March 16th, 2015, Last week I picked up some awesome shirts I ordered through Jayarr Customs Screenprint Service. They’re a full service design and screenprint shop based out of Tempe, AZ. I’m really impressed with the feel of the shirts and the print quality. They also have a huge selection of printable merchandise to choose from. Like hoodies, hats, bags, towels, jerseys, and so on. Definitely gonna contact Jayarr anytime I need some Lopez Photography Swag. I plan to wear these shirts anytime I’m working my camera in public. Check out Jayarr Customs at http://jayarrcustoms.com/
March 8th 2015, Soon after my return from camping, I was off on another outdoor excursion. This time I went with a small group to hike Arizona's Picketpost Mountain. Boy, we were in for a treat. Originally I expected the trek to be a brisk jaunt through the scenic desert landscape. What we got instead was a long climb up a steep rocky cliff. Through the first half of the hike, I was able to grab many pictures here and there. However, as the trail intensified, I had to watch my camera closely so that it didn't drop to its doom or swing wildly into the rocks. When our tired crew finally reached the top, we were treated to some amazing views of the Arizona frontier. The wilderness seemed to stretch on forever. We rested, had some snacks, and enjoyed the scene. Reaching the peak meant that the trip was only half over. I hoped the decent would be a breeze considering gravity would be working with us this time rather than against us. However I was so wrong. In fact, we had far more difficulty on the way down due to the steep slopes and gravely terrain which caused us to lose our footing constantly. I was forced to 'crab walk' down the slopes in order not to slip and fall. This action caused my pants to rip in an area which rendered them impossible/inappropriate to wear in public every again. Lucky I had the foresight to stow my camera away for this leg of the hike to insure that it too would not be destroyed. In the end it was a real hard day. The hardest day for me in a long time. There were moments in the hike where I felt despair and a genuine fear for our safety. Towards the finish I was dehydrated and pretty much blacked out on the drive home. But it was the support of my good friends that saw me through the challenge. There's no way I could have made it out alive without them. Hiking Picketpost Mountain was a truly memorable life experience that resulted in some great photos, fun stories, and a few sore muscles.
