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Testimonials
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"Spectacular! If you truly want to get away from it all, this is the place for you. Grand Staircase Adventure Guides provided an experience of a lifetime. Several friends and I took the Stevens Canyon trip offered by Adventure Guides and were not only amazed by the scenery of southern Utah's Grand Staircase, but thoroughly impressed by the guide experience itself. Our Guide Aaron was very well prepared and made us feel totally at ease in the most remote backcountry any of us had ever experienced. Not only was he a great guide, he was a ton of fun and knew plenty about the local history and ecology. Although long, our trip afforded us plenty of time to take in the scenery from a small side canyon adventure, to photography, and even some swimming. During our second day, we saw desert bighorns staring down from the canyon rim just 50 feet above us! I'm already planning to go back."
--Brian from Seattle--
--Brian from Seattle--
Call: 1-435-826-4122
E-mail: Aaron@grandstaircaseadventureguides.com
E-mail: Aaron@grandstaircaseadventureguides.com
"Grand Staircase National Monument is wild, slick-rock country that I could never have seen on my own. The trails are at times challenging and only casually marked. A guide who knows the terrain and knows how and where to get water is essential equipment. You can show up at the park in Escalante to begin your trip with the items you'd pack for a day at the beach (with hiking boots) -- your guide does the rest. The equipment is custom-fitted and cutting-edge.
The food is excellent! We had deep-dish pepperoni pizza, pasta with vegetables and pesto, a delicious southwest burrito and fresh-baked cinnamon rolls. No freeze-dried army rations for us! And the snacks! Each hiker carries an amazing assortment of snacks for energy breaks along the trail. (Yes, it is possible to gain weight while backpacking.)
Backpacking is an excellent escape from the pressure of city life. Your priorities shift as you disappear into the slick-rock. You begin to care intently about tiny red flowers exploding from the rocks, or an iridescent blue beetle. Your immediate concern centers around what snack to eat, and what is around the next tower of rocks. And when the sun goes down, you can watch the sunset until you can't see without a headlamp, and then you want nothing more than to go to bed and get some really good sleep, so you can get up and do it all over again the next day."
--Toni from Salt Lake City--
The food is excellent! We had deep-dish pepperoni pizza, pasta with vegetables and pesto, a delicious southwest burrito and fresh-baked cinnamon rolls. No freeze-dried army rations for us! And the snacks! Each hiker carries an amazing assortment of snacks for energy breaks along the trail. (Yes, it is possible to gain weight while backpacking.)
Backpacking is an excellent escape from the pressure of city life. Your priorities shift as you disappear into the slick-rock. You begin to care intently about tiny red flowers exploding from the rocks, or an iridescent blue beetle. Your immediate concern centers around what snack to eat, and what is around the next tower of rocks. And when the sun goes down, you can watch the sunset until you can't see without a headlamp, and then you want nothing more than to go to bed and get some really good sleep, so you can get up and do it all over again the next day."
--Toni from Salt Lake City--
"I just returned from a trip with Grand Staircase Adventure Guides. Our guide, Aaron, really knew the backcountry. We backpacked the Boulder Mail Trail. Aaron provided all the equipment needed, and it was all top-quality gear. I don't know what was more impressive - the scenery or the meals Aaron cooked! My favorite part of the trip was sleeping on top of the slickrock under a million stars and the rising full moon, and awakening to an exquisite sunrise. If a trip through Utah's remote backcountry appeals to you, you need to contact Aaron@grandstaircaseadventureguides.com!"
--Kim from North Carolina--
--Kim from North Carolina--
Brian
Toni
Kim
"Of the several companies I contacted in Escalante, GSAG was the only one willing and able to accommodate our request for a one-day excursion to the slot canyons. Aaron Johnson, the owner and our guide, recommended Zebra, the perfect slot canyon for us to visit, one which met all of our wishes for a narrow canyon of swirling shapes, striped colors and fantastic shapes. He took us deep into the canyon which increasingly narrowed, requiring walking like an Egyptian and then "Chimneying" through areas too narrow for footing. My wife and I, as active, agile seniors, found the adventure exhilarating and fulfilling. The 5-1/2 mile round trip over Harris Wash proved to be easy, and Aaron carried the extra water we needed when ours ran out. He provided a healthy lunch, and despite the great difference in age, proved to be pleasant company. We heartily recommend Grand Staircase Adventure Guides to anyone of any age considering the adventure of a Grand Staircase Escalante slot canyon."
--Eugene and Ellen from San Fransisco--
--Eugene and Ellen from San Fransisco--
Eugene and Ellen
"Our trip with you was one of the very best I have been on! Etched permanently in our cherished memories."
--Kevin and Adele from Kansas City--
--Kevin and Adele from Kansas City--
Kevin and Adele
"Our five-day trip through Silver Falls couldn't have been any better, thanks to Aaron. He was our navigator, chef, teacher, expert blister adviser and buddy. Not only did he know our route, he knew every little hidden gem along the way--so we knew we weren't going to miss a thing. I couldn't imagine needing or wanting anything more from a guide."
--Jenn from North Carolina--
--Jenn from North Carolina--
Jenn
"Hi Aaron- Just wanted to say thank you for a nice time in the Canyon. It was just what I wanted. Maybe we can do another trip next year."
--Coco "Lady of the Desert" from California--
--Coco "Lady of the Desert" from California--
"Hello Aaron, we want to thank you for an wonderful tour of the canyons. You are an excellent guide. All the best for your future guide trips."
--Glenn & Marie from California--
--Glenn & Marie from California--
Glenn and Marie
"We want to thank you for your guidance and company that day which helped us to get a lasting impression of that unique region in a very short time. You really understand what it means to guide people. It was a unique experience and we hope that we can come back to do a serious hike some time. Thanks very much and we will definitely recommend you to everybody who wants to experience the nature in and around Escalante. Thanks again for the beautiful day and the pictures. Have a good time and a successful summer!"
--Jochen and family from New York--
--Jochen and family from New York--
Jochen and kids
"Wow!!!...an incredible experience for our Scouts. We had four patrols of Boy Scouts out backpacking Escalante...same time over Easter Break... four different canyons...each with a GSAG guide. Two older Scout patrols trekked into Fence, Neon and Ringtail Canyons and Spencer Flat to Phipps Wash. Our two younger Scout patrols did Sand Creek Canyon-Escalante Natural Bridge and Zebra-Tunnel slot canyons. A great time was had by all. Our troop is used to backpacking the Sierras and this was really different and pretty country...trekking through the water was really cool. Aaron did a fabulous job helping us to put this trek together. We will be back..."
--Dr. Dennis Crockett, Scoutmaster, Boy Scout Troop 1210, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.--
--Dr. Dennis Crockett, Scoutmaster, Boy Scout Troop 1210, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.--
"Aaron, I'm writing to let you know I had a great time on the hike, and I really appreciated your thorough professionalism, and your cooking!"
--Ash from Arizona--
--Ash from Arizona--