As I hung up the phone, a smile crept across my face. I let out a sigh of relief as the weight of my predicament lifted off my shoulders. I just shed a huge cause of stress, and immediately added another one.
The decision to bow out of wildfire and my hot shot crew was one of the toughest choices I’ve made. My sense of identity and income were at stake and venturing into the summer not knowing if I would be able to support myself for its entirety, let alone the upcoming winter, was terrifying. But I had found myself in a mental drought. The world around me had lost its glow and more importantly, I had lost mine. My source of happiness needed to be found. I started with a foundation, a simple thought - what makes me sublimely happy every day?
Now that’s a loaded question, but I didn’t try and over think it. The answer was simple really...waking up outside as much as possible. So that’s what I set out to do. With the money I saved and the random jobs that came my way, I set out into the mountains or desert with my backpack at every waking moment. Needless to say it was the greatest and most influential summer of my life. Solo trips allowed for mental growth and trips with friends and mentors were the best source of education and inspiration. I walked away from the season discovering my course in life and where my passions lie. That I am a beautiful human and so are all those around me. That nature is the greatest medicine and the pursuit of happiness can be found simply by going for a walk.
This is a collection of some of my favorite photos from the summer. Moments of bliss, joy, laughter, and peace. Makes me smile just looking back at them…
Note: a bulk of these photos were shot by friends and fellow photographers. Photos that are not mine are indicated below and/or with a watermark.
Sierra Quitiquit sizing up the desert. Escalante, Utah
Sierra Quitiquit in the heart of Death Hollow, Escalante.
Ian Provo eyeing the depressing high water mark of Lake Powell.
This is the proof that Coconut Oil does NOT work as a sunscreen.
Lake Powell makes me cringe. It’s a boaters oasis in the desert, created by the Bureau of Reclamation during the dam boom in the mid 1900’s. Flooding one of the most beautiful canyons in Southern Utah and washing away thousands of years of history, it’s now a getaway for mindless motorists and houseboats. The heat from the desert sun evaporates a bulk of the water, leaving an obvious high water mark that towers over even the largest boats.
We wanted to explore the side canyons of Lake Powell, experience a piece of what Glen Canyon might have been like. Using inflatable SUPs from Bote Boards, we were able to squeeze into narrow slot canyons and venture into nooks and crannies most motorists can’t access. Dipping my paddle in, I couldn’t help but daydream about what’s below me. What ancient history is submerged under hundreds of feet of water? What families, what children called this sandstone canyon home?
The sound and speed of the boats flying by with ease as we struggled against the afternoon headwind was comical. Human powered transportation is not a common occurrence on this reservoir. The ground that we covered in one day was equivalent to what most see in an hour, but their race against time neglects the basic human senses. We felt the heat coming off the canyon walls, the smooth sandstone shores exfoliating our feet, even the smell of the desert caught in the morning breeze. With no need to anchor, we could make any rocky shore a campsite. Our last night, after struggling against vicious head winds and white caps, we made camp and were greeted with a spectacular sunset. Clinking luke-warm beers together, we gazed off into disappearing sunlight. With all its faults, Lake Powell is a surreal and beautiful place.
Photo by Ian Provo
On June 18th, we received a freak snowstorm in the Wasatch and were blessed with almost two feet of fresh. Needless to say, we took full advantage. Photo by Jim Harris
Laurel Nelson, cozy fire, and some marginal headlamp art.
Laurel Nelson enjoying a sunrise on Pettit Lake, Sawtooth Mountains.
One of the many adventure selfies I did this summer. Solo trips require you to be your own sense of scale so I got pretty savvy with my tripod and timer. Here’s looking up the Redfish Creek drainage on my way to Alpine Lake in the Sawtooth Mountains.
From the source! Cramer Lakes, Sawtooth Mountains.
Upper Cramer Lake reflection. Sawtooth Mountains.
Ideal campsite. Alpine Lake, Sawtooth Mountains.
Adventure lipstick as my friends like to call it. I do love me some zinc...
Heading back towards Redfish Lake, Sawtooth Mountains.
Hopped on a flight to Nicaragua this summer which was wild. I had never been to Central America before so this was a neat experience. I’m not a surfer, but it was always fun to watch the locals getting after it and occasionally snapping dreamy photos of them walking away at sunset. Playa Santana, Nicaragua.
Playa Santana, Nicaragua
Playa Santana with Mag Rock in the background, Nicaragua.
Red Castle and Lower Red Castle Lake, Uinta Mountains.
Gorgeous Cutthroat caught in the Uintas.
Couldn’t ignore my home range, the Wasatch. Spent a lot of time day hiking and scrambling around these mountains last summer. Broads Fork, Wasatch Mountains.
In August my good friend and photographer Jim Harris invited me on a multi-sport trip that would boost my sense of adventure to the next level. Up until then my backpacking and exploration had been confined to mostly trails and classic routes. Jim had a wild idea of hiking up and over the Bitterroot Mountains on the Montana/Idaho border with packrafts and eventually get to the put in for the Selway River, a classic Idaho whitewater stretch. Not wanting to hike in the woods the entire time, we made the decision to stick to the high ridgelines. The views were worth it, but the endless hours of boulder hopping, steep side hilling, and occasional hand rappel definitely put us in the Type 2 fun category. It was worth it though. Afterwards we had four days of floating a scenic river which would allow for plenty of rest for our legs. You can see the full trips report at: http://www.canoekayak.com/photos/selway-hard-way/ . Photo by Jim Harris
Photo by Jim Harris
Photo by Jim Harris
Photo by Jim Harris
Photo by Jim Harris
Photo by Jim Harris
Photo by Jim Harris
Fishing the side creeks. Photo by Jim Harris
Photo by Jim Harris
After the Selway trip, I wanted to tick off a classic ridge traverse in the Wasatch range. The Cottonwood Traverse is about a 12 hour hike where roughly 75% of the ground covered is class III/IV scrambling and ticks off five of some of the highest peaks in the range. Fellow pro skier and Discrete Clothing owner Julian Carr was up for the challenge, so we set out the next morning, eyeing our 11 mile ridgeline on the hike up. Hours of being slightly gripped took its toll, but we finished right at dark and wrapped up the day with cold beers and chicken and waffles!
Photo by Julian Carr
Classic Julian
My first trip to the Wind Rivers was magical. I thought I had found my favorite range in the Sawtooth Mountains, but the Winds are definitely giving the ‘tooths a run for their money. No people, incredible fishing, and truly gorgeous peaks. I can’t wait to go back here. This was our first glance of the range after spending a few hours hiking through the woods.
Beautiful morning on Cook Lake, Wind Rivers
Heading over Lester Pass on the way to Titcomb Basin
Shane getting into the heart of Titcomb Basin
Man’s best friend.
The entire summer I had been scheming a backpacking trip to the Grand Canyon. I knew I had to get there somehow, someway, but I never thought I’d have the opportunity to go on a 21 private trip down the Colorado. If you’re going to see the Grand Canyon, this is really how you want to do it. Thanks to Jim Harris I was able to get that opportunity and had what I consider the best trip of my life.
All photos by Jim Harris
After the Grand Canyon I figured my desert needs had been satisfied, but it didn’t take long to head back down there. What originally was going to be a solo trip to Buckskin Gulch became a great four days with a new adventure partner. Elliot Bernhagen and I knew each other through mutual friends and he contacted me about going to the desert. I told him I was planning to head to Buckskin and without hesitation he was in route and before I knew it we were in the belly of one of the longest slot canyons in North America.
Elliot checking out a jammed log from previous flash flooding.
Photo by Elliot Bernhagen
The colors were truly magnificent in this canyon.
Just a speck. Photo by Elliot Bernhagen
Water seeping from the sandstone. Photo by Elliot Bernhagen
Photo by Elliot Bernhagen
Once out of Buckskin Gulch, the next leg of the trip is about 30ish miles down the Paria River where huge canyon walls slowly begin to widen and every corner delivers a new treat for the eyes.
Mud buddy. Photo by Elliot Bernhagen
Photo by Elliot Bernhagen
Photo by Elliot Bernhagen
Elliot has some serious balancing skills.
The Paria Man. Our campsite towards the end of the trip was quite psychedelic. Previous hikers had created a very zen like rock garden right next to camp. Elliot and I spent hours exploring this ancient creek bed and the variety of stones it held. I even found an arrowhead! I’m not advocating disrupting and feng shui-ing every campsite you land on, but the collaboration of various rock art and designs created quite the magical sleeping spot.
Looking back through these photos puts a huge smile on my face. From the places I saw to the people I met, it was perfect. I’ve never felt better and to know that regardless what happens in my life, I can always pack up my backpack and re-discover what it truly means to live free, to live HAPPY.
What motivates you? What puts a smile on your face every morning? Ask yourself this question and if you feel stuck or deprived of joy, maybe it’s time to make a change. Our life is here, now, and the sources of beauty and bliss are all around us. Sometimes you have to defy all logic, all responsibility and just got for it. It's scary, it's unpredictable, but you have to trust. It’s up to you to make that decision on whether or not you want to pursue it, but imagine what could happen…
“What, if some day or night a demon were to steal after you into your loneliest loneliness and say to you: 'This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more' ... Would you not throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse the demon who spoke thus? Or have you once experienced a tremendous moment when you would have answered him: 'You are a god and never have I heard anything more divine.” - Freidrich Nietzsche
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Sam Morse
February 25th, 2015
Beautiful photo essay Kalen!
Kalen Thorien
February 25th, 2015
Thanks so much Sam! Couldn’t have done it without the help of Jim and Elliot! Nice post to you as well my friend! Cheers!
Andrick D
March 13th, 2015
This is gorgeous and inspirational. But after mentioning the fear of financial instability, you never followed up on how you were able to afford to do all of these things, and how you were able support yourself. It is almost impossible to look at this as anything but a dream when you have no money, and can’t just “hop on a flight to Nicaragua”. I’m not hating at all, because I truly appreciate the positivity in this. I just think people like myself, who struggle with financial hardship everyday would really find more inspiration in this piece if we knew some of the real sacrifice and struggle it took to become a reality, and how a regular, working joe could afford to have a summer like this.
ChrisDave
March 13th, 2015
Sick story. Way to get after it. And that Nietzsche quote is the perfect way to end it. Keep rocking it, Kalen.
carvedog
March 13th, 2015
Teh pictures is broken for me. Would love to see.
berbamac
March 13th, 2015
Hot,empowered woman finds her bliss in a summer of adventure= epic. Kudos on the great article. Fantastic photos but its the spirit of wanderlust and looking within that really makes this great. Wow,what a catch:)