Our Guides and Associates

Saul Singleton
Tour Guide/Hiking Guide

I grew up in Northern Utah, where I was introduced to hiking and backpacking by my Dad. It was there that I developed a true love for the mountains. 

I spent my college years hiking the Coastal Mountains of Central California. I began my exploration of the Sierra Nevada Mountains after moving to the Yosemite area in 1984. I found my true calling in 1992 when I became a professional tour guide and hiking guide in Yosemite. My love of the Sierra and experience as a guide allow me to share with you a unique and passionate insight into Yosemite.

The tremendous forces of nature, from thunderstorms and forest fires, to freezing winters, floods and rockslides, will keep Yosemite forever changing. I am still discovering Yosemite, as the dramatic turn of each season brings new color, life and opportunities for exploration. I am always thrilled to invite new people from all walks of life and from all over the world to share my excitement as we discover Yosemite together.

"If you are on my tour, ask me about the unique experience I had giving a one-of-a-kind tour for Middle Eastern royalty."

Marsha Eason
Tour Guide/Story Teller

I was fortunate enough to grow up with grandparents and parents who worked in, lived in and loved the Sierra Nevada Mountain range.

My grandfather, Herbert E. Wilson, was the author of a book called The Lore and the Lure of Yosemite. He was a naturalist and story teller and participated in the memorable fire falls at Curry Village.

I was born and raised on a cattle ranch in Three Rivers, Calif., which sits at the base of Sequoia National Park. I was introduced to the back country of the Sierra by my father, who was a packer in his youth and owner/operator of Horse Corral Pack Station. Vacations were trips to the high country where the days were spent hiking, fly fishing and learning about the many mysteries of Mother Nature.

In 1999, after working in the medical field for 20 years, my husband Wayne and I decided to return to the mountains we grew up in.  I have been guiding visitors through the wonder of Yosemite ever since. I love sharing both my experiences of these mountains and the history of the people that were here long before us. The beauty is here for all to see, but it doesn’t mean anything unless you hear the story.

I reside in O’Neals, Calif. below the South Gate of Yosemite and on the Scenic Byway. Wayne and I continue to ride and pack into the Sierra Nevada and we’re teaching our grandchildren to love these mountains just as much as we do.   

"If you are on my tour, ask me about my back country trip out of Cedar Grove, where a bear followed us from camp site to camp site."

Glenn Bennik
Tour Guide/Hiking Guide

I remember my days as a young child when my family frequented Yosemite National Park. My Father taught me to, “glare into the Merced River from Sentinel Bridge, look for trout and capture the reflection of Tissiack (the Miwok name for Half Dome) in the Merced River.” I was so awed by the beauty and geological formations that I took a National Parks course in Junior College. 

I recall the night a friend and I drove through a blizzard to ski at Badger Pass. As we rounded a bend between Rail Creek and Chinquapin, we came to an abrupt stop for what we believed was a Gray Timber Wolf. (Since Yosemite has never been wolf habitat, this was most likely a coyote.) We drove around the large (beautiful) creature as he sneered and snarled at our headlights, looking at us as though we were the next meal. What a thrill it was!!

I feel that Yosemite and the area surrounding the Sierra Foothills have given my family (Marsi and Brandon) joy, security and good blessings for the last 15 years.

I strive to share my own personal feelings and memories of Yosemite on my tours. My 12 years of guiding has taken me to the highest elevations of the Sierra, the incredible back country scenery, the majestic Giant Sequoias, Yosemite Valley, Tioga Pass, an occasional fishing adventure and more. Sharing knowledge of this beautiful landscape is exactly what the park’s early protectors desired. Come with me on a sunset journey to the top of the South Rim to witness the stunning Alpenglow and talk about geology.

"If you are on my tour, ask me about the time a buck with a full rack stuck his head in the door of the bus."

Jerry Anderson
Hiking Guide/Tour Guide

I was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Encino in the San Fernando Valley. My family and I traveled and camped all over the western United States while I was growing up, but I always loved Yosemite and the Sierra the most.

In 1961, when I was 12 years old, I started rock climbing in Southern California. I spent my first summer climbing in Yosemite in 1965 and in 1966 I moved to Yosemite full time. I have lived, climbed and back packed in Yosemite and the Sierra ever since. I am married and have two grown children that still consider Yosemite home.

I started guiding rock climbing, hiking, back country and natural history tours in 1970 and have been doing it ever since. Meeting people from all over the world and all walks of life and sharing Yosemite with them is a very important part of my life. People are the key to preservation. Hopefully I will be able to pass on an enthusiasm and a feeling for how important it is to preserve special places like Yosemite.

"If you are on my tour, ask me about rock climbing in Yosemite."

"Ranger Ralph" Fairfield
Tour Guide/Driver

My mother was a kindergarten teacher who had the summers off and would take me to Yosemite for weeks at a time. I grew up riding my bicycle throughout the valley, picnicking at Fern Spring, climbing in and around the "Indian Caves,” camping by and floating down the Merced River, hiking to Half Dome, listening to the wind in the trees and watching the Firefall.

I spent my 21st birthday in the park, and as I gazed at the beauty of Half Dome, Glacier Point and the Royal Arches, decided then and there that I wanted to be a Ranger. This was May, and I went to the administration building to request an employment application only to learn that they weren't taking any more applications until January. I then went to the State of California, signed up to be a State Park Ranger and enjoyed 30 years with the California State Park system.

My wife and I retired near the park, so now I have the privilege of visiting Yosemite on a regular basis and sharing its beauty with people from throughout the country and around the world! Let's enjoy Yosemite together, shall we?

"If you are on my tour ask me about the squirrel friend I made near Vernal Fall when I was seven!"

Heidi Vetter
Photographer/Tour Guide/Hiking Guide

Being a landscape photographer, I could not ask for a more beautiful and awe-inspiring backyard than Yosemite National Park and the High Sierra Range of Light.  Photography has been the focus of my life and it gives me great pleasure to share both the images and my experiences of nature and all her wildness.   

As a 20 year resident of Oakhurst I have had the satisfaction of owning a successful photo lab and raising my children under the majesty of the mountains. 

In the summer of 2002 I spent 90 days solo hiking the Sierra with my large format camera. It gives me great joy to be able to share the experiences and insights I gained from that solo journey.

As a member of the guiding community I am now able to impart to others the love and appreciation I have for our mountains. I have a special bent toward introducing women to backpacking and wilderness photography. 

"If you are on my tour, ask me about the night a string of rider-less horses came through my high sierra camp at midnight"

Koki Bishop
Driver/Tour Guide

I grew up in a town named Covina in Southern California. My husband and I fell in love with the Mariposa/Oakhurst area while visiting friends who had moved here. We bought a vacation home; then decided to move here full time in 1987.

During the school year I am a school bus driver. When I began driving 89-passenger school buses on the winding Mariposa roads I knew I’d found my niche. I truly enjoy being outdoors every day and getting to know the children.  I’ve been driving school buses for 18 years now. I am very thankful to live and work in such a beautiful environment, with clear skies and lots of trees.

I also love having the opportunity to drive and give tours in the summer when the kids are on summer break. Even though I’m still working, I feel like I’m on vacation too. I especially enjoy seeing my guests’ excitement when they encounter the incredible beauty of Yosemite.

"If you are on my tour, ask me about the time I saw a Mama Bear and cubs in the Valley"

“Yosemite Dan” Carter
Snap Shot Taker/Tour Guide/Yosemite Sierra Pundit

My connection with Yosemite actually started before I was born. You see, my Mom and Dad honeymooned in Yosemite and nine months and one half hour later I was born. My Grandmother, who was ¼ Osage Indian, told me that Yosemite isn’t in my blood, it is in my genes.

I see Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada from a different point of view. I’ve seen them through a camera lens, through the eyes of agencies in charge of managing them for us, through the eyes of my children and grandchildren and through the eyes of the Native American people whose ancestors lived here as mine lived in the Midwestern Plains. During my tenure as Executive Director of the Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau I also saw our region from a visitor’s point of view. 

In the 20 plus years I’ve lived here, I’ve explored the trails, back roads, and byways of Yosemite National Park, its gateway regions and the central Sierra Nevada whenever time allowed. My personal goal has always been to educate others, instill in them a love of the outdoors and connect them to a way of life that is fading with every sunset.

"If you are on my tour, ask me about about the “900 lb. gorilla” I presented to the National Park Service administration in Yosemite."

De Karlen
Tour Guide/Hiking Guide

My father was an amateur geologist with a flair for adventure and exploration, so summers were spent hiking Colorado’s mountains and searching abandoned silver mines. The marvel of engaging our natural world is second nature to me, and to be able to pass that wonder along to others is the joy of being a Yosemite guide. From our remarkable history, to native plants and animals, amazing geology and on and on…there’s no end to Yosemite.

Prior to guiding for Discover Yosemite I lived in California’s desert region where I worked as a desert jeep guide. Before that I was a flight attendant, traveling throughout the world. So for me, talking with people from all over and making sure they have a good time is fun and adventurous.

I’ve also been a freelance photographer for many years, with publications in Architectural Digest, Garden Design magazine, LA Times Magazine, calendars and more. So if you have an interest in photography, you never know what mischief we can unearth. And, of course, we’ll look at flowers, trees, birds, monster granite mountains and lots of other stuff – bring your binoculars.

"If you are on my tour, ask me about my encounter with a rattlesnake and how I learned all about his “social distance” requirements."

Gregg Parker
Tour Guide/ Hiking Guide

As a child, I developed an appreciation for exploring wild places on family vacations. Camping, fishing and experiencing places like Mammoth, Tuolumne, Yosemite and ghost towns helped set my life’s direction in motion. In junior high, I thought about being a park ranger. I studied recreation and natural resource management in junior college and jumped into work adventures that became my career. 

I’ve been a Nature Conservancy preserve docent, YMCA summer camp staffer and railway tour guide at San Diego’s Wild Animal Park. I’ve guided mission tours and caving, kayaking and mountaineering trips. Incredible places like Mexico, New Zealand, Joshua Tree National Monument and the High Sierra have been like playgrounds, universities and churches for me. I’ve taught sixth graders natural science at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (near San Diego) since 1990. I spend much of my summer time in Bass Lake leading backpacking expeditions, teaching rock climbing and interpreting natural history for groups visiting Southern Yosemite. 

Whether driving or hiking, with individuals or groups, it has been a truly profound pleasure to share the history and majesty of the Yosemite area. I think what Albert Einstein said is true: “He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.” I like to believe everyone’s eyes are open here.

“If you are on my tour, ask me about tracking and handling mountain lions or how I got the nickname, Wolfboy.”

Lynnea Anderson
Tour Guide

I grew up In Yosemite and spent my childhood backpacking, fishing, rock climbing and skiing throughout the Sierra Nevada mountain range. I have traveled through many continents, and I can easily say that no place is more special to me than Yosemite and the Sierra.

My parents taught skiing in the winters at Badger Pass and I started volunteering at the ski school when I was 14. When I was 19, I began guiding my own hiking, backpacking and rock climbing trips. Living in such a beautiful place makes sharing the park and the uniqueness of each day a real joy.  

“If you are on my tour, ask me about growing up in Yosemite.”

Cindy Dewitt
Tour Guide

When I was growing up in the mountains surrounding the San Fernando Valley of Southern California, my playtime mainly consisted of hiking and being outdoors. At the age of 12, I went on vacation with my dad to Yosemite National Park. Much to my surprise, I was awe struck by the beauty.  The smell of the pine trees, campfires and the early morning sunlight filtering through those giant trees made an impression that has stayed with me.  I visited Yosemite whenever I could, eventually moving to the area and working as a shuttle driver in Yosemite. It’s been a privilege to work in such a beautiful place, and to share Yosemite with people from all over the world.  I’ve gotten very familiar with the region over the last 40 years and would like to share the wonder of Yosemite with you!

“If you are on my tour,ask me about the time I woke up to four feet of freshly fallen snow in Yosemite Valley and was snowed in. It was just the bobcat and me."

Jennifer Swartz
Reservation Specialist

Have you ever hiked along a mountain trail early on a crisp April morning, hundreds of feet above a river rushing through the rocky canyon below, just to catch a glimpse of springtime dew drops gracing the delicate petals of a wildflower?

Or when was the last time you camped among the pines to watch the moon rise above lonely, rugged mountain peaks? Can you picture yourself leaning back against a rock, to do nothing for the next hour except close your eyes and listen to the great symphony of nature?

I have lived in the Yosemite area for thirty-one years, and some of my most vivid memories come from times my family and I spent in our beautiful, majestic Yosemite National Park-- hiking the waterfalls, picnicking in grassy meadows, and breathing in the clean air and refreshing smells of the great outdoors. 

These memories have given me an appreciation of Yosemite that I love sharing with others. With ten years experience in customer service and the tourism industries, I can't wait to take your call and make your reservation for a trip you'll never forget as you DISCOVER YOSEMITE.

Dana Richter-Vint
Reservation Specialist/Graphic Designer

I have been fortunate enough to be raised in the Sierra Nevada Mountains just a bus ride away from Yosemite National Park. As the daughter of a tour company founder I had the pleasure of spending my summers and school vacations in Yosemite. Even as a child the sights were awe-inspiring. I was able to learn many facts about Yosemite and different clues to remember these facts.

I learned how to ski in the park at Badger Pass, starting on Turtle, the bunny slope, at age 6 and racing past my mother not long after that. P.E. classes throughout grammar school included ski lessons at Badger once a week. I also have great memories of field trips to Yosemite and doing many school projects about the park. I have chosen to stay in this area to raise my son in the same surroundings that I love so much.

As a graphic designer I was given the opportunity to design the website for this company. It has brought back many memories from my childhood. I am excited to get back on a tour and Discover Yosemite once again. I will also be working the reservation desk and will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Arin McKenna
Writer/Guest Guide

For years I dreamed of getting to Yosemite, and when I did I ended up staying for 10 years. I am still amazed that I managed not to drive off the road when I got my first view of Yosemite Valley. I have never lost my love for this truly awesome place. I began giving tours of Yosemite shortly after my arrival there and continued to do so until I moved to Northern New Mexico, my heart’s home.

I continued working as a tour guide in Santa Fe. At present I am a group leader/tour guide/teacher for Elderhostel. I hosted a radio interview program on the arts and culture of New Mexico for two and a half years and have been a freelance writer since 2004. My work can be found in the Special Issues of The Santa Fe New Mexican and the New Mexico Magazine. I have won national awards for both my writing and my radio interviews.

I was thrilled when Dee Ann asked if I’d write the text for this website. I was glad to have a chance to work with her again and to write about one of the places I love most on this earth. This project has brought back many lovely memories. So when Dee Ann asked if I might be interested in being a guest guide, I jumped at the chance to once again share this special place with visitors from all over the world.

"If you’re on my tour, ask me about the time I walked with the coyotes."

“As long as I live, I'll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I'll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and the avalanche. I'll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can.” John Muir

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