service Guest, 2021
Guide Service Guest, 2021
@stephenp236
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"My son and I (both tax accountants) recently enjoyed a three-day private guided backpacking trip with Last Adventures. The trip met all our expectations; we had a great time! The guide’s love of her work and knowledge of Yosemite National Park made the trip a success. She planned all the details, provided excellent gear, and made sure everything worked out as planned"
Guide Service Guest, 2021
Guide Service Guest, 2021
@D8156BRjennifero
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"Lasting Adventures made my trip to Yosemite a dream vacation! It was stress-free because every detail was covered from food and transportation to clear meeting instructions and itinerary. Our guide took a hike that would have been fun and made it magical by explaining the history and ecology of the area we were hiking. He matched our pace and often let us lead. I can't say enough good things about Zachary and Lasting Adventures!”
 Yoga Retreat Guest, 2021
Yoga Retreat Guest, 2021
@MikeK746
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“I did the Yosemite yoga 3 day backcountry camping. It was amazing! I would definitely do it again. The food was great! The scenery was superb camping in high country aside a mountain lake, and the guides and yoga instructor were fantastic!!!”
 Guide Service Guest, 2021
Guide Service Guest, 2021
@cezefo
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"We were a group of 7 family members (ages 22-65 years old), and for all of us it was our first hiking/backpacking/camping experience. We all had such an amazing yet challenging experience! Our guides’ spirit, cooking, and knowledge were great!”
 Guide Service Guest, 2021
Guide Service Guest, 2021
@Ambrosiaboyd
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“We backpacked with a group of 7 other people from 'Backpacker's Camp' to Mae Lake, up to Mt Hoffman, Cloud's Rest, and finally completed the trip with an amazing last day, summiting Half Dome at sunrise! It. Was. Incredible!! Our guides immediately made us feel comfortable and excited. Their passion for the wilderness, people, and their career as a guide is contagious. If you have the chance to go on a Lasting Adventures trip - please do it!”
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