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Ian Elman
Ian Elman

Ian Elman

President
Simply put, I still love to guide! Spending over 25 years as a guide has been the best way to spend my life. I love the beautiful places we go, sure, but it’s the great people we share those with that make the lifestyle so rewarding. I have walked the entire John Muir Trail with you, climbed in the Peruvian Andes with you, scaled the Mexican Volcanoes with you, mountaineering in Argentina, rafting and kayaking Costa Rica, Fly fishing in Montana and Utah, and of course thousands of hiking days in our backyard of Yosemite and California’s High Sierra! I enjoy giving back to the community by offering trips and programs for charities and school groups. I enjoy the challenge of the logistics of having dozens of trips out in the backcountry (sometimes hundreds of people across the Sierra) all at the same time. I find great pleasure continuing to fulfill SYMG’s mission statement on a daily basis including providing fulfilling employment and lifestyle for all of the guides and aspiring guides in our organization. Someone recently asked me, “still doing that camping thing?” I smiled and proudly said “ Yep, still doing the camping thing…”
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) precautions for SYMG Travelers

Posted by Ian Elman Ian Elman April 24, 2020 July 1, 2020 1749 Views
Trip NotebookBackpacking

SYMG Approaches 30 Years in Da’ Biz

Posted by Ian Elman Ian Elman February 10, 2020 February 10, 2020 1050 Views
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Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides

SYMG: The Guides who know Yosemite

Nobody knows Yosemite and the High Sierra like us. We're based just outside of Yosemite National Park and have spent our lives hiking up, down and over the High Sierras.

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Pack Supported TrekkingJohn Muir Trail: Agnew Meadows to Tuolumne MeadowsYosemite Grand Traverse with Horsepack SupportMt Whitney with Horsepack SupportAnsel Adams Wilderness High Sierra Camp Ales and Trails
Yosemite Guided HikingYosemite Valley Day HikeGlacier Point and Yosemite's South Rim Day HikeGlacier Point and Mariposa Grove Day HikePanorama Trail Yosemite Day HikeHalf Dome Yosemite Day Hike
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