Private Guided Snowshoe Hike in Yosemite

I booked a guided snowshoe hike in Yosemite with YExplore as a Christmas gift for my wife Michelle and I (along with new snowshoes). We are avid hikers and spend a lot of time in Yosemite, but are novices with snowshoes. This was my first time and Michelle’s second. We spoke with John on the phone before the trip and explained our goals were to primarily learn about snowshoeing and if possible try a new trail. John brainstormed with us and adjusted the original plan to accommodate both of our goals. Leading up to the trip, Catherine did a fantastic job with communication. She is incredibly detail oriented, professional and friendly. When we arrived at the link up spot, John had already scouted out the trails to make sure the conditions were right to have a good experience. While he certainly can’t control the snow, I’m confident he would have been ready with a “Plan B” upon our arrival if required. He was patient as we cut the zip ties off our new shoes, adjusted our poles, and figured out how everything worked, coaching us along the way. The trail was perfect and beautiful and along the way, John took some amazing photos and gave us some photography tips. He explained some of the history of the area and at many points stopped to provide an ecology or history lesson. He was friendly and professional and and we both enjoyed both his company and his coaching. At the end of the day, John air-dropped to us a bunch of amazing photos he had taken along the way. Our objectives were fully accomplished and Michelle and I were both extremely grateful for a wonderful Christmas gift to each other.

Our guide was excellent! He shared with us his true love of the area and helped us appreciate the unique beauty that is Yosemite. We did the Beginner Snowshoe. It lasted 4 hours and was physically challenging but well worth it. Such a unique way to see a remote part of the park. Especially gorgeous in winter!

We booked this tour weeks ago and, unfortunately, there is a pretty nasty winter storm coming in this weekend and we had to cancel our tour. Due to the extreme weather conditions, they offered us a full refund. I am writing the review anyway because Catherine at YExplore could not have been more amazing! She spoke with me several times throughout the week, checking weather and road conditions and expressing concern for our safety. She was extremely helpful and a pleasure to speak with. If you are looking for a good company that genuinely cares about your experience and safety, look no further. We will definitely book with YExplore in the future. Thank you so much, Catherine. We truly are so disappointed that we couldn't do the snowshoe!

<p>Because of lack of snow this was changed to a guided walk through the most interesting parts of the valley floor. Our guide was amazing, knowledgeable and full of enthusiasm. Made time fly.</p>

<p>John our guide was amazing!!! He was really attentive to our needs and requests and make sure we are all having fun and keeping safe. We had a wonderful time and would definitely recommend it to others.</p>