Y explore Yosemite Adventures Y explore Tag Line
   

We strive to provide our clients with impecable customer service and tours that focus on delivering memories of a lifetime and some of the best photographs they have ever taken. See what they are saying about us.

Call or email us today:
(800) 886-8009
tours@yexplore.com

TESTIMONIALS

2008

Hi John,

Lisa and I totally enjoyed the Half Dome hike you led for us last month. Thanks again for being such an inspiring and masterful guide. The day was exceptional in every possible way.

Lori D ( San Clemente , CA ) 10/9/08

Hi John...

We had a fantastic time! It was great fun, Zeb was fantastic, Catherine was wonderful with helping us set this up...overall, a great experience!

Thanks again so very much!
All the best,
Helene and Joanne (NJ&CT) 10/8/08

Hi John and Catherine
 
Just wanted to say thank you very very much for a wonderful time at Yosemite - from Catherine helping me organise an itinerary on short notice to Robb's attentive photography lesson and John's great hike and adventure with the wasps! I thoroughly enjoyed myself and just couldn't even imagine the things I would see over those 3 days. Yosemite is definitely something else - I'm still a little speechless when describing it to my friends! When I come around again, I will definitely give Yexplore a call.
 
Take care guys and hopefully I can drop by again soon.
 
Thanks
Edward (Sydney , Australia) 10/6/08

John,

Thank you again for a great trip on August 17th.  It was fabulous.  I really appreciated your patience as it probably looked like I wasn't going to make it.  I hope the fact that we made it overshadowed the fact that we took 15 r/t to do it!! I actually hope to make the trip again some time, this time without the dehydrated pineapple!  Thanks again. 

Annette (Chicago, IL) 9/21/08

Hi John.

Many thanks to you and Catherine.

Our hikes with John were among the best highlights of our twelve day vacation and we will remember them for the rest of our lives.

Rest assured we will recommend Y Explore to all of our friends, and we'll be in touch the next time we visit Yosemite.

Thanks again.

Rob W (Summit, NJ) 8/27/08

John, Catherine and Travis,

Thank you so much for looking after us in Yosemite . We thoroughly enjoyed our hike and in the temperatures we had that day it was just right! If the distances were a little closer you would see us more often but rest assured if we do return to the area we will look you up. Best of luck with the business – what a place to work !!

Phil P ( England , UK ) 8/21/08

Dear John,

We have now arrived back in UK and I just wanted to thank you again for the lovely time we had with you and Travis.  You gave us so much information about the park, its history as well as showing us amazing sights and pointing out the different trees and creatures.  Our hike was the highlight of our entire trip.  As you suggested we had lunch at Whoa Nellies having visited Bodie the day after we saw you.

England is grey, wet and windy - wish we were back with you in Yosemite !

Kate  ( England , UK ) 8/17/08

John,

The hike was truly the highlight (no pun intended!) of our time in Yosemite.  We have enjoyed talking about it with each other and as we tell others about our trip.  You and Travis were awesome, and it is an experience we will not forget! Good luck to you!

Shannon (Spring, TX) 8/6/08

Hi John,

We had so much fun our hike; it was definitely a highlight of our trip. Thanks again for everything!

Best,

Alana ( New York , NY ) 8/6/08

John,
 
It was our pleasure and joy having our tours with you and your team.  Additional to your expert advice and knowledge of the zone and botanicals around us, we all were very happy and comfortable with you and your team.  I would like to thank and also congratulate you for the way you run your service oriented company.  You will have in all of us a strong positive word of mouth.  I’m sure that with the love and passion you put to your work, this will be the key of success for your business.

Felipe V (Medellin, Colombia , SA) 7/27/08

Hi John:

Thanks again for a great day.  I can't imagine that we would have made it to the top of Half Dome without your guidance (and without Travis pushing us from behind).  Both Steve and I count it as one of the highlight achievements of our lives.  Libby also felt very good about making it as far as she did.

Best regards and best of luck for your business.

Phil M ( Los Angeles , CA ) 7/22/08

Hey John,

What a tremendous adventure we enjoyed, and your guidance was calm, patient, and intelligent all the way.  We will most certainly advocate your services to any and all who inquire regarding trips such as this one.

Best always,

Steve T. (Santa Clara , CA) Jul 21, 2008

Hi John,

thanks again for a wonderful memory for the entire family, i told everyone back in concord, calif about your terrific services.  and thanks for the info on the falls, really classy of you following up like that.

cheers and give me a call if ever in annapolis again

CAPT Greg M (USNA Annapolis, MD) 7/18/08

John, thanks again for guiding us on our hike last weekend.  It was a great adventure, and the views from Sentinel Dome were truly splendid. 

Thanks again, and take care.

Pat F (Phoenix , AZ) 7/10/08

What a great trip we had, thank you.  My legs are just recovering now. It was great getting to know you and if Travis had spoken, I am sure I would have liked to get know him, too (kidding - he was great).  The boys are still talking about the trip!

All my best wishes,

John (Seattle, WA) 7/5/08

Thank you so much for the guided hike on Wednesday.  We had a wonderful time and even though it was a little challenging for me at the end of the trail, I really appreciated all of the patience and motivation from John to get me back up to the top of Glacier Point.  We are so happy that we chose Yexplore for our hike and we will make sure to spread the word about your company.  We didn't have nearly enough time in Yosemite and plan to come back hopefully in the near future. The hike was definitely the highlight of our entire vacation, especially seeing the mama and baby black bears at the end.  Incredible!

Again, thank you for such an awesome experience.

Laura W (Collegeville , PA) 7/1/08

We are finally back in PR...thanks a lot for sharing Yosemite with us, we had a great a time.  We also wanted to let you know that while we were leaving Glacier Point's parking lot we were lucky enough to see a black bear with two cubs hanging around the parking lot.  It was truly a remarkable experience.
 
Once again thanks a lot.
 
Saludos,
 
Javier (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) 6/08

My plein air work has improved significantly since working with James.  His advice of painting without my glasses helped me avoid getting bogged down with detail.  It certainly has been worthwhile for me and I look forward returning again and again and taking more workshops with James in the future.

--Jonathan ( Brooklyn , NY ) 5/29/08

Just wanted to say a quick thank you for an already amazing hike and that you and Ondrea just made it better. Thank you for posting the pics on you site, Lucas loved them...I mean him.  He also wanted to say, "Thank you John for a fun hike."  And for also being a great buddy.
I (Beth) wanted to say that I learned a lot about the nature of the area.  Such beautiful flowers and trees, I have lots in pictures, so thanks. We look forward to this again and will look you up the next time we plan a trip to Yosemite .
Thank you!!

Beth C. ( Ontario , CA ) 5/29/08

As a follow-up to the Y explore photography workshops in Hetch Hetchy on May 18th-20th, I wanted to express how truly worthwhile I found the entire experience. I attended the Sunday nature hike with James McGrew, the morning Introductory Photography course with Evan Russel, and the Evening Light Photo course with Christine White Loberg. As well, I went to the nighttime lectures on Restore Hetch Hetchy and Art in Yosemite. All of the guides were thorough in their explanations and knowledge of Hetch Hetchy in its surroundings and history, as well as the artistic component to the landscape. I also would recommend Josh Cripps, who acted as assistant on all of my activities, as a full time guide to your tours. He was just as, if not more, knowledgeable on the mechanics of the photography as all of the other guides and seemed to be a great addition to the team. It was a true pleasure to take part in the Y explore experience, and I will be recommending it to friends and family members who happen to be in the area in the future.

Thanks again,
Iris R (Glenwood Springs, CO) 5/27/08

Betsey and I would like to thank you for a wonderful and fun filled three days of hiking Hetch Hetchy.  The scenery was spectacular, the guides top notch, and with perfect sized groups it was a fun and memorable experience.

Christine led the Sunday Nature hike with an enthusiastic fever that infected us as well, and instilled in us an appreciation for the beauty of this corner of Yosemite .  She showed us more than the spectacular granite formations and the powerful sweeping scenery, she caught us up in the power of the outdoors to see the range of life, from the flower to the mountain and all that exists in between.  John was his professional and knowledgeable self.  His mastery of the camera, the history of the land, and the flora and fauna always brings new perspective and a greater appreciation for Yosemite and the Sierra range.  I always learn something new, and he helps me become a better photographer.  Curtis supported us on two of the three trips and was helpful to no end.  He was ready with his Sierra field guide and constantly helping the group members.  As we were going over a rough patch of trail, he was right there offering Betsey his trekking pole without a blink of the eye.  That is true customer service.  It is good to see the young generation have an appreciation of the outdoors and be interested in what it is all about.

The trip format was well organized and we both liked the evening programs.  The presentation by James was a great combination of art, photography and Yosemite history.  Unfortunately we could not make Christine's photo talk, as we had to high tail it back home for work the next day.  But we left with a smile and some great memories thanks to you and your team.

Mark Z and Betsey ( Half Moon Bay , CA ) 5/26/08

Wow, just wow! My brother-in-law (Alberto Martinez) and I (Dave Hahlbeck) received these Photo Tours as X-mass gifts. I have never been on any type of photo tour before and did not know what to expect. We are both novice photographers with a love for the outdoors and photography. When we arrived we met everyone and we headed out with our Tour Guide John DeGrazio and Professional Photographer John S. They gave us their backgrounds and some very interesting knowledge about the park and it's history. Our first stop we wandered into this green meadow with an awesome view of El Capitan and started clicking away. John and John spotted about ten climbers scattered about the wall of El Capitan. They were barley visible by the naked eye. That gave us all a great perspective of how massive El Capitan is...it is awesome! We started hiking again heading up. During this 2 mile trek John S. would stop several times to show us awesome vantage points of Ribbon Falls, Gun Sight, Bridalvale Falls, The Leaning Tower, Cathedral, Half Dome and El Capitan and of course we all snapped away. We reached our final vantage point...a beautiful and aw inspiring view of Bridalvale Falls. This point of view was just amazing. At the beginning of the hike John S. said we might see a rainbow in the mists of Bridalveil Falls due to the weather. Within 15 minutes of snapping pictures of the gushing falls the rainbow started to appear and just intensified for about 30-40 minutes. I couldn't stop taking pictures. I tried everything in my camera bag. John S. was giving us his expert advice and ideas on how to shoot the rainbows and different ways to frame the shots. It was an exciting moment and I felt very privileged to see such a sight. After about an hour of clicking away the rainbow faded and we headed down. We took some last photos of the warm  late afternoon light hitting the valley walls and said our good byes. I have to say that the tour was handled very professionally. Thank You Catherine for all your help with all the information and the bookings (our wives said wonderful comments about you and how you made things so easy for them). Thank You John DeGrazio for leading the tour and finding us even tho we parked in the wrong parking lot hehe. You have great  knowledge of the areas plant and wildlife. Oh and Thank You for the mosquito repellent! And Thank You John S. for your expertise in photography and your awesome vantage points you took us and your great knowledge of the wildlife, park history and plants. You are all a great team! Once again, Thank You for the experience and I hope to join you all again in a different adventure.  

Cheers, Dave H from Tracy, California 5/5/08

We were all more than satisfied with the hike in all ways.  Your input in choosing this hike is very much appreciated.  The timing fit in our weekend smoothly and the level of difficulty suited the group well.  It was so nice to be virtually alone on the trail and have a peaceful and beautiful picnic spot.  Your walking pace was perfectly tailored as were your historical tales of the valley, flora and fauna educational talks and natural history discussions.  You added so much to the hike that we were all talking about coming back again and doing a longer hike with you.  Thank you again from myself and the rest of the group. 

Barbara S ( San Luis Obispo , CA ) 4/17/08

TESTIMONIALS

 

Thanks for a hike of a lifetime

I just wanted to let you know what an extraordinary time we had on our customized hike.  Peggy and I were just blown away by the beauty of it and are so grateful for you expertise in leading us to some spots we never would have found on our own.  We especially enjoyed your bits of knowledge of the park and its history plus the hints on how to take good pictures.  And thanks for extending your day a bit so we could do the trek down to the grove in addition to the lookout, you are awesome!

I am so impressed with Catherine’s and your attention to detail.  It’s obvious that you love what you do and are cultivating an environment for others to appreciate this gorgeous national park as much as you do.
CA

If you're traveling with recalcitrant teens, consider YExplore as an antidote.

In the hopes of enticing our teenage daughters--avid hikers, not!--to get off the beaten trail, we contacted YExplore in late July and arranged for John to lead us on a hike.  I warned him about the sullen teenager thing.  He said he had just the outing in mind, not too strenuous, which would end with a relatively easy climb.  "Don't feel bad if they don't want to go uphill," I said.

The day went about as well as it could have gone.  John was terrific with our teens--friendly, low-key, and engaging.  (In other words, way younger and cooler than their parents.)  And the girls liked him.  He took us first on a hike to Taft Point, a dramatic view of Yosemite Valley and El Capitan from a height of several thousand feet, with terrifying drop-offs.  That got everyone's attention.  Then he brought us to a hill that we all climbed, astonishingly, without protest for more great views.

It was a memorable outing, which I regularly return to in my mind's eye.  We did get off the beaten track.  And our daughters got to experience thrills and a sense of accomplishment that we could never have coaxed them to on our own.
PG

Just wanted to thank you again in arranging the photo session and fantastic hike on the Mist Trail. My son and I had a wonderful time in the beauty and serenity of Yosemite thanks to your personal attentiveness and detailed knowledge of the park. I look forward to working with you in the future when we return to Yosemite, perhaps with other members of my family. For other clients who might be wondering, I would definitely recommend visiting Yosemite Valley in the offpeak periods such as the winter when there are fewer people, the weather is still reasonable and and you can appreciate the natural beauty without the crowds. Of course, seeing the bears in their natural habitat and a mountain lion while on the hike with John was a highlight of the trip!
JM

On behalf of my group, thank you so much for a wonderful Yosemite Experience. We felt by getting south, east to Tioga Road and West at the Crane flat area and beyond  and with all the hikes, that we got a good sampling of Yosemite's wonders. As with my other hiking trips, this introduction trip whets my appetite for more adventures.
IC

I want to thank you, again, for our recent adventure.  It meant a great deal to me to be able to complete all three of the hikes that I had wanted to do at Yosemite.  Along with Half Dome, I have completed all of my goals--based on my experience of the last few years, I wasn't sure it would ever happen and certainly not all in the same year. I could not have done it without you. Add to that, the early winter storm is not something that I could, or would, have ventured out in. I will long remember our snowy hikes, it was something that I only expected to see in a movie.  It was quite unreal and I'm so happy that I could experience it in real life.
PH

I just wanted to thank you for the great trip.  I truly enjoyed it and your company. From the photo tips and instruction to the personal service I felt spoiled. And of course the Yosemite scenery never fails to bring a sense of wonder... I hope to enjoy many more trips with you.
MZ

Thank you so much for leading our two families on a wonderful hike. This hike will be a treasured memory for everyone in our group.  The sense of accomplishment we walked away with after savoring the magnificent sites was a great family experience.  What's made the trip especially memorable was your and Brian's charismatic guidance, the stories you told and the way you engaged every member of our group. The Leave No Trace teachings culminating with the game at the end was great fun in light of the competitive nature of our families.  I can see the teachings resonating in all our minds. All in all an experience of a lifetime!  I look forward to returning to Yosemite and going out with you
on another exceptional tour.
EB

Just arrived home. Enjoyed the hike and you very much, and SO pleased to see Hetch Hetchy ( or should I say Yosemite National Park Hetch-Hetchy?. Grateful also that I was in your hands being the epitome a novice hiker. I thank so much for sharing, and doing kindly.
HG

I just wanted to say thanks again for a most enjoyable hike. I would not have made it if it were not for you being along; I would have given up. Yesterday we did the Grand tour and it was comforting that our guide Bill and you told the same story of the history of Yosemite. The other people on the tour were so hoping to see a bear and we enjoyed being able to tell them that we had seen and taken pictures of not only a bear but also the hang gliders. They were envious. Looking forward to doing another hike with you, will better prepare for the next one. We have fallen for Yosemite and will be back.
DN

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