The threads woven through the fabric of Patagonia’s human tapestry are many and varied, and Zay Hartigan’s thread is one of the most colorful.
If you encounter him face-to-face, you will no doubt be taken by his physical presence and countenance. You will note his long lanky frame clothed in typical western shirt and jeans and topped with a cowboy hat, not unlike countless other cowboys we’ve all seen. And perhaps you’ll note some of the ink he picked up during his self-described days of “wild mayhem” spent making his not-entirely-smooth transition from adolescence to manhood. But surely, above all else, you’ll take note of the boots.
They don’t necessarily define him, but the black boots are a Zay trademark. A holdover from his punk rock days, they stretch from sole to knee and fit tight -laced over tucked-in blue jeans. They set this cowboy apart from the rest of the ranching crowd and serve him well in the work that now defines much of his character. As a provider of contract packing services for building fences and trails in rough back country terrain, Zay finds the boots a convenient place to carry his tools ,while they protect him from all manner of evil in the backcountry—from snakes to shin-daggers.
Since arriving some 20 years ago at his current home in the San Rafael Valley, Zay has become the local go-to guy for the Arizona Trail Association, the U.S. Forest Service and ranchers who need his packing services to accomplish work in areas that require access by horseback. It’s demanding work, but Zay loves the challenge and enjoys the solitude and scenic beauty.
How Zay got to this area from his Detroit birthplace is a story nearly as colorful as the man himself. As a kid in the Motor City, Zay had the good fortune to make frequent trips to his grandmother’s nearby farm where he developed a love for the farming lifestyle. But his family moved to Connecticut where Zay became an accomplished skateboarder, attended high school for a while, found it not to his liking, quit school and struck out for sunny California.
On his way to the Golden State he adopted a new name, Zay, which evolved out of a prank on a radio station disc jockey and the fictitious name of Zaheron Mohead, of which he had the good sense to adopt only its first syllable.
Having acquired his new moniker, Zay made haste for California where he spent the next few years living the life of a punk rocker which, in all likelihood, led to his landing a role as an extra in the 1987 horror comedy movie, The Lost Boys. Look for him and his bright red Mohawk hairdo in the opening credits.
Still in his early twenties, Zay said farewell to California and headed for Tucson to stay with an old skateboarding buddy from Connecticut. He found work as a ranch hand at the 6 Bar Ranch in Oracle, then made his way from there to his present San Rafael home, but not before meeting and marrying a young lady in Tucson. Although the marriage ended in divorce, Zay is the proud father of now 13-year-old Claire with whom he spends considerable time riding, camping and generally enjoying the great outdoors.
The hard-working Zay balances his busy schedule with forays into poetry, photography and singing and occasionally pulls duty at the Patagonia Fire Department, as well. Full of talent and dedicated to making the world a better place, Zay also has a heart of gold. Patagonia is much enriched by his presence.