Finding solitude in nature
Kayaking, camping favorite pastimes for Mon Valley man
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one in a monthlong series of profiles of the people who live and work in Washington, Greene and Fayette counties, in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Johnathan Santo has an easy smile, a measured cadence to his speech, and does not, upon first impression, seem the type to send himself hurtling off a bridge into the Monongahela River.
And yet.
“I’ve jumped off bridges and cliffs into the river. I used to swim across all the time. It was pretty stupid,” Santo, 31, laughed. “I have a kayak now that I use to get across.”
Santo and his older sister grew up in Roscoe, swimming in the Mon and playing in the woods. Summers were spent visiting his grandmother in North Carolina and camping as a family.
“I still do it,” said Santo. “I’ll go hang a hammock in the woods somewhere and camp out. It’s nice to hear the bugs and animals and stuff. It’s peaceful.”
An amateur photographer, Santo often documents his camping trips, hikes and other outdoor excursions with his iPhone and shares photos to social media. These days, kayaking is his biggest thrill, and he’s willing to paddle no matter the weather.
“Wintertime kayaking is my favorite,” said Santo. “It’s completely silent. You can hear the snow hitting the water.”
This past winter, Santo was caught in the big storm that passed through the region. Snow stuck to the water, turning it to slush, and he labored to slice through the freezing river with his paddles. That was not, however, Santo’s most harrowing kayak experience.
“I’ve got caught in a thunderstorm,” Santo said. “It was a beautiful day, and then I just hear a loud thunder. I looked straight up and there was a black cloud over me.”
The wind picked up and rain began to fall. Santo remembers “lightning and wind and waves. It took me all the way downstream. It was terrifying. It was like the scariest time I’ve ever had.”
Nature is Santo’s favorite escape, and wood-burning is his favorite art form.
“I had a problem with alcohol, so I needed to find a hobby,” said Santo. “I was good at it.”
He started wood-burning on TikTok Live, where folks commissioned him.
“I sent wood-burns out to 39 states,” Santo said.
Santo has always been into the arts: He was part of California Area High School’s ensemble in three productions, “Grease,” “Footloose,” and “The Music Man.”
However, the greatest role he’s ever held is “father.”
Three years ago, Santo welcomed his daughter into the world. Fatherhood has been nearly as wild as bridge diving and tent camping.
“I was afraid that I wasn’t gonna – I had anxiety when I found out,” Santo admitted, “but it just comes natural to me. It’s rewarding, getting the opportunity to watch her grow. She’s intelligent. She’s always been good.”
Fatherhood, he said, has steadied him.
“It calmed me down,” Santo said with a smile. “I don’t jump off bridges and stuff anymore, you know?”