My love for nature began when I grew up as a surfer on the beaches of southern California. I loved observing the constant change of the ocean and becoming a part of that landscape. When the time for college came, I moved to Monterey to study environmental science. There I realized that my passion for the ocean carried over to wild places of all kinds. I started guiding kayaking, hiking, and rock climbing along the central California coast, and grew an obsession for exploring the Sierra Nevada Mountains. After college, I worked as a wildlife biologist in the Sierra National Forrest studying an animal called the Fisher. Since then, I have returned to these mountains every season to work, guide tours, climb, and enjoy the healthy lifestyle they provide. In the off seasons I have taught outdoor education in the Moab area, guided backpacking trips in the Grand Canyon, and travelled internationally in the constant search for new mountains and waves. However far I go, when summer in North America comes around, there is no other place I’d rather be than the Sierra Nevada. The opportunities these mountains provide have kept me focused, motivated, and happy through out the years. They give me something to look forward to every day, and I can’t wait to share this experience with you!

I started climbing with the Boy Scouts of America in 2010, at Joshua Tree National Park. Climbing quickly became an intrinsic part of my life, and I am continuously pursuing improvement in my craft. Through my training and certifications with the AMGA, NOLS, and AAI, I hope to share with you some of what I have learned in over a decade of climbing. Going climbing in the outdoors can be an amazing and freeing experience, it's what got me hooked! Whether we are having a fun day of top roping or focused on pushing for the summit, I can't wait to help you get to the top!

Dahlia Blau grew up along the California coast but now resides where she can be close to the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. Some of her favorite activities growing up involved swimming, kayaking, river rafting, and desert camping. Now, her soul resides in the mountains where she can trek, climb, hike, ski, trail run, and swim in the alpine lakes. When Dahlia isn’t in the mountains she can be found exploring the canyons of Utah. Dahlia graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2015 with a degree in Environmental/Biology. It was at UC Santa Cruz that she discovered her passion for opting outdoors and being a naturalist. By observing nature and doing some of her favorite activities such as birding and botanizing, she can share the importance of our natural resources with others. One of her greatest accomplishments so far has been completing the Khumbu Three Pass trek in Nepal during the summer of 2015. Along the trek she had the opportunity to visit Everest Base Camp and to sit at 18,500ft looking up at the top of Everest Mountain itself. Her philosophy: Feed your soul through curiosity.

It's been a strange road to this job for me. A Bay Area native, I studied linguistics at UCSD and worked for years as a paralegal in San Diego. On my first backpacking trip in college, I walked 20+ miles in inappropriate footwear and spent a few cold nights in front of the fire without a sleeping bag, and I absolutely loved it. Soon, I was spending most of my free time and some not so free time plotting and executing adventures to the endless wild places of California. Instead of law school, I took a sabbatical from the office to go live on a fishing boat in Alaska. I had a total blast working outdoors, 12 to 17 hours a day (or more often, night) during one of the harshest winters in Alaskan history. My reasons for pursuing a law degree were lost at sea. I finally quit the legal business, and I'm now an EMT with a certification in wilderness medicine. To date, I've walked and climbed thousands of miles in, on and around the Sierra including a solo 200+ mile hike of the Sierra High Route. In the winter, I work (using the term loosely) as a ski patroller. I'm not a morning person and don't tell my bosses, but getting up at 5 a.m. to throw explosives and ski fresh powder is something I'd without a doubt do for free. The rewards of working as a guide at SYMG are likewise numerous. To name just a few, you meet people of all ages and backgrounds from around the world and can often play a part in bringing those people to the realization that they are capable of great things in the outdoors. Your office is the big outside, and reading up on geology or mountaineering techniques or culinary arts is no longer procrastination; it's study time. Last and perhaps least, the water from glacial tarns does absolute wonders for beard growth. In short, I've found my dream job.

Meghan grew up in a family of travelers and always wanted to be an explorer. She loves being in nature, cooking good food, moving her body, and visiting places that remind her of the diversity of the human experience. In addition to guiding, she has worked as a yoga teacher, Peace Corps volunteer, health educator, chef, and snowboarding coach. She finds joy in teaching people new things and empowering them to work through challenging experiences. She has traveled and trekked around the world, but the Sierra Nevada is her favorite place on Earth. The grandeur of its granite peaks, the crystal clarity of its glacial streams, and the vibrant wildflowers that blanket its meadows leave her in constant awe. She is excited and grateful to spend her summers exploring the infinite beauty of its wilderness alongside brave and curious people.

I began my life in the outdoors on camping trips in the Northwest with family the scout troop, around Mt Hood, Bend, and the Oregon coast. I went to a university in southern California for philosophy and economics, spending formative summers guiding on the coast of south-central Alaska in the Kenai Fjords National Park. My experience there, with deep, committing wilderness and incredible beauty, taught me the real value of spending time in the outdoors and sharing that with those around me. I dug into life in the mountains, exploring the ways to climb, ski, hike, and paddle the wilderness, deepening my experience as a guide as I went. I love the chance to share this Yosemite area. The best trips, in my opinion, are evenly balanced experiences that dig into both the stillness and beauty of the wilderness and the rewards of personal challenge. The Sierra Nevada makes an incredible backdrop for such experiences!