Exploring Washington with Jess Wandering

Our story begins here with this Instagram post.

A couple months ago, someone reached out to me about hosting a trip to one of my all-time favorite places down in Mexico, um, and I immediately was like, no way, me? I can't host a trip. But the more time that passed by, I was like, oh, you should maybe look into this. But yeah, sorry, I'm nervous. Anyway, I'm gonna share some more information let me know. Yeah, thanks.

Packrafting had been something I've been wanting to get into for years, so when I saw this post by Jess, I immediately leaped at the opportunity and went ahead and threw my name in the hat. And lo and behold, I got a spot for this really incredible trip that went down in Chiapas last year, early last year, and had an absolute blast. Got to know Jess a little bit there in a group setting, and we stayed in touch occasionally in the months after the trip ended. Flash forward about a year and a half later, and I had started film school by then, and I wanted to keep developing my filmmaking skills and storytelling, so I reached out to Jess about collaborating on a casual little film project up in Washington where she's based. And so we got to spend a few days together in the Cascades and Seattle and came away with this little film you're about to watch. And for me, it was also a really cool opportunity to spend time with somebody who is almost entirely known through social media and all the beautiful photos that Jess posts. And it was really sweet to appreciate the depth and the realness and humanness of somebody who's mostly known in this public way. So here's the finished film. Thanks for coming along. Hope you enjoy.

I've had long— all the words are meaning so much more as you say them without a pause. Now I'm letting all you in. You caught me falling. Now I'm letting all you in. It's—

the jacket is there, but her phone is gone, and her wallet. And— but something happened last night. Can you come back to the hotel? Conversation telling funny stories, and then it's her turn, and it's like, my mom abandoned us when we were 3, and I—

you know, just like So.

Tomorrow.

Yeah.

I'm gonna park here.

Oh, it's a trailhead.

And then we're gonna go like this. And then here is where we go off the main Heather. What's this do?

Oh wow.

What? Holy shit, that is some fancy shit.

Okay, okay.

Whoa. What?

There we go. This is all the normal hike, and then this is where you continue on the normal hike, but we're going to cut over.

Wow, I'm kind of mind-blown right now.

This is the boulder field, Lewis Lake. This is pretty steep, like I said, up to the basin with Wing Lake. This is so cool.

I've never seen this before.

Okay, so we skirt around there.

Wow, okay, wow, okay, it looks really steamed.

Holy shit. Yeah, I don't really know how I feel about that angle at all, but cool, cool, cool, cool, cool.

Yeah, that's all fine. Damn, this is so cool.

Under pressure.

We're taking way too long right now.

I know, right? What's your favorite camp snack?

Hmm, anything chocolate.

Okay, did you bring chocolate?

Oh yeah.

Oh yeah, all right. Yeah, sour gummies.

That's more of like a treat than a snack, but gives you that sugar high.

Yeah, I do like apples and like peanut butter or almond butter though. Strong combo, no doubt.

Yeah, it's a classic.

Yeah.

Did you bring sour gummies?

I did not.

Did I? Yeah, sour gummy fail.

Yeah.

I would have hit the spot right now.

It's okay.

Summit Sour Gummies?

Yeah, blew it.

Just go to Costco and get a giant bag of them.

No, because I'll eat them all. Like, I just can't buy them because I'll eat them all in one sitting. Just put my rain jacket back on because it is Raining, snowing, I'm not— hailing. Anyway, pretty bummed. Really close to the second lake, which is at the base of the summit push, and I just don't really know when to call it or if to call it or keep going. I don't know. It's total whiteout up there, so.

So. What are we thinking?

I don't know. It's so tough. I mean, I just know as soon as we leave it's gonna clear up, but I also know that if we don't leave it's never gonna clear up.

Yeah, it's like the rule. Yeah, I mean, we've been sitting here for like probably an hour. Really?

You don't think so?

I was gonna say like 20 minutes, but somewhere in between then. And it's just been nonstop.

Yeah, I took a picture when we arrived.

This is the most clear it's actually been.

And it was 11:53.

What time is it now?

12:53.

Are you serious?

Yeah, that was like exactly now.

Yeah.

Now it's like approaching being tempting.

Yeah, but you don't sound that tempted. I'm just gonna—

I mean, I think I'd resolve to like bagging it, so I have to like do a mind state shift.

Well, like, the bigger question is if we go back down, are we staying in Washington or not?

Oh, that's a big question.

That's where my head is at.

That's like a multi-day question.

Yeah, I'm like, I— is this just like bailing on Washington?

Hmm, wow, okay. Now I have to like zoom way out to even approach thinking about answering that question. You just like, you just start to see the shape of the mountain.

Yeah, right. I don't think that's it.

Is it?

Oh, it's not?

I always thought it was bigger, like right here, but maybe that's it actually. I don't know.

I mean, it looks— to me. All right, good, right?

We gotta show everyone. This was it. All right, what was that? What were you saying?

I just said I think we should call it.

It's pretty grim. He thinks we should call it.

It's getting grimmer.

Look at the view behind you. Okay, okay, now we're done.

Multiple proofs now.

Double documented.

Double documented.

You heard it. Wasn't me. I didn't quit.

That's fucking awesome.

It was all Rael. We're calling it.

Guess what you lose? Anything if I was meant for you. And he asks you if you stay, doesn't know he's the one who makes you feel this way.

How is it?

So cold.

You're kidding.

What?

I'm shocked.

Really? I'm not. Good. Permettez.

We did not summit.

Did not.

No, we did not.

Didn't happen.

Yeah. Because there was just like a cloud hat sitting on top of the mountain the entire time.

Yeah.

And then the minute we started going down, it became perfectly clear. And you called it.

I did. Yeah.

You said the minute that we go down, it's going to clear.

Yeah.

And the entire time that we stay, it's going to stay in clouds. And that's exactly what happened.

Yes. Yeah. That is exactly what happened.

Yeah.

Real bummer.

It was kind of a bummer.

Yeah.

But we had a sweet hike down.

Yeah.

Spent some time by the lake.

Because the clouds cleared and then it was really beautiful.

And it was gorgeous.

Yeah.

Yeah, totally. Yeah. Yeah, it's definitely like a bit of an internal process to have set a goal for something and been like really focused on achieving it. And then being denied it. Like, it's— yeah, it's like a practice for like all of life or something, to like let go of something that like I'm really intent on achieving, right? You know?

Yeah, yeah. I think for me it's like, uh, I've had to bail on that particular objective before, so— right, maybe it wasn't You're like used to being denied. Yeah.

It's not as heartbreaking. This is like your third time now.

Yeah.

Getting used to disappointment. So that was yesterday.

That was.

And then the forecast said today was going to be shit.

Yeah.

And it ended up being like spectacularly beautiful.

Yeah.

So we ended up going to Blue Lake.

Yeah. Just like a little baby day hike.

Baby day hike.

Yeah.

Yeah. Which I felt because I was sore, but super beautiful up there.

Yeah.

Crowded.

Yeah, it's always crowded. Like, especially on weekends. Let's have a snack.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Relatively mellow hike so that all the tourists can accomplish it.

I feel like I should have made you jump into the lake too. I was like, I didn't even occur to me, but like now in hindsight, I'm like, that would have been fair.

I can't do it under my own initiative. Oh, but if somebody is there to say, hey, you should jump into the lake, then I can't say no.

Like a double dare.

Yeah, I actually have to do it at that point.

Okay.

Yeah, totally.

Gotcha.

And it looked really actually enticing and it was warm enough to, you know, not come out super freezing.

For sure.

So today would have been the day to do it. So, okay, note for next time. If we're by a lake.

You owe me a polar plunge.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Because we're 1-0 right now.

Right.

Yes. Yes. Okay. Next lake, I'll take a dive.

Okay. Deal.

side where the lines blur. We can get lost in another world. Wake up in the morning, pack up our things and go.

I really appreciate you bringing your creativity and zest for adventure to Washington. Washington this weekend.

You're welcome.

Yeah.

It wasn't a problem. Yeah. It really made me feel more excited about future adventures.

Amazing.

Yeah.

I'm happy to hear that. Yeah.

And thanks for being such a great listener. I really appreciated having someone to really just like unload on for days on end. Happy to oblige. Yeah, it was a really cathartic experience.

I'm so happy.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, okay, so like, I think people often have the impression of this sort of one-dimensionality of people on social media, and I imagine it's hard to really convey, no, there's actually a real three-dimensional human that lives behind all of these pretty photos and all that. And yeah, it's been really like redefining and illuminating to have connected with you and got to know you as a human and to have come to appreciate what a depth of soul and care and heart you are in your life and in the world. And that's been really sweet to appreciate and to to see and to spend time with. And yeah, I walk away with like this, um, I think deeper appreciation of the creators and the humans that live behind what can often occur as a facade for people. And I appreciate that. Thank you.

Those words are a true gift to me that I will take with me and remember every time I see the clock in my car.

Dusty lace living in my lungs. The memory of a bus gone too soon. Is the sun that storms in the afternoon. But I hope they don't change my mind.