Mountain Travel Sobek • Celebrating 45 Years of Adventure

California: Yosemite Grand Traverse TRIP DETAILS 8 days

• California • Activity Level: Strenuous

HIGHLIGHTS

• Exclusive fully mule-supported trans-Sierra hike (nobody else offers this) • Explore the legendary high points of Yosemite, Ansel Adams Wilderness, and Tuolumne Meadows—including a summit day on Half Dome • Enjoy vigorous hikes by day and watch the stars in gorgeous lakeside camps by night

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1266 66th Street, Suite 4, Emeryville, CA 94608 1-888-MTSOBEK • 510-594-6000 www.mtsobek.com • [email protected]

Mountain Travel Sobek • Celebrating 45 Years of Adventure

California: Yosemite Grand Traverse

OVERVIEW

This hiking trip is a real stunner with highlights including a Half Dome ascent, hiking a section of the John Muir Trail, a tour of Yosemite Valley, and a nearly 60-mile hiking traverse through the heart of Yosemite National Park. The start is from a remote trailhead in the Ansel Adam's Wilderness area in Southern Yosemite. We'll enter the park after the first day via Isbeg Pass, entering into a very remote section of Yosemite. From here we'll travel the high country with moderate mileage each day, following the “Wild and Scenic” Merced River, climbing Half Dome, and eventually exiting the trail through Cathedral Lakes into Tuolumne Meadows eight days later. Note: This trip is run in partnership with Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides and it is not a MTS exclusive departure departure.

TRIP DATES

Jul 18 - 25, 2015 Aug 29, 2015 - Sep 05, 2015 Jul 16 - 23, 2016 Aug 27, 2016 - Sep 03, 2016

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Day 1: • Fresno Arrive in Fresno, California, and check in on your own at the Piccadilly Inn Airport Hotel adjacent to the Fresno air terminal between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. The guides will meet you in the evening for “welcome” cocktails and go over a summary of the trip at 6:00 p.m. Get a good night’s sleep in preparation for our upcoming days of hiking!

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1266 66th Street, Suite 4, Emeryville, CA 94608 1-888-MTSOBEK • 510-594-6000 www.mtsobek.com • [email protected]

Mountain Travel Sobek • Celebrating 45 Years of Adventure

California: Yosemite Grand Traverse

Piccadilly Inn Airport Hotel Day 2: • Knoblock Meadows After breakfast on your own at the hotel, we’ll take a scenic van ride to the trailhead, which is at about 7,300 feet in elevation. Ever since the Gold Rush, horse packing has been the preferred way to move heavy loads around the High Sierra, and we’ll get acquainted with our pack animals and their guides. Loading these horses is really an art form, and after you put what you need for the day into a small backpack, the packers will strap the rest of the gear onto the animals using the unique diamond-hitch system. After about four and a half miles of hiking, we’ll reach Knoblock Meadows (8,200') where the guides will prepare dinner in the mountain twilight. This day—like all the days to come—ends with stargazing beneath the high mountain peaks. (2½ hours driving)

Day 2: • Knoblock Meadows

Lunch, Dinner / Camp Day 3: • Isberg Pass and Lake 10K We’ll be in the heart of the Ansel Adams Wilderness today, established in 1964 as part of the original Wilderness Act, and renamed in 1984 for the famed nature photographer. This is a hard but rewarding day of hiking as we climb the switchbacks over Isberg Pass (10,750') and cross into Yosemite National Park itself. We’ll camp at Lake 10K, so named because of its elevation (10,005'). If you want to wash off the trail dust you’re free to take a dip in the frigid waters of the lake, or else just sit back and enjoy the views of Isberg (10,996'), Long Mountain (11,502'), and Forester Peak (12,057'). (11 miles hiking)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Camp

Day 3: • Isberg Pass and Lake 10K

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1266 66th Street, Suite 4, Emeryville, CA 94608 1-888-MTSOBEK • 510-594-6000 www.mtsobek.com • [email protected]

Mountain Travel Sobek • Celebrating 45 Years of Adventure

California: Yosemite Grand Traverse

Day 4: • Triple Fork of the Merced River Camp After yesterday’s climb, today’s downhilltrek will come as a welcome relief. We’ll be hiking through the creek drainages that eventually form the mighty scenic Merced River, which, along with the Tuolumne River, drains Yosemite National Park. Along the way we’ll have excellent views of the north-south running Clark Range, named after Galen Clark who discovered the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias and was known as the “Guardian of Yosemite” for 21 years in the mid-1800s. The day’s hike drops us 2,500 feet over the course of 11 miles, and we’ll camp on the shores of the Triple Fork of the Merced River 7,400 feet.

Day 4: • Triple Fork of the Merced River Camp

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Camp Day 5: • Sunrise Creek We’ll make a westerly turn and begin our approach to Half Dome, whose iconic mass is known the world over. Seven and a half miles of gradual ups and downs brings us to the Sunrise Creek area (7,200'), where we’ll have dinner and then turn in early to get ready for our big climb tomorrow.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Camp

Day 5: • Sunrise Creek

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1266 66th Street, Suite 4, Emeryville, CA 94608 1-888-MTSOBEK • 510-594-6000 www.mtsobek.com • [email protected]

Mountain Travel Sobek • Celebrating 45 Years of Adventure

California: Yosemite Grand Traverse

Day 6: • Half Dome Before the sun rises, we’ll be up and walking toward Half Dome (8,836'). This granite monolith rises 4,800 feet from the floor of Yosemite Valley, and the summit was considered inaccessible as late as the 1870s. Today a cable route has been installed to help hikers make it up the final 900 feet. The route is difficult but well-maintained, and completely doable for hardy hikers. Once on top, we’ll have unparalleled views of Yosemite's high country and the Yosemite Valley floor. If you don’t mind heights, check out the famous overhang known as the “Visor” , a small perch 4,000 feet above Yosemite Valley (Round trip up and down the Dome is 9 miles). Exhilarated, we’ll travel back to basecamp for a relaxing afternoon.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Camp

Day 6: • Half Dome

Day 7: • John Muir Trail The John Muir trail runs for 212 miles along the spine of the High Sierra. We’ll only do a short portion of it, but it’s a beautiful one, taking us through the Yosemite High Camp area that many people claim to be the most gorgeous spot in the entire park. We’ll camp at the iconic Cathedral Lakes (9,600'). (8½ miles hiking)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Camp Day 7: • John Muir Trail

Day 8: • Tuolumne Meadows, return home After breakfast we’ll pack up and hike the remaining four and a half miles to Tuolumne Meadows, a section of high country meadows studded with granite domes. At the trailhead we’ll meet up with a van that will drive us down into Yosemite Valley, which we’ve been viewing from above for the last week. We will return to Fresno to catch your flight home.

Breakfast, Lunch

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1266 66th Street, Suite 4, Emeryville, CA 94608 1-888-MTSOBEK • 510-594-6000 www.mtsobek.com • [email protected]

Mountain Travel Sobek • Celebrating 45 Years of Adventure

California: Yosemite Grand Traverse

LAND COSTS

2015 & 2016 Prices $2,745 (10-12 members) $3,045 (5-9 members) $250 Single Supplement

Payment & Cancellation Policy

Payment At time of Booking

$400

65 days prior to booking

Balance

Cancellation If written cancellation is received:

Cancellation fee will be:

90 days prior to departure

$150

89 to 61 days prior to departure

$400

60 to 46 days prior to departure

50% of Land/Cruise Cost

45 to 0 days prior to departure

100% of Land/Cruise Cost

Tier Pricing

Adventure travel works best with a small group of people. In order to operate these small groups, our trips are priced according to the number of full-price passengers on the trip. (Mountain Travel Sobek staff, trip doctors, and other discounted travelers are excluded from the count for this purpose.) We initially invoice you at the highest tier level price (the smallest group size we can operate). If the price drops due to an increase in group size, you will be refunded the difference. What’s Included

• expert leadership • accommodations as noted in itinerary (or similar)

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1266 66th Street, Suite 4, Emeryville, CA 94608 1-888-MTSOBEK • 510-594-6000 www.mtsobek.com • [email protected]

Mountain Travel Sobek • Celebrating 45 Years of Adventure

California: Yosemite Grand Traverse

• if applicable, tent or safari accommodations and all arrangements in the field, including camp and cook staffs, comfortable and roomy two-person tents, kitchen and dining tents, and other community equipment • meals as noted in the itinerary • airport transfers • sightseeing as noted in the itinerary • ground transportation • additional guides and porters where necessary • tips for lodge, hotel, or camp staff • entrance fees and permits, unless noted separately in costs • basic medical and evacuation insurance What’s Not

International airfare; meals not noted on itinerary; insurance other than basic medical and evacuation insurance noted above (we strongly recommend you purchase the supplementary trip insurance offered by Mountain Travel Sobek, which includes trip cancellation insurance); optional tipping to leader, guides and local staff; excess baggage charges; airport taxes (international—varies by location); cost of medical immunizations; and items of a personal nature (sodas, alcoholic beverages, laundry, etc.). Air Travel

Airfare is not included in the land cost of our trips. For air reservations, we recommend you contact the airlines directly, either by phone or the Internet. In addition, many travelers elect to use their “frequent flyer” miles when traveling with us. But please check with our staff before purchasing or obtaining your tickets. We need to verify your arrival and departure schedule and ensure we have enough participants to operate the trip.

Colby Brokvist Colby Brokvist hails originally from New England, a place where it is unusually difficult to commit to only one sport. Having a background in backpacking, mountaineering and rock climbing, he is a perfect fit for anything the Sierra has to offer. An enthusiastic naturalist, Colby also holds a degree in Environmental Sciences and finds his passion for guiding in providing interpretive and educational experiences for all of his clients. Describing his love for guiding, Colby wrote "It is both the serenity and excitement of the wilderness that compels me to it and I only hope to enjoy it with good friends". Colby can be found typically leading our longer backpacks such the John Muir Trail, Yosemite High Passes Loop, The Yosemite Grand Traverse and Trans-Sierra Trails. He has personally hiked the entire Appalachian Trail as well as most of the Pacific Crest Trail. When not in the Sierra high country, he can be found guiding interpertive trips in Polar Bear habitat as well as camp hosting in Namibia for adventure safaris.

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1266 66th Street, Suite 4, Emeryville, CA 94608 1-888-MTSOBEK • 510-594-6000 www.mtsobek.com • [email protected]

Mountain Travel Sobek • Celebrating 45 Years of Adventure

California: Yosemite Grand Traverse

Laura Steinbach My first visit to the Sierra Nevada was back in 2002 on a three month backpacking trip along the Pacific Crest and John Muir Trails. Since that very trip, I have been infected with all that these mountains have to offer and, following that hike it took me only one year to find my way back to California on a more permanent basis. I'll be the first to acknowledge that it was the backpacking, climbing and horseback riding that drew me here, but what I find most intriguing is difficult to describe and certainly isn't apparent in photographs. It's the sound of the spring meltwater, the feel of the warm Sierran granite, and the haze that settles over the mountains just as dusk falls. These are the things that can only be realized by being here in the midst of it all. Throughout all of my travels, I've never found a better playground... or office. Jenny Kane I find space to be myself in the outdoors, and this place is my inspiration. As a child, my dad used to pack up the family for a week and head to Yosemite every summer. We drove our minivan from Los Angeles into the lower pines campground and parked. This was the great outdoors to me. Later, after high school I started working in the Park during my summer breaks - first with the concession service, then with the National Park Service. I interned with the wilderness department for two summers (once as an SCA volunteer) and during that time hiked about half of Yosemite's backcountry trails, about 400 miles. It was during this time that I discovered a deeper appreciation and love for wild lands and found my artistic inspiration. I am a teacher by training and have worked as a guide for the Boojum Institute and Naturlalists At Large. But, I'm a learner at heart, thus my interests and talents are diverse. I love languages, culture, art and poetry as much as the mountains and can find inspiration in all of them, especially in combination. During my time in Peace Corps Thailand, I was given an opportunity to teach yoga for the first time, and this winter during the guiding slow season I will start teaching in California as a certified instructor. I enjoy the stillness in the mountains and look forward to sharing my love for Yosemite and the world with each of you this summer.

THE NEXT STEP Ready to go? Signing up is easy!

Just call us at 1-888-MTSOBEK (687-6235) and reserve your spot! If you prefer to use a travel agent, he or she can book your trip at no extra cost and provide other helpful assistance. Then Leave the Rest to Us

Before you go, we provide you with extensive pre-departure information, including clothing recommendations, suggested reading lists, up-to-date health advice prepared by our consulting physician (an expert in wilderness medicine), and other details.

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1266 66th Street, Suite 4, Emeryville, CA 94608 1-888-MTSOBEK • 510-594-6000 www.mtsobek.com • [email protected]

Mountain Travel Sobek • Celebrating 45 Years of Adventure

California: Yosemite Grand Traverse

Why Mountain Travel Sobek is Your First Choice for Adventure

Mountain Travel Sobek is the pioneer in active adventure travel. No other adventure travel company can lay claim to that title. We were the first to take Americans trekking in Nepal, raft the wild rivers of Africa, and open up many previously inaccessible corners of the world to curious travelers. We set the standard for adventure travel and have a strong reputation for excellence that we do everything we can to maintain. Since we are the leading adventure company, we have a lot to live up to, so we make sure we provide safe, quality trips and the best customer service to our passengers. References

Don’t take our word for how great our trips are. We’ll be happy to provide you with references of satisfied past travelers. Questions?

Feel free to call us at 1-888-MTSOBEK (687-6235) if you still have any questions or concerns. We’re here to help you. You can also check out our website at www.mtsobek.com. Note on Itinerary

Although we will do our best to adhere to the itinerary schedule as listed, it is subject to change. Please read the Limitation of Liability and Booking Conditions in the four-page Participant Information Form. You can find all this information on our website at www.mtsobek.com/faq and the form itself at www.mtsobek.com/pdf/ participant_info.pdf. Terms & Conditions

Once you have made a deposit for a trip, you agree to be bound by all our terms and conditions including the Limitation of Liability Clause. The full Terms and Conditions can be found at www.mtsobek.com/faq/#liability or call 1-888-MTSOBEK (687-6235) for a copy. These are partial conditions. Your participation is contingent on your signature on the full list of terms specified in the four-page Participant Information Form (www.mtsobek.com/pdf/ participant_info.pdf). Any dispute concerning, relating or referring to the Terms and Conditions, to any literature concerning this trip, or the trip itself, shall be resolved exclusively by binding arbitration in San Francisco, California, according to the then existing commercial rules of the American Arbitration Association. Such proceedings will be governed by substantive California law (but not procedural law) without regard to the California Arbitration Act. ©2014, Mountain Travel Sobek CST 2014882-10 Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.

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1266 66th Street, Suite 4, Emeryville, CA 94608 1-888-MTSOBEK • 510-594-6000 www.mtsobek.com • [email protected]