Y Explore Inside Yosemite National Park? John DeGrazio Knows Why! by Barbara L. Steinberg©
If you believe in kismet, John DeGrazio’s destiny was set in the granite stone of California's Yosemite National Park long ago.
Life as an equities trader on the NASDAQ! It's a wilderness like no other; many old clichés come to mind: it’s a jungle; they’ll eat you alive; they’re a bunch of sharks; or a pack of wolves. Just the sort of place any great adventurer would want to be. Well, a different sort of adventurer. The long hours and pressure-filled days are definitely not for the weak or meek. With a financial payoff many would envy, the successful adventurer enjoys life in the most famous city in the world, New York. This urban jungle presents many cultural delights, but those seeking the greener grass..the other side is Caifornia.
In 1994, John is living in Atlanta tending bar. With a degree in political science he's contemplating law school. A friend intervenes and recommends him for a position on Wall Street. This is an offer not to be taken lightly, since you really need to know someone to break into those rarified heights. With a few financial courses under his belt, plus the competitive edge and profile Wall Street is seeking, John is off and trading. It’s hard to imagine this nice, quiet guy in cargo shorts and Tevas as a Wall Street financier. However, the skills and faith that took him from Atlanta to New York would eventually bring him to California.
“Initially it was very exciting…a thrill! It was great to have my first real job, making real money,” John said. “I was never a super-star trader, but I was pretty good. Still, I can honestly say I never really loved it!” Though dedicated to his work, the stock-trading call of the wild was not calling to John.
Just before moving from Atlanta to New York, John and two friends drove cross-country. Part of the trip’s focus was the national parks. “I had never been to a national park or exposed to nature. In fact, my family was the opposite of outdoor people! We played outdoors, but we never hiked.” said John. This road-trip was a pivotal moment in his life. The friends made their way across America through Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone national parks to San Francisco. Heading back, unbelievably they were within two hours of Yosemite, but they passed it by. “We had choices to make,” John remarked. “It was definitely on the radar, but we went a different way.” Eyes now wide-open, John is inspired towards further exploration and on the road to change.
Fast forward, it’s now 2003. John DeGrazio is living the good New York City life. Once a successful trader, he is now teaching new traders. Pulling from his own early experiences as a novice trader, he created a uniform program for his company. His own training had lacked adequate communication and was full of inefficiencies – missing the necessary guidance. By instilling discipline in the new hires, teaching them the (literally) trader language he was able to minimize company losses thus saving them money. With John’s guidance, traders are having more success earlier in the process. All of this background seems a far cry from Yosemite, but, in fact, it is part of the trail.
He’s also married to Catherine. Once the Human Resource Manager at the firm where they both worked, she’s now teaching kindergarten. Each year they choose an adventure vacation, which they take with a group of friends. They love going to great places together and national parks are frequently the focal point. In 2003 they decide on a week in California – San Francisco and Yosemite National Park, at last!
‘We ran around with no direction…we had no idea what to do!” said John. So the first day in Yosemite Valley they buy a guide book. They hiked to Mirror Lake, climbed Half Dome, and visited the Mariposa Grove. “Seeing the incredible rock formations and the giant sequoias, we simply couldn’t describe in words how incredible everything was.” But somewhere on the Half Dome trail, John had an epiphany.
“I felt pretty comfortable that this was a good setting for some sort of eco-tourism business. Certainly we weren’t the only visitors who needed someone or something to guide them through Yosemite.” John commented. Never were truer words spoken.
Back in New York, the idea continues to ferment. It occasionally comes up in conversation and discussion about “why it would work.” And then, as they say, fate stepped in. John is suddenly unemployed. The decision to move is reinforced.
After narrowing it down to five locations, they eventually choose California…specifically, Yosemite. Utilizing a quality of life system, the choice is calculated. California and Yosemite, in general, scored the highest. In July 2005, John, Catherine and their 2-month-old daughter, Mia Vita, moved to Sonora, California. They scouted other areas, but Sonora has a sizeable community and is close enough to the Park. With 3.5 million visitors a year, they would only have to reach a small percentage to be successful. Catherine came up with the name “Y Explore”, but it really didn’t tell the whole story and they added Yosemite Adventures. After acquiring all the proper permits and spending months exploring and learning about Yosemite’s nature and history, John was ready to hit the trail.
Y Explore is flexible and provides incredible customer service starting with the initial inquiry, which is answered by Catherine. There on the frontline, her HR training certainly comes into play. Both John and Catherine believe that taking care of the client is the #1 priority and encourage them to “make their own connection with Yosemite.” Tours can be customized from a basic hike and climbing Half Dome to naturalist hikes and multiple-day events in Hetch Hetchy that include Plein Air painting and photography workshops. They have partnered with the region’s finest interpretive guides, photographers, naturalists, and artists. They staunchly subscribe to Leave No Trace philosophies. And Y Explore clients appreciate the service they receive; evidenced by the very important repeat business.
Though the wilds of New York are far away, the lessons learned figure daily into this new life. “We have grown so much and no longer want a lot of what we thought we needed living in NYC.” John contemplates. “Family and time together is most important…that’s why we came out here, to provide this for our daughter.”
“I feel strengthened by all the changes and challenges. And that’s been the most rewarding.”
The California Travel Insider smiles for the Y Explore camera.
Originally published in January.February 2009 Sierra Heritage Magazine.
Yosemite can certainly be an adventure. And in winter, it can also be a bargain, as I found out!
Lora
Posted by: Lora | Tuesday, 03 February 2009 at 02:42 PM