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Home » YExplore In the News

August 3, 2016 By YExplore Leave a Comment

YExplore Media Buzz

YExplore Featured in NPR Podcast & Nationally Syndicated Blogs

By John P. DeGrazio

YExplore Media Buzz Cathedral Peak

YExplore Media Buzz

The travel industry is all about building relationships. Over the years, we have developed several with our guests, writers, and other partners who experience Yosemite on our tours. Recently, we have been featured in some media stories about visiting Yosemite National Park and are very thankful for the recognition as one of the industry leaders for providing custom guided Yosemite hiking tours. Below are links to all three articles that have generated a YExplore Media Buzz. One is an NPR podcast from my very special friend Tom Wilmer, and the other two were on nationally syndicated blogs.

Last week I received a note from Cari Morgan, a writer from the O.A.R.S. Adventure Company, our partner for seven years. Cari “wrote a guest post for the National Park Foundation blog that mentions YExplore.” Cari has written several articles featuring YExplore, and we believe that is the product of us providing exceptional services for their guests in our partnership for multi-sport trips on the Tuolumne River and in Yosemite National Park. We ran one of these trips just last week and the photos of Cathedral Peak are from that multi-day expedition called the Yosemite and Tuolumne Hiker.

Another form of YExplore Media Buzz came from my good friend Tom Wilmer who is the author of an NPR podcast called “Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer” which is a Lowell Thomas Award winning show broadcast from KCBX FM Central Coast Radio in California. Tom and I are good friends and members of OWAC, the Outdoor Writers Association of California. He and I sat down for this interview “Discover Yosemite National Park with YExplore guided hikes” at our spring conference in May 2016 in Placer County, CA. It was great catching up with Tom during that interview and it was funny because we ended it at least three different times. We began to chat at every cut when a new revelation was made that Tom had to include in the interview. Tom is a kind man with a soothing voice whose “journeys” are a true joy to give a listen. You may subscribe to his podcasts on iTunes or via RSS.

Finally, I received a call from Richard Varr, a well-rounded freelance writer, photographer and videographer with more than 25 years writing experience. His blog is titled “Richard Varr’s Travel Blog, Notes from a travel writer” Richard recently made a trip into Yosemite and included some of the quotes from our interview in his story titled “Yosemite National Park: Granite Peaks, Towering Waterfalls and Lazy Meadows“.

I really enjoy speaking with writers and podcasters, especially when the initial interview develops into a lasting relationship. We always welcome YExplore Media Buzz as we continue to provide memorable experiences for Yosemite visitors. Check out our YExplore In the News Page for articles featuring our local Yosemite small business. You may also like to read:https://www.yexplore.com/john-p-degrazio-yosemite-ambassador-of-the-week/(opens in a new tab)

YExplore Media Buzz Cathedral Peak

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April 15, 2016 By YExplore Leave a Comment

John P. DeGrazio Yosemite Ambassador of the Week

John P. DeGrazio Yosemite Ambassador

Half Dome Snake Dike DeGrazio Yosemite Ambassador
John P. DeGrazio Approaching the Snake Dike route for his 100th ascent of Half Dome. Photo by Gabriel Mange

Yosemite National Park named me, John P. DeGrazio Yosemite Ambassador in 2016 to help celebrate the National Park Service Centennial. Since then, I have been sharing photos, stories, and social media posts to help promote the 100 year anniversary of the National Park Service. Yesterday, I received another honor from Yosemite. They named me the Yosemite Ambassador of the Week on their Instagram and Facebook pages.

National Park Week starts tomorrow! Join us in the park or share your love of parks on social media using #FindYourPark and #NPS100. #Repost from this week’s #YosemiteAmbassador John DeGrazio @yexplore. ・・・ Cathedral Rocks & Spires reflecting in the Merced River. #yosemiteambassador #findyourpark #nps100 National Park Week kicks off tomorrow with free entrance to Yosemite and all the national Parks for everyone to celebrate the NPS Centennial.

A photo posted by Yosemite National Park (@yosemitenps) on Apr 15, 2016 at 10:46am PDT

What is really exciting is this announcement came ahead of National Park Week that begins tomorrow. From April 16-24, everyone can celebrate the National Parks Centennial with free admission into every national park. There will also be an Earth Day celebration of the legacy of John Muir in Yosemite Valley next weekend. REI is planning some activities in Yosemite Valley Saturday April 23, and I plan to attend with my family.

You can click on the link below to visit the Yosemite National Park Facebook Page for more information about the celebration.

I was selected as a Yosemite National Park Ambassador for my volunteer work with the Yosemite Gateway Partners Organization where I am currently serving as president. Yosemite Gateway Partners is a partnership of government agencies, non-profit organizations, tribes, individuals and businesses that acknowledge the interdependence of Yosemite National Park and the surrounding communities, and collaborate on and address issues of regional importance to create sustainable cultural, natural and economic prosperity.

So if you see me in Yosemite, please stop me to say hello. I’d love to share a little bit about the park with you. I am also excited to announce I have also created a speaking series program titled “Fostering Yosemite Stewardship in the Digital Age”. This is part of the National Park Centennial Celebration, and I will speak at venues across California about planning responsible adventures in Yosemite and beyond beginning in June. Some locations will be at the Mt. Sage Ecosummit in June and REI Bay Area stores beginning in July. More information will follow soon, and I will create an events page for those who follow this blog.

Here is the YExplore John P. DeGrazio Yosemite Ambassador Bio Page.

Check out our YExplore In the News Page for articles featuring our local Yosemite small business. You may also like to read: https://www.yexplore.com/yexplore-celebrates-10-years-in-yosemite-national-park/.

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Filed Under: YExplore In the News

February 4, 2016 By YExplore 2 Comments

YExplore Celebrates 10 Years in Yosemite National Park

Help Us Celebrate Our 10 Year Anniversary 
By John P. DeGrazio 
YExplore-10-Year-Logo
YExplore celebrates 10 years in Yosemite National park. Photo by John P. DeGrazio

I have always been fond of the number ten. It’s the title of my favorite album by one of my favorite groups of all time, Pearl Jam. 10 was also the number worn by New York Yankees first baseman Chris Chambliss whose 1976 ALCS walkoff home run is still one of my favorite early childhood memories. And most recently, my daughter and I celebrated her 10th birthday on the summit of Half Dome which is the subject of my Yosemite 100 Year Ambassador story on the Yosemite National Park website. Now, the company I founded is also ten years old. As I look back on the last decade, I can recall reaching hundreds of summits while hiking thousands of miles of trails and sharing countless memories. As I look to the future, I think of all the new opportunities for adventure and conservation that await me on this most epic journey.

Africa-Kilimanjaro-Summit-Laizer
Olotumi Laizer leads his group to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro

One of the adventures we are planning is a Mt. Kilimanjaro summit trek and African wildlife safari with some of our friends from Yosemite. Olotumi Laizer will be our lead as Tanzania is his native land, and he has led this summit dozens of times. Also joining us will be Glen Young who leads many of our trips in Yosemite. Glen is also an international climbing guide who has been on top of many peaks on several continents. We will also be joined by Jeff Mitchum, an award winning photographer I met on a Half Dome expedition. Although we didn’t reach the summit that day (we didn’t attempt it), I was honored to be invited to join Jeff on the successful completion of his quest to make his celebrated “Range of Light” image from the the real Diving Board.

This will be an amazing trip of a lifetime, and for a limited time, we are offering a $400 discount to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. Anyone who enters the code YEXPLORE10 will receive the discount if they book the trip by February 29, 2016. I hope to see you on our journey. I am really looking forward to this expedition.

Once again, I would just like to take a moment to thank every for helping make this day possible. I believe reaching ten years is an amazing accomplishment, and I look forward to the next decade of adventure!

Check out our YExplore In the News Page for articles featuring our local Yosemite small business. You may also like to read: https://www.yexplore.com/yexplore-on-npr-marketplace-january-2016/.

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Filed Under: Global Adventures, YExplore In the News, Yosemite Adventures

January 28, 2016 By YExplore Leave a Comment

Half Dome #119 Peaches with Mia

My Yosemite Ambassador Story 
By John P. DeGrazio 

2016-NPSCentennial-logo-lg2016 marks the Centennial Anniversary of the National Park Service. When I first learned of the Yosemite Ambassador program to celebrate this anniversary, I was highly impressed with the group of athletes, musicians, and local personalities who were selected. I was profoundly happy for my good friend Les Marsden who is the founder and conductor of the Mariposa Symphony Orchestra. There is no better representative of Yosemite than Les who has masterfully written symphonic poems celebrating the Yosemite Anniversaries that the symphony has been performing at free concerts throughout the Yosemite region.

Shortly after the first group of ambassadors were unveiled, I was approached by Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher to join this group and help represent Yosemite during the yearlong celebration. I was chosen as a result of my involvement in a volunteer group called the Yosemite Gateway Partners. My heart jumped, and so did I at the opportunity to foster goodwill in the place I love so deeply. One of my first duties as a Yosemite ambassador was to share a story about my connection to Yosemite. There were so many to choose from, but I decided to recall a recent adventure with my daughter Mia who wanted to hike to the top of Half Dome before her tenth birthday.

Mia spent much of her young life hiking the trails of Yosemite. Most of them were fairly easy. Relatively easy would be more accurate. Every time we would see Half Dome on one of our hikes, which was often, I would ask her if she ever want to hike to the summit with me. “No!”, “never!!”, and “no way!!!” were just some of her responses. But then, one day, there was a transformation in her attitude toward adventure. She was nine, and we were in Zion National Park. I brought her to Angels Landing for a morning challenge up the chains. She was excited but became frightened. I was able to coach her through that experience, and although she was never comfortable on the landing, her desire for adventure grew exponentially that day. On the hike down, she mentioned that she was interested in Half Dome. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing so I feigned excitement.

After a few training hikes that Mia successfully completed, we were ready for our big Half Dome hike together. We packed our gear the night before, and I was certain to include peaches and chocolate in our lunch. Peaches have played a significant role on just about every summit journey I have made ever since a 1997 climb of Mt. Rainier. I met a kind woman at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport who shared a story of her Rainier summit and the reward she chose. When she packed a can of peaches in her backpack, her guide immediately removed it for its weight. She later secretly repacked it and unveiled it on the peak for a shared treat whose sweetness outweighed any of the struggle to carry it to the top. That story has always resonated with me, and I live by her words every day. It’s also why I call this blog the Can O Peaches.

Yosemite-Mia-HalfDome-YExplore-APR2015
John and Mia DeGrazio on the Half Dome Summit.

Mia and I began our journey in the predawn hours under a blood moon. We arrived at the John Muir Trail ready for our ultimate expedition. I have spent many trips standing by the Happy Isles Bridge preparing my groups for the Half Dome hike, but this was a unique opportunity I’ll never forget. She was attentive and ready to go. The photo above is proof of a successful journey, but the rest of this story is shared on my Official Yosemite Ambassador Page of the Yosemite National Park website. Click here to view our overview of the Half Dome Hikes.

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Filed Under: A Hundred Half Domes, Adventure Blog, YExplore In the News, Yosemite Adventures

January 18, 2016 By YExplore Leave a Comment

YExplore on NPR Marketplace January 2016

Interview About Increased Visitation to Yosemite National Park 
By John P. DeGrazio 

I recently had the opportunity to interview with Mark Garrison of Marketplace to speak about the recent increase in visitors to Yosemite National Park and the economic impact. We discussed YExplore’s role in the Yosemite community and the importance of adding jobs to our local economy. Here is the link for the article and  the radio interview that is currently airing on National Public Radio. http://www.marketplace.org/2016/01/18/world/parks

Yosemite-DeweyPoint-Goodwin-Dudley-Halim-YExplore-DeGrazio-DEC2015-2
Yosemite Visitors from across the World to Dewey Point

Check out our YExplore In the News Page for articles featuring our local Yosemite small business. You may also like to read: https://www.yexplore.com/yexplore-photo-in-nta-courier-magazine/ .

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