I am Jamal David Green and I currently live in Los Angeles, CA. I’m originally from St. Joseph, Missouri — “where the Pony Express began and Jesse James ended” as it used to say on the welcome sign. After high school I moved to LA and graduated with a degree in film from the University of Southern California (Go Trojans!)
In the past I’ve worked for Activision, Paramount Studios, and then for quite a while at 1K Studios as the Director of Interactive Features creating original content for DVD/Blu-rays such as Harry Potter, Iron Man, Pinocchio and Watchmen. Now I’m pursuing my own creative ventures — but of course I really want to direct. 🙂
I’ve been an avid hiker and fan of the American West since hiking the Grand Canyon with my parents at the age of nine. Beyond my love for hiking, I’m also a big fan of Prince, petrified wood, The Foo, games, animals, Science Fiction, adult beverages, Mexican food, photography and random CapiTaliZation. 🙂
Write to me at: Jamal@AcrossUtah.com
And if you really love this site, maybe…
Jamal, you mentioned your petrified wood interest. Do you have any specific spots in Utah where you saw some amazing petrified wood?
Heya Tyler — thanks for reaching out. Didn’t see your msg here until know, but we chatted on Instagram.
Hi Jamal,
I wonder if you can help with some suggestions, a short list. I want to find a natural arch, preferably in the desert southwest, preferably Utah which has an orientation where the legs are positioned with a general east/west (best would be northeast/southwest) stand so that when looking through the window one would be looking southeast. I want to plan a photo shoot that provides this arch orientation. Does anything of this description come to mind?
Thanks for your time.
Heya Brian! Are you looking for a view of the sky through the arch as well? To the south maybe I’m guessing? It’s a tough question because even though I know so many arches and the general direction they face, my memory and their TRUE orientations may not be accurate. Sunset Arch, Rocket Arch, and Arsenic Arch are all mesa-top arches which could be candidates — plus some more famous ones in Arches. NP.
Great hiking videos, Jamal! At 71 I am still solo ocean kayaking and backpacking, often off-trail wilderness areas, mainly on the coast of British Columbia, which is home turf. Love that your videos are not dominated by selfies, as too many are. Have hiked about 1500 miles solo in Utah, Arizona, NM, etc; love that high desert country, too! James Youds
Very cool — I’ve been up your way a few times and it’s very different form Utah, but still quite beautiful in its own way. Thanks for the comment.
Where can i buy joey coconato videos?
Hmm… maybe ask him? (unless this is a joke and I don’t get it.)
Jamal, I an in awe of your videos! Not only the knowledge you have and the condition you’re in, but your sense of humor make them so entertaining. I’m 77 and an avid photographer of Zion and the Southwest. I discovered the Southwest in 1990. I’ve gone back at least once every year since (usually fall and winter) Mostly with my wife and I sometimes with friends, and sometimes by my self. Your videos afford me the chance see places I would LOVE to visit, but won’t have that opportunity. Keep on trekking! Thanks.
Thanks, Carlos — I really appreciate that and glad you enjoy my humor (not every does if you can believe that! ) More videos coming soon — thanks for following along! ✌
I’ve been lucky to be able average 3-4 weeks every year camping in So. Utah for close to 40 years. Majority of that with just my dogs. I like Bears Ears the most. When I don’t have enough time to make it there I spent a lot of time on the Pony Express Road. Makes me in the middle and you had the east. Well Earth First to you and don’t take the Everett Ruess trail, no way out or back.
Wow — that is awesome and lucky! I’ve been at it for nearly 20 now and hope to continue. Cheers!
Hi Jamal,
I’ve very much enjoyed watching your videos and your website is a wealth of information on the beauty of southern Utah, thank you for the incredible resource that you have created. I worry about the potential to run out of water during a long, multi-day hike and so I have a couple of questions about how you’ve managed water during your hikes: 1) how much capacity for water storage do you typically pack (if you have a typical amount)? Even if you don’t utilize all of the storage space at any particular time, are you carrying enough water bottles to allow you to carry 4 liters, 6 liters? 2) Have you typically been able to count on replenishing your water resources at least once each day, or have you sometimes had to go longer between refills? Thanks, Patrick
Heya Patrick! Managing one’s water is probably the most important aspect of hiking in the desert. My routes are predominately dictated by known water sources. Ideally I like to have a good source every 1/2 day, but for drier stretches I have the ability to carry 9 liters at once when needed. Funny thing is… I almost always carry about 1-2 liters of water that I never use — my “just-in-case” water! IE I keep this amount until I get to my next anticipated source just in case that source is dry.
Thanks for the info on your water management approach, and I like that insurance plan that you follow of having some backup water if you’re assumed sources are not there. Don’t love the thought of carrying 9 liters/20# of water, I guess that’s just the price you have to pay to stay safe while doing the kind of hiking that you’re doing.
Hey Jamal,
I can understand why you like exploring southern Utah. Unfortunately your videos, which are very informative, help promote more visitation in areas that can’t accommodate the increased recreational use. When I visit southern Utah now, I’m blown away by the increased number of visitors I encounter and the resource degradation, especially of the cultural resources. I would encourage you to continue your explanation of the canyon country, just don’t advertise on the internet with your dedicated website, trip maps and slick videos. For the sake of preserving southern Utah’s natural and cultural resources, please keep this information to yourself.
Kind regards.
Charles
Hi Charles —
The overcrowding in some areas of Utah is definitely a concern, but… you are barking up the wrong tree. I’m not about to change my ways, but I’m going to suggest that YOU do.
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First — the Zion Facebook page gets more traffic in one day than my website has in the last two years! I’m sure it’s about the same for Arches and the other popular parks.
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Second — my videos and site has two main audiences: people who like to live vicariously though my adventures and long-distance hikers/backpackers doing the Hayduke or similar routes. For the few that I do motivate to visit Utah, I hope they learn from my frequent discussions of LNT principles and how to respect the land as much as I do. I know this is true for many of the backpackers that I have conversations with about thru-hikes.
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Third — on the route that I just finished, for 20 of the 32 days I did not see ONE other hiker! So, there is still plenty of opportunity for solitude if that is one’s top priority.
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I suggest you write the Utah Board of Tourism to ask them to stop promoting the “Mighty 5” and/or allocate some of their budget to education/resources to help with the overuse in those areas. You could also write the politicians and ask them to stop fighting over park boundaries which only brings more attention to the popular areas and again instead push for resource allocation.
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And lastly… just because we were fortunate enough to visit southern Utah when it was less busy, doesn’t entitle us to to have it to ourselves now. Remember — WE are part of the crowd in those places. So, if you really want to help… stay home.
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Cheers!
Jamal, I support the view you expressed especially your second point. I am 73 years old and “like to live vicariously through your adventures.,” as I’m sure is the case with most of your readers. Very few will attempt the kind of travels you experience and those that do, aren’t there to party and leave a mess behind. Also as you said, you saw no one during most of your trip. You are an expert an finding solitude. Keep it up. I look. Forward to your report.
You totally have my respect with your reply to that dummy Charles. No doubt he’s part of the SUWA cult and would like to see 3/4 of the earths human population dead.
Charles, remember that the problem lies with there being twice as many people on the planet than 50 years ago…rather than a YouTube creator who travels cross country where few dare to explore. Fight the fights you can win my friend.
Hey Jamal,
Big fan of your work. Currently, I’m planning a loop hike around Zion in the next few months and was planning on connecting your two routes through/ around the park for my loop. Essentially, we’d start at Canaan mountain and loop back towards Zion via The Barracks, East Rim to West Rim, before using Kolob Terrace Rd to loop back towards Springdale. However, seeing as East Rim is still closed, do you have any route options for bypassing this section that would still take us back towards the main Zion Visitor Center, so we could get on the west rim trail?
Thanks,
Will
Thanks, Will! The Closure definitely complicates things for Loop hikers and Haydukers alike. Have you seen my page discussing some of the options for Haydukers? Loop hikers have an even bigger challenge, but it could still be possible (but doing a partial loop with a car shuttle could help.) Check out this link and feel free to email if you have follow-up questions.
http://www.acrossutah.com/wordpress/hayduke-east-rim-trail-closure-in-zion/
Hey Jamal ! Thanks a lot for your amazing website that help us to enhance our Hayduke Trip… We are 4 frenchies who are crazy enough to prepare the Hayduke trail after a lot of previous trips in your fabulous Southwest ! We watched your movies on YouTube and sincerely get impressed by your knowledge and kindness… So, we wanted to write you this little comment to thank you for sharing all this amount of informations. It’s precious for us in France… Say hello to Mister Shadow for us ! Take care ! Laetitia, Marion, Jérôme and Nicolas
Hello in France! Thanks for the comment and the “beer”! Best of luck on your Hayduke hike and feel free to email me as your trip comes into focus if you have any added questions. Happy New Year! ✌
I’m hooked on your videos but they make me sick—because there’s so much of Utah I haven’t seen and I’m too old to see most of it.
In many of your videos the camera “follows you” as if someone else is there (I don’t mean the selfie stick ones). How is that done?
Thanks! There’s so much to see in southern Utah I’m not sure any one person ever gets to see it all! (Though I’m trying hard! ) The “follow” shots in my videos are done with a 360-degree camera on a tripod. It shoots in all directions and then when I edit the video I can re-frame the footage to track me as I hike. It’s not as high quality as a normal camera, but I really like the effect. Thanks for the comment!
Great videos! What frame per second do you shoot in. Do you prefer 4K over 1080p? Thanks from a novice short film maker. Fellow Trojan. FIGHT ON!
Heya fellow Trojan! I shoot everything at 29.97 — just because some of my gear doesn’t do 24fps and I don’t want to mix. I try to shoot 4K whenever possible, though it requires editing via proxy video. Thanks for “following” along!
Your videos are so well-made and informative.
My Wife and I cannot get to most of the places you visit – due to “age”, but they are the next-best-thing to being there!
Thank You.
Total fan of the videos. I’m a recent transplant to Utah and stumbled across the Youtube channel.
I’m planning a mini-hike with my son this spring.
FYI, a web site worth knowing about.
archesoftheescalante dot com
Reply to Adiyan Haran wo suggested the site archesoftheescalante dot com
Firefox tells me (now, Oct. 2022): “Firefox blocked this page because it might attempt to install malicious software that may steal or delete personal information on your computer.”
So be aware !
Thanks for sharing your trip reports. I’ve heard it said that “it’s not an adventure until something goes wrong…
While viewing your hike down Halls Creek Narrows in rain my wife chided me and said “That’s something you’d do.”
keep up the nice work and keep sharing.
Thanks so much for your videos of So. Utah and the Eastern Sierra, both of which my wife and I love and have visited many times over the past 30 years. I look forward to seeing more of your videos in the future. By the way, you captured many outstanding images during your travels. When you have a moment, take a look at my images at http://www.garcropserphotography.com. Thanks, again!
Was SO nervous for you watching your last video through the Halls Creek Narrows! Glad it turned into an adventure with a happy ending! Thanks for sharing it – scary AND educational ;o)
Is the road from Hwy 24 a two wheel drive road to Horseshoe Canyon? I’ve been wanting to do trail but was unsure of the road. Thanks Coco
Yes — most of the time at least. It’s a gravel road that’s usually in pretty good shape. After a storm though it could have some tricky spots.
Thanks for the info. It is nice to see the back country of Utah through your videos. Do you lead two day or long day hikes? The road to UpperMuleyTwist from Boulder looks
Like it is definitely a four wheel drive road? Where can I rent a four wheel?
Great video Jamal.
Having spent most of my free time in Colorado Plateau I enjoyed watching your trek.
I’m looking for a really good camera guy. I spend 1/3 of the year backpacking the rocky mountain region, (From canada down thru montana, wyoming, idaho, and utah.) I live in slc. Have backpacked almost all of glacier and yellowstone nat. parks. Go to alot of places unknow to most, including alot of offtrail. Have a team of backpackers, but really want to get some people involved that know more about film, and at the same time are into this type of adventure. Basically I want to start filming our adventures thru the high northern rockies. If you have any interetst shoot me an email. I have enjoyed watching your videos. Ive spent alot of time in southern utah. You should have shown how you crossed the colorado to get from the maze to needles. Packraft or boat? Enjoy yourself out there, its where you become alive, as you well know.
Heya Joseph — thanks for leaving a comment. I got across the Colorado via the jetboat which comes to pick up the floaters at Spanish Bottom. I’ve contemplated a packraft — it’s just such a burden to carry when the other option is fairly easy. I’ll drop you a line to see if I can help you out or know somebody who can.
Is this Joey Coconato from the “myownfrontier” channel on YouTube? You are a master of the selfie-stick! Your stuff is great and I would have told you long ago… if the comments were not disabled yet…I understand why one would do so. Jamal also has some sooper-fabulous videos and I have watched them all. I hope to see many more videos from both of you in the near future. Thanks to Jamal and thanks to Joey!
Fantastic videos and journeys! We lived in Canyonlands Needles for a season where my wife was a NPS Ranger. You saw more in 2 weeks than we did in 6 months! Kudos…
What an adventure for you. I have spent most all of my life living in the likes of Moab, Cedar City and Castle Dale. I have spent much time exploring and hunting the areas that you traveled. Hats off to your sense of adventure and solitude. You have seen some remarkable things that even most locals never see. PS did you see any large mule deer buck ?
Thanks for writing, Marty. I haven’t see too many buck deer out there. The Henrys were one of the rare places I saw a few.
Hey, Loved your JMT video, can’t wait to some day get out on that trail. I was curious to know the gear that you take on your trips, and see how your kit has evolved. (and whatever camera you use the zoom is absolutly amazing) So if you have the time a gear video would be awesome. I subscribed! Happy walking.
Great video of southern, UT. I love the areas so much, I bought my retirement home in Monticello, UT. Everyone in DC thinks I’m crazy, until they make their way west. By the way how did you come up with the route through the canyonlands, I’m interested in it? Best of luck in future journeys.
Mark
Hey Mark — thanks for writing. Not sure how, but I missed your comment last year. Feel free to write me to the above address if you are still looking for suggestions on routes through Canyonlands.