Jalen Whitson
My name is Jalen Whitson from Asheville, NC. I attended high school at TC Roberson High. I love
where I grew up and I will always have a healthy respect for it but its just one of those things that I took
its beauty for granted until I left home. I’ve been living in Southern Utah for 4 years now, which was also
the first time I moved away from home. Being in the comfort zone of the place you grew up happens all
of the time but the day I decided to leave I knew exactly where I wanted to go and that was the desert.
Moving to Zion I have met some of the most awe inspiring people I have ever met. People that help
strengthen me physically and mentally in all things that I do. Climbing, canyoneering,
hiking/backpacking, and mountain biking are definitely my favorite pass times. Having these skills under
my belt have led me to encounter some of the talented outdoorsman. One of those amazing people
goes by the name of Corey Arnold, National Geographic photographer, who gave me the opportunity to
take him winter canyoneering. A friend of mine and I were featured in the October 2016 issue of the
magazine, which gave me one more thing to appreciate about where I live. This place is the mecca for all
things outdoors. Living in a place surrounded by beautiful people and beautiful scenery cannot do
anything but give you a different view of life, showing you how small of a piece of this world you actually
are. At the same time, with the amount of people on this earth, we can all learn from this place and how
to keep the places we love beautiful. These past few years I have lived the best life I ever have and I am
very appreciative of it.