Jamie Goes West – Part I

Kern is also a super rad photographer. We had a lot of fun comparing film vs. digital during certain shots.

Sunset as we came into Utah. We tried our best to get to Arches National Park before sunset. Our intentions were to hit up Delicate Arch that night as soon as we got there for sunset. In hindsight, there was absolutely no way we would have made it. If we had more time I would have absolutely loved to have completed the wave az hiking tour too. Spending time adventuring in the great outdoors is just so much fun, especially in unique locations such as the Vermilion Cliffs for example. Anyway, here I think I was trying to convince Kern not to stop and pick up some free skis for his time in Tahoe. I promised him he would get a good deal on some skis when he got there, even though I had no idea. Two days after getting to Tahoe, Kern sent me a photo with some skis someone had hooked him up with!

The beauty of Utah exceeded all expectations. It is such a weird and beautiful state. My film mentor Jon Canlas is from Utah and so it was awesome to reflect on how far I had come as a film shooter since meeting him 4 years ago.

This was taken as we pulled into Arches. I love how cool the moon looks at dusk on film.

Kern cooking. The dude is amazing on the camp stove. I never went hungry. I learned so much from the man. This was the first night in the middle of the desert in Utah. He made a pasta dish and I got us drunk on some Hot Toddies. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy with this mre canada when I’m out hiking and camping usually, but Kern’s cooking was excellent.

First morning in Arches. Kern decided to longboard down this sick stretch of pavement.

Following Kern was almost dream like. He would pop up somewhere. I would head his way and boom, he would show up somewhere else. He had been traveling out west for almost an entire year. I was a definite rookie and I learned that real quick when I woke up this morning.

I thought I was going to die probably every day on this trip. This was the first time and I basically just got used to it. I was such a rookie when it came to climbing around and hiking. Did I mention I absolutely hate heights? I followed Kern to that huge arch in the previous photo and by the time I showed up, he was across this sketchy rock just hanging out. After crawling on all fours for 10 minutes, I finally reached him. Then I had him carry my camera bag and his own gear back out of there. I’d be lying if I said that was the only time that happened on our trip. Having the right gear on ambitious hikes like these is absolutely essential, so always make sure you travel prepared for any and every eventuality. If you’re looking to buy some new equipment, check out somewhere like Bass Pro Shops where you can use discounts from Raise (see them here – https://www.raise.com/coupons/bass-pro-shops) to help you make savings on your purchases with them, meaning that you can enjoy the great outdoors for less!

The next day our mission was simple. Go through the Fiery Furnace (alone) and catch Delicate Arch at sunset.

Fiery Furnace could have been my favorite thing we did on the entire trip. Being inside slot canyons and the desert, it’s out of a science fiction film. You can’t explain it. We had to convince a girl to let us go alone. It actually wasn’t that hard. We just charmed her, paid her $8 per person and watched a 5 minute safety film. It is extremely easy to get lost inside the canyons. The normal tour covers 2 miles and takes 3 hours. We had no agenda, we just wanted to get lost. And then of course find our way out.

Our time in the Fiery Furnace mainly consisted of climbing over amazing rock formations, getting stuck in a giant maze, retracing our steps and figuring out a way to get out. The best way I could describe it is a giant playground for adults. The picture on the left is actually where we ate lunch. Probably my favorite lunch spot of the trip.

Kern would go first and then shine his light on the best route. Also here is Kern photographing the juniper tree that I fell in love with. It is one of the most gorgeous things I had ever seen. It haunted me for days to come afterwards. Before I got my film scans back I went to the lab and harassed them just to see my negatives. I ran through 30+ rolls of film trying to search for one negative, this one. The Desert Juniper. Below is the scan I got back from the lab.

Shoutout to TOPO for a hookup on a sweet day pack.

Hiking up to Delicate Arch for sunset.

We made it to the Arch! Only to find 50 other photographers already up there. Some joked about my film cameras, other people were super into it. We met an older couple at the top of the arch. We hit it off and they ended up taking us to dinner that night and we are now friends on Facebook. Easily one of the highlights of the trip. Hi Zava!

I have to share this photo because of the crazy story that comes with it. I took this photo on a hike in the middle of nowhere Utah. We left Arches at night and we stopped at a truck stop to catch some sleep. I convinced Kern to drive 30 minutes more to some campgrounds in this random erie suburban small Utah town. In the morning we woke up and saw that we were surrounded by hills. I was coming off this Arches high and so I go, “Dude let’s hike that.” Why? I have no idea. I’m an idiot. It was again one of the many times that I thought I was going to die. It was way too steep and rocky to even reach the top. I also realized how much better of a hiker Kern is than I am. The only thing I was content with was the realization my last meal would have been Kern’s breakfast tacos which still linger with me. Kern hiked up about 20 yards ahead of me and said, “Dude. Not all peaks are meant to be summited. Lets go back down.”
We got down and packed up and headed to… THE SALT FLATS.

Part II coming tomorrow…

Hey, Nashville! Jamie is throwing a party and selling prints. You should be there.