Taylor Jeffers and Johnny Miller call themselves magic miners. It’s hard to argue with them: The California couple make their living as full-time crystal hunters, traveling across the West, exploring otherworldly landscapes, and unearthing tiny gemlike fragments. It’s the kind of free-range life many of us dream about. But building it wasn’t easy. It took hard work—and a few key pieces of gear.
When they met, Miller was a professional snowboarder who dabbled in silversmithing. Jeffers was a traveling artist. Both were eking out a living. Then, in 2013, they moved to Big Bear, California. The transition was a tough one, and neither had jobs lined up. To cope with the stress, they started hiking together, first around their new home, then farther afield. The first time the couple stumbled upon half-buried crystals on the trail, it was an accident. Then they started searching for the minerals. Before long, they got pretty good at it.
“It felt very natural to read the earth like we were doing,” Miller says. “We were tapping into some instinct we didn’t know we had. It was like we were kids again.”
Rock hunting started as a hobby. But few artists can stare at a growing pile of crystals for long before they start tinkering. Earrings and necklaces soon spilled out of their home studio. Within the year, their boutique jewelry company, Third Eye Co., was born.
Following the Magic
“It’s exciting,” Miller says of the work. “We find things nature has grown that have been hiding unseen for millions of years.” There’s something sacred about that—something incontrovertibly magical. The couple knew they wanted to do this for the long haul, and they knew they were willing to do whatever it took to make that happen.
The first trick to making their lifestyle work is holding that passion in mind and letting it drive them forward even when things feel scary or uncertain. The other trick, Jeffers and Miller say, is having the right gear. Hiking off-trail is rough going. To stay out there for long hours, comfortable boots are a must.
In the past, Jeffers and Miller regularly shredded shoes, tearing them to ribbons on sharp crystals and in jagged boulder fields. Now they both wear Danner boots—the Mountain Light Cascade and Danner Light Cascade, respectively.
“We got used to replacing boots all the time, but I haven’t even dented these yet,” Miller says. The uppers are rugged and weatherproof. The protective toebox is invaluable in cactus country, and they love that Danner will repair the boots if they do break down.
“It’s important to have confidence in your footwear,” Miller says.
Photography on the Move
JaVaris Johnson, an outdoor photographer and overlander based in the Pacific Northwest, has surprisingly similar advice. Johnson got his start in the skateboarding world. Initially, he just wanted a few snaps of his friends doing tricks.
“I went to a pawn shop and bought a camera, and after the first few clicks, I was addicted,” he says. Before long, he’d moved into his vehicle, which allowed him to chase gigs (and good light) across the West. Like Jeffers and Miller, Johnson goes to where he’s drawn. He lets a sense of instinct and inspiration pull him from one destination to the next.
“My message is to get out there and enjoy life,” Johnson says. “Nature is for everyone. Get out from behind the desk, surrounded by those four walls, and get out there. People look at photos on their computer screen and think, ‘Aw, I wish I could go there.’ It doesn’t have to be a wish—the question is when are you going to do it?”
That said, the day-to-day life of an adventure photographer isn’t always quite so glamorous. “I’m always stomping around in mossy areas, crossing rivers, and tinkering with my 4Runner,” Johnson says. He’s constantly on the move, which makes his shoes just as much a staple piece of his kit as his camera and tripod.
Why Good Boots Matter
Sure, other pieces of gear are keeping Johnson, Jeffers, and Miller out there, but there’s something special about a supportive pair of boots. They carry you across borders, through unexplored landscapes, and out of your comfort zone. With dependable traction and rock-solid stability, they help you move with confidence. Over time, they become a second skin. They mold themselves to your feet—and to your life.
“Shoes have a story to tell,” Johnson says. “You can see the journey a person has been on just by looking at their shoes. And with Danner, you can have them Recrafted and continue the story.”
That’s exactly how Recrafting supervisor Mark Tingley feels about his job. He’s spent the past three years repairing, refurbishing, and breathing new life into customers’ shoes—some of which are decades old.
“We get these old, cherished boots that have stories and meaning,” Tingley says. “That’s the best stuff.” There’s a sense of responsibility that comes with restoring such beloved shoes, he says. Often, a Recrafter will take three to four days to meticulously refurbish a single pair. But the Recrafting program isn’t just a matter of sentimentality.
“A pair of Danner boots is a wearable tool. Like a nice apron or a set of chef’s knives,” Tingley says. Take good care of any of those things, and they’ll last you a lifetime. That’s good for you—and the environment.
“I’ve never thrown a pair of our boots away,” Tingley says. “I’ll wear mine until they fall apart—and then I’m just going to restore them.” Given Danner’s Recrafting services—and timeless style—that won’t be hard.
For nearly a century, Danner has crafted boots with purpose and integrity, footwear to equip those who choose the unlikely path, those who cut fresh trails, those who pioneer. Whether you want to hike, work, or simply walk around town, Danner boots are meant to take you somewhere. Lace a pair up and Go There.
