#63 On Top of Half Dome at 70 Years Old
Guiding a 70th Celebration On Top of Half Dome by John P. DeGrazio “What is the age of the oldest person you’ve ever guided up Half Dome?” I often get this question, and here’s the answer I always tell. “Let me tell you a little story about a man named Stanley Kowalczyk.” Stanley Kowalczyk has […]
Everest Base Camp Q & A with Glen Young
Everest Base Camp Mailbag This week’s question for Glen Young comes from a pair of experienced trekkers who want to know if age is a factor for completing our Mt. Everest Base Camp Trek September 19 – October 10, 2015. Q: “VERY interested in the Everest Base Camp Trek. Have been hiking for 10 years. OUR […]
Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer and YExplore
Over this past spring, I was honored to meet and interview with Tom Wilmer for his NPR radio show called “Journeys of Discovery”. Tom joined us in Tuolumne County for a convention of the Outdoor Writers of California, an association of outdoor writers and media personalities from across the state. Tom Wilmer’s “Journeys of Discover” […]
Yosemite Landscapes from Mia’s Point of View: Yosemite Photos 2014.11.17
Seeing Yosemite from a 9 Year Old’s Perspective By John P. DeGrazio I recently spent some quality family time in Yosemite on a hike to Sentinel Dome with my 4 and 9 year old girls. It’s become a DeGrazio tradition to allow each girl an opportunity to summit her first peak around her fourth birthday. On this […]
#33 Half Dome and Baseball
Snowy Field of Dreams By John P. DeGrazio Nothing brings a father and son together like a good game of catch. Sunny days, baseball diamonds, and the smell of leather and fresh cut grass usually conjure up memories of America’s pastime. It’s a special game and one that is passed on from generation to generation. […]
Honoring Veterans
Thank You Veterans We would like to extend a thank you for the service from our veterans to provide the freedoms we enjoy in the United States, especially in our National Parks. On a personal level, we would also like to thank all the veterans (for past and current service) who have adventured with us […]
Matterhorn Peak & Other Fall Images: Yosemite Panorama Photos 11.10.14
Autumn in Yosemite By John P. DeGrazio November is the perfect month to fall into the beauty of Yosemite National Park. Here are some panoramas from recent adventures at Matterhorn Peak and Yosemite Point up the Yosemite Falls trail. Although Matterhorn is in Yosemite National Park, the hike starts in the Eastern Sierra at Twin Lakes. […]
Tokoyee’s Regret
Yosemite Mountains Separated by Centuries By John P. DeGrazio Have you ever felt the pain of reaching for something so close to you, yet it remained just out of touch? A few years ago, I wrote a poem called “Tokoyee’s Regret”. Citing the legend of Tissiack, I wrote it from the perspective of her husband, Tokoyee after they […]
#1 A Hundred Half Domes, the Series Begins
You Always Remember Your First Time By John P. DeGrazio It’s got to be at least 95 today. I think my sweat is sweating. I need to change this shirt. It stinks. And where did all these people come from? This trail is packed. Making our way down this longer trail was harder than I […]
All Our Yosemite Instagram Photos are Legit
Yosemite Daily Photo Updates By John P. DeGrazio My friend Zach Behrens is an outdoor writer who I met at a conference last spring. He recently shared an article he wrote about an Instagrammer who took some “Epic, Yet Illegal” photos in Yosemite National Park on an Instagram account. While some of these photos were awe […]