yosemite guide service

We had the pleasure of spending two days hiking in Yosemite with Martin on 10/30 and 11/1. What an incredible experience!! The park is spectacular of course, but Martin knew hikes off the beaten path to give us views we never would have had otherwise. AND, his encyclopedic knowledge about the park - the history, culture, geology, geography, and biology - made the hikes so much more enjoyable. We could not believe our good fortune in having found Yosemite Guide Service for our trip! We plan to go back again next spring and will absolutely call them again!

I had such a great time backpacking with John and a small group (5 of us in total). Besides being a great cook (he does more with dehydrated ingredients and a small fuel canister than I can do with a full kitchen), he was a knowledgeable and fun guide. He did a great job of being involved and friendly while not being overly-involved or didactic. As it was my first time scaling Half Dome, it was really reassuring to have a seasoned guide to preside over not only the hike, but perhaps more importantly the permitting/administrative hokey pokey. I had so much fun on the trip, and I attribute lots of that to the fact that all of the details (food, water, packing guide, permitting, routes, etc!) had been taken care of by John. If it's your first time to Yosemite or even your fist time doing a real backpacking trip, I STRONGLY suggest hiring John to be your guide. Thanks, John!

I don't even know where to start here. Our family (parents, 2 adult children and son-in-law) just returned from a 3 night camping/hiking trip in some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen. I had reserved a backpacking trip with John months ago and a week before our trip, my husband injured his back and John completely switched things up so Corey could still do the trip (hiking rather than carrying a 35-40 lb packs). Everything from the tents and equipment to the food, hiking and scenery was all great. John is extremely knowledgable not only of trails to hike but of the plants and wildlife as well as the history of the Sierra Nevada/ Hoover Wilderness and Yosemite. Also, John brought his dog Parker on the trip which was super fun. He is a great dog and all of us LOVED having him along. Sitting around the campfire at night, with a full moon eating fresh grilled salmon with pesto pasta- after spending the day hiking to a beautiful mountain lake- it just doesn't get any better than that.

My daughter (21) and I (49) spent a wonderful backpacking adventure (3 days/2 nights) with John over the July 4th weekend. I was a little concerned about backpacking on one of the busiest weekends of the year, but John knew exactly where to take us where we could experience some great scenery but not be overrun by crowds. I asked John to challenge us and he did just that. The hike into the Hoover Wilderness was strenous but well worth it. After the first day, we had an entire mountain lake to ourselves. And, having been there before, John knew the perfect campsite. On our second day, we climbed to Crown Point above Peeler Lake. John made sure we made it to the top safely and with time to enjoy the fabulous views - well worth the climb. On another note, John's equipment is all top of the line - the packs were comfortable and the camping equipment was like new. John is everything you want in a guide - professional, expereinced, knowledgeable, well-equipped, likeable and more. We had a wonderful time with John that we won't soon forget. I recommend John without reservation to all levels of backpackers.

John was professional right from the start - he was friendly and warm in all his emails and addressed speedily and sensitively all my concerns. He was flexible and arranged for his colleague to meet me at my hotel in Groveland, as I was unfamiliar with the area and did not want to risk missing the appointed time. Even before the tour started, I felt assured that I was in good hands. When Martin met me, I immediately felt at ease to be in his company for the next 8 hours. He gave me a good historical background to Yosemite and made the place come alive. He brought me to the Valley, Glacier Point and stopped at a place where we could see climbers in action - gutsy conquerors of El Capitan. That was fun. He even went out of the way to bring me to the historic Ahwahnee Hotel so I could have a feel of this grand dame. He introduced me to Park Service officers that he knew and made me feel very much at home. My program was not the usual hike but more of a guided tour in a car with several stops along the way. I don't think I would enjoy the day as much without the insights of an experienced guide. I saved much time that might have been spent navigating & groping around a huge mountainous area. Not to mention the entry fee for each car, if you don't already have a pass. I highly recommend engaging John & Martin if you wanna get the most out of your limited time in Yosemite.

Our family thoroughly enjoyed our day, hiking with John through the back country of the Sierra Nevada. We saw amazing sights, swam in lakes, ate great food and to top it off even saw a bear (though not sure if that is repeatable on every hike). We would thoroughly recommend John for hikes in Yosemite region. We found John to be an incredibly friendly and caring person. Will definitely call by again.

We (a French couple) went to Yosemite for a 3-day trip with John and his lovely dog Parker, in June 2014. In one word, it was AWESOME!- A hiking trip "à la carte"Before the trip, John asked us what were our expectations and our hiking skills. Based on that, he offered us a fully bespoke trip, perfectly fitting to our wishes.Moreover, John doesn't mix several groups : we hiked just both of us with him and it was really pleasant to have the exclusiveness of the Guide !- An amazing Scientist guide !John is not only a Chief Guide, but also a Biologist : we were so happy to listen to his wildlife and flora explanations and we learned so much things about nature (and more, John taught us how to fly fish !). John loves sharing his knowledge and we appreciated it very much.- A great chef ! Before our hiking trip, we were a little bit afraid of dehydrated food (French people love good food :) ) and we were very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the real food, not dehydrated, products that John brought. Plus, you can trust John for cooking, he’s a Chef ; we loved !- A top quality equipment !Furthermore, John provided us with best of high quality hiking equipment. He selects carefully each item to fit the morphology and experience of the hiker.- A lovely dogJohn asked us if we agreed to hike with Parker, his lovely dog, and we assure you that he is very adorable and really well trained. It would be a pity not going on this trip without him.

We went with Martin to a 3 day trip to Ostrander lake June 2014 and had a fantastic experience. Three teens from age 11 to 15 backpacked for the first time and also had a great time. The cooking was inventive and delicious and all of the equipment was new or like-new high end brands. Highly recommended.

Being a trip facilitator myself, I've NEVER hired a guide before. My friend Marcia who also is an avid traveler and hiker suggested we hire guides and to my dismay, it was AWESOME! John & Martin were experienced, knowledgeable but most importantly, genuinely great people to spend time with in the great outdoors. Their love of the Sierra's and nature was inspiring. We are planning on another trip back country skiing with them this Winter. ***** review on all accounts to John & Martin. PS Parker is missed and a GREAT addition to the team.

My husband and I and another younger friend decided to go with a guide service that would help us take all the guesswork and angst out of backpacking in the Sierras. Because it was very early in the season, they could figure out where to go, They were very accommodating to our needs as "older" backpackers. (Late seventies). It was great to have someone do the cooking, supply the great quality gear, and have all the knowledge of the Sierras. It is comforting to know that we can continue to do something we have loved doing so much -- with a little help from some friends.

A group of friends and I decided to go with Yosemite Guide Service last fall for our Half Dome excursion and let me tell you, it was the smartest choice we made all year! They really took the hassle out of planning for this hike buy obtaining permits (which is quite difficult, if not impossible), buying food, making sure the gear they provide is appropriate, etc. John took our groups ability level into consideration when working with us to plan our route, which was great since we had an older gentleman with us who ended up injuring his ankle and couldn't finish the trip. John was the consummate professional during our entire expedition - this guy knows his stuff! If your looking for the best guide service for your $$, look no further than Yosemite Guide Service!

From the moment we met Martin he said that he would make this the trip we wanted it to be. We spent hours tooling around taking photos on a bright sunny Sunday. Martin has many interesting experiences and knowledge that he graciously shares with you as his guest. We did a little hiking, he was very patient as we hiked up to the top of some big rock. At the top you could see the panorama of the park. Thank you Martin for making Yosemite a wonderful memory! Photos coming soon.

We booked a guided day trip with John to learn more about the area and to get off the beaten path. John exceeded our expectations on all accounts. He is extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife, geography and history of Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada mountains. He was accommodating to our level of ability in hiking, and intuitively knew when we needed a rest. John was flexible and offered many suggestions in what we could do for the day. Hiking to a beautiful remote high mountain lake was an experience we won't forget. Our day with John was the best day of our trip. We highly recommend John's Yosemite Guide Service, and we would love to go on a longer backpacking trip someday.

John took us on a guided backpacking trip into the Sierra's for three days and we could not have had a better time. On the drive out, he gave us so much background about the park and the area we were going to be hiking in. He was so prepared and had great gear for us to use. We ended up getting way more snow than expected on the trip but it gave a fantastic backdrop to all of our pictures and John took great care of us, making sure we stayed warm and fed. John was super knowledgeable about the wildlife in the area. The hike was exhilarating but slow paced enough to let us really enjoy all of the beauty of the Sierra's. It was the highlight of our visit to Yosemite and we would both be excited to do more trips with John.

We had an outstanding day with John (and his dog Parker) which was perfect for our 3 teenage girls, my wife and I. Having met us at nearby Lee Vining, John took us up to a lookout over Mono Lake where he explained the geology and ecology in a really accessible way. We then followed him in our car up the Tioga Pass. Having parked we hiked 2 hrs up past deserted mine workings, had lunch by a stunning Alpine lake and then descended. Words can't do justice to the scenery. John is also fantastically knowledgeable and kept the girls' interest and motivation going on the uphill stretches! After that he took us for a treat in Tuolomne Meadows and then on to another lookout point. All of this helped us to get the most of our short time with him. Even better were the tips he gave us for secret deserted spots to enjoy in the main Valley (you'll have to book him to find out though!) I'm delighted to recommend John and encourage everyone to support Yosemite's recovery from the 2013 wildfires.